Technology

Alibaba’s Amap Unveils Full-Stack ABot Upgrade for Embodied AI Robots

Published

3 months ago

July 23, 2026

BEIJING, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amap, Alibaba’s location-based services platform, has released a full-stack upgrade to its ABot embodied AI system, introducing ABot-N1, ABot-M0.5, ABot-ER, ABot-AgentOS and ABot-C0 to address key bottlenecks in embodied intelligence — AI systems that enable robots to perceive, reason and act in physical environments.

The upgraded system is designed to improve navigation, manipulation, task reasoning, long-term memory and motion control, and Amap claimed the system achieved state-of-the-art (SOTA) results on 17 widely used benchmarks.

With the upgrade, the ABot architecture is structured as a pioneering full-stack embodied-intelligence technology system. It connects world models, foundation models and an embodied-agent framework, allowing data from simulation training, physical interaction and memory scheduling to feed back into the system and improve performance over time.

ABot-N1, a general navigation foundation model, is aimed at helping robots move through open environments. Conventional navigation maps are built for human users, who can rely on common sense to interpret routes and avoid obstacles. Robots require finer-grained spatial perception to apply such maps safely in the physical world.

To address that issue, ABot-N1 uses a dual-system architecture in which a slower module handles long-range reasoning and a faster module manages real-time control. When navigation errors occur, the model can fall back on visual judgment based on the slower module’s reasoning. It also introduces a pixel-level chain-of-thought process, combining visual inputs with language-based logic to make decisions more traceable.

ABot-N1 can complete city-scale autonomous navigation using navigation maps alone. In evaluations, the model led comparable systems in point-goal navigation, object-goal navigation, instruction following, point-of-interest navigation and person following, with an outdoor navigation success rate of 92.9%, according to Amap.

ABot-M0.5 is a general manipulation foundation model that coordinates robot movement and object interaction. Long-horizon tasks in real environments often require a robot to move and manipulate objects across multiple steps, such as navigating to a water dispenser and filling a cup.

Rather than linking movement and manipulation in a linear sequence, ABot-M0.5 separates locomotion and manipulation into two action streams and uses frame-level implicit actions to align vision, hands and movement at a finer time scale. The model also uses a training method known as “dream self-healing,” allowing it to continue generating actions from noisy visual predictions to reduce failures caused by small deviations. In RoboCasa-365 tests, ABot-M0.5 outperformed the previous state of the art by 20.4% on complex tasks and 10.6% on basic tasks.

ABot-ER and ABot-AgentOS form the system’s embodied-agent layer. ABot-ER supports decision-making from perception to action, helping robots reason about relationships among objects, spaces and tasks rather than relying only on visual recognition. ABot-ER achieved SOTA results on three benchmarks and ranked first on Embodied Arena 2D-EQA, a benchmark released by multiple research institutions, as of the announcement.

ABot-AgentOS is designed to turn planning into executable actions. It decouples planning, tool use, execution and verification from the robot body, and connects to different robot forms through plug-in skills. The system supports humanoid, quadruped and wheeled robots, while also providing multimodal lifelong memory across tasks and time. The memory system can be optimized based on failed task trajectories, allowing experience from previous tasks to inform future decisions.

Together, ABot-ER and ABot-AgentOS convert task experience into long-term memory and decision references while preserving the security of local, private memory. Those references can then be fed back into the broader ABot system as shared assets for use by other models.

ABot-C0, the motion-control component, is built to translate decisions from the ABot system into physical actions. The model builds a unified behavioral foundation for quadruped robots and supports collaboration among heterogeneous robot types.

The upgraded ABot system is intended to help robots continue learning and adapting in real-world open environments. The company has released research papers for ABot-N1, ABot-M0.5, ABot-AgentOS and ABot-C0 on arXiv.

Research papers:

ABot-N1: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.10383

ABot-M0.5: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.00678

ABot-AgentOS: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.10350

ABot-C0: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.07370

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SOURCE Amap

Technology

140th Canton Fair: Circular Economy in Products and Practice

Published

31 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As sustainability moves from a corporate commitment to a business imperative, the principles of the circular economy are becoming increasingly visible across both products and industry practices. This shift can also be observed at the 140th Canton Fair.

Designing Longer Lifecycles for Home Products

Among the home and lifestyle products featured at the fair, circular design remains a key theme. Sleep solutions are integrating bio-based and low-carbon materials with durable structures that improve product longevity while reducing resource consumption. Beyond comfort and support, manufacturers focus on repairability, recyclable components and internationally recognized environmental certifications. These features extend product life cycles and minimize waste.

Beyond sleep solutions, furniture exhibitors are also exploring new approaches to material reuse. Seating products made with recycled plastics recovered from discarded appliances and marine waste demonstrate how post-consumer materials can be transformed into high-value consumer goods. Combined with ergonomic design, modular construction and enhanced durability, these products help reduce dependence on virgin resources while maintaining performance and safety standards.

Another approach comes from furniture crafted from reclaimed wood, highlighting another pathway toward circularity. By giving previously used timber a second life, manufacturers preserve material value, reduce waste and create products that carry a distinctive sense of history and craftsmanship.

A Trade Fair Shaped by Circular Principles

The Canton Fair’s commitment to sustainability extends far beyond its exhibition halls. Over the past decade, it has served as a testing ground for greener exhibition practices, helping transform an industry once associated with large volumes of disposable construction materials and post-event waste.

Now the fair has achieved green booth adoption, replacing traditional one-time-use structures with modular, reusable systems. This shift significantly reduces construction waste while improving efficiency and safety. The experience gained through years of implementation later contributed to the development of national standards for green exhibition booths, exhibition operations and venue safety management, providing a framework that has since influenced other major exhibitions and venues across China.

Marking its 70th anniversary, the Canton Fair continues to champion a long-term approach to sustainable growth. Whether through circular product innovation or greener exhibition practices, these commitments remain central to the fair’s vision for the years ahead.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

Technology

Verosoft Launches Verovia to Turn AI into Industrial Value

Published

31 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

New Microsoft-first AI orchestration platform connects industrial systems, enterprise applications, and AI agents to automate operations and accelerate AI adoption.

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Verosoft, a Microsoft-first industrial technology company, today announced the general availability of Verovia, its AI orchestration and automation platform designed to help industrial organizations move beyond AI experimentation and put artificial intelligence to work across their operations.

Verovia connects industrial equipment, enterprise applications, and AI agents to automate processes across systems and departments. Built around the Microsoft ecosystem, the platform enables organizations to deploy AI without replacing their existing technology infrastructure.

“After more than 20 years developing enterprise asset management solutions within Microsoft Dynamics, we’re extending our expertise with The Asset Guardian (TAG) into AI orchestration and automation,” said Martin Turgeon, President of Verosoft. “We can now connect industrial data directly to AI, put information into business context, and automate processes across entire operations.”

Industrial AI Built for Results

Building on its IoT capabilities introduced in spring 2026, Verosoft brings together equipment monitoring, asset management, and AI-powered automation to help industrial organizations operate more efficiently.

In pilot projects across transportation, energy, construction, and manufacturing, Verosoft’s technologies are showing promising early results, particularly in reducing equipment downtime, accelerating data analysis, and eliminating manual data entry in specific workflows.

“AI’s real value isn’t measured by the number of agents deployed, but by the work they accomplish,” said Alexis Turgeon, Director of Innovation at Verosoft. “We’re seeing dramatic improvements in operational efficiency by connecting AI directly to business processes. Verovia makes these capabilities accessible and scalable across the industrial enterprise.”

Enterprise AI with Governance Built In

Verovia enables IT teams to manage how AI agents access information, interact with applications, and execute actions.

With Microsoft Entra ID integration, role-based permissions, approval workflows, and auditable activity records, organizations can expand automation while maintaining visibility and human oversight of critical decisions.

New Growth Opportunities for Microsoft Partners

Verovia creates opportunities for Microsoft partners to expand into industrial AI orchestration and automation.

By providing the infrastructure for connectivity, AI agents, application development, and governance, Verovia allows partners to focus on solving customer challenges rather than building an entire AI technology stack.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure partners can develop industry-specific solutions, accelerate implementations, and introduce recurring AI consulting and managed services.

See Industrial AI in Action at Convergence 2026

Verosoft will showcase real-world industrial AI use cases and measurable results at Convergence 2026, taking place December 8–11 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Availability

Verovia is available beginning October 26, 2026, with a free version that enables organizations and Microsoft partners to explore AI orchestration and automation.

About Verosoft: Propelling Industries

Verosoft is a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications and a Microsoft-first operational technology company that builds software to help industrial enterprises prevent unplanned downtime and orchestrate governed AI across their sites and systems. Its two main product lines are TAG Mobi, an enterprise asset management platform deployed in more than 150 countries, and Verovia, an AI orchestration and automation platform. Both are built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. Verosoft serves organizations ranging from single-site operators to 2,000-user enterprise deployments through a global network of more than 60 certified Microsoft partners.

Media Contact: Louis-Philippe Tremblay, Verosoft, marketing@verosoftdesign.com; www.verosoftdesign.com

SOURCE Verosoft

Technology

WCA and uReport Partner to Expand High School Sports Coverage Across Wyoming

Published

31 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

Customized Platform to Strengthen Association Communications and Help Wyoming Schools Access uReport at No Cost for 2026–27

CLEVELAND, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Wyoming Coaches Association (WCA) and DistrictWON’s uReport are partnering to help coaches and schools share the stories that make Wyoming communities proud. Under a one-year agreement dated October 5, 2026, DistrictWON is providing WCA with a customized platform for WCA communications and member engagement.

WCA will share association news, coach and school stories, and member updates through its communications, events, newsletters, and social channels. DistrictWON is working with the association to shape a digital home that reflects WCA’s identity and supports ongoing communication with coaches and member schools.

The partnership also opens a no-cost opportunity for Wyoming schools. Every U.S. high school can use the full uReport platform at no cost for the 2026–27 academic year, giving Wyoming schools a way to bring more visibility to their students, teams, and programs.

A Customized Platform for the Wyoming Coaches Association

The WCA platform will be tailored to the association’s communications and member-engagement needs. It will include WCA branding, integration with the association’s website and social channels, unlimited users, security controls, and an online content library.

WCA can publish stories with photos and video, featuring coaches, teams, students, and association updates. The association can use the platform to share timely information, highlight member achievements, and keep its communications accessible through the channels coaches already follow.

“Our coaches and schools create meaningful stories every day, and many deserve a wider audience,” said Allen J. Von Eye, WCA President. “This partnership helps WCA engage members and schools showcase what makes Wyoming activities special.”

Expanding Coverage: Wyoming High Schools Have the Same Opportunity

For the 2026–27 academic year, Wyoming high schools can use the uReport custom Athletic Coverage Platform at no cost. Schools can use uReport to bring more attention to their students, teams, and programs and strengthen connections with their communities without needing added personnel.

Coaches, staff, and authorized student contributors can publish through uReport, giving students hands-on experience in journalism, media, and technology while helping schools share their programs with families and fans.

ACTIVATE ACCOUNT HERE.

For more information or help getting started, contact Dan McGrath, DistrictWON Customer Success, at 216-647-3857 or dmcgrath@districtwon.com

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SOURCE DistrictWON