ANYbotics adds door access for ANYmal inspection robots. Fri, 2nd Oct 2026 (Today) ANYbotics has introduced automated door access for its ANYmal robot fleet, extending inspection routes across more areas of industrial sites. The Zurich-based robotics company has partnered with dormakaba and LEGIC Identsystems to enable its four-legged inspection robots to pass through both unlocked and locked doors using existing access systems. The approach targets sites in sectors including energy, metals, mining and chemicals, where closed doors have limited autonomous inspections to individual rooms or isolated zones. The new set-up covers two types of door access. For unlocked doors, ANYmal can trigger retrofitted dormakaba door operators through radar-based presence detection. For restricted doors, the robot uses a digital credential provided through LEGIC technology and requests access through dormakaba's management system, which decides whether to unlock the door based on predefined permissions. The arrangement allows plant operators to apply the same controls and audit trail to robots as they do to employees. Instead of leaving barriers open or creating workarounds, the system keeps existing fire and security controls in place while allowing the robot to continue its route. "Our customers do not buy robots, they buy a solution to their operational challenges: less unplanned downtime and fewer people in hazardous areas. The impact is measured in how many critical assets our robots inspect, how often, and how reliably. Doors were a hard limit on that coverage. With dormakaba and LEGIC, ANYmal can move through doors like any authorised colleague, under the same rules and the same audit trail. The access-controlled door pilot has proven this works in a live operating environment, and we will now make that function available as an add-on across the entire ANYmal fleet," said Péter Fankhauser, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ANYbotics. How it works For doors that do not require credentials, ANYmal approaches a doorway on its planned route and is detected by a radar sensor. That signal triggers a dormakaba ED 100 or ED 250 operator, allowing the door to open and close once the robot has passed through. This option can be added to existing doors without structural changes and can be used with indoor, outdoor and fire-rated specifications. dormakaba's local teams handle site surveys, hardware quotations and installation for customers using the system. Locked doors require a different process. ANYmal carries a LEGIC security payload that acts as a digital identity for the robot. When it reaches a protected doorway, the robot requests access electronically through dormakaba's exos access management system, which logs the movement and determines whether access should be granted. Live pilot The access-controlled version was tested at GE Vernova's Whitegate power plant in County Cork. According to the companies, the robot operated for several weeks in a live plant environment, repeatedly passing through controlled doors and completing inspection routes without manual intervention. "The door passage solution allows ANYmal to move seamlessly between plant zones without compromising safety or security rules," said Brian Carroll, Maintenance Engineer, GE Vernova Whitegate. "By letting the door open automatically for the robot, we can automate routine inspection runs across the entire facility while keeping fire and security barriers intact," Carroll added. ANYbotics said the new access-controlled payload add-on will be offered to current deployments and future ANYmal hardware platforms later this year. The company did not provide pricing details. Broader push The development reflects a wider effort by industrial robotics suppliers to fit autonomous machines into established plant systems rather than requiring operators to alter site layouts. Access control has been one of the more practical barriers for mobile robots in industrial environments, particularly where facilities are divided into multiple security and safety zones. Jacob Euler-Rolle, Product Management, Workflow Integration at ANYbotics, said removing that barrier expands the usefulness of inspection robots in plants where the most important assets are often behind controlled access points. "Inspection only delivers value if the robot can reach the asset, and a closed door was the one obstacle that stopped our robots from covering the most critical parts of a plant," said Jacob Euler-Rolle, Product Management, Workflow Integration, ANYbotics. "Solving it with LEGIC and dormakaba means ANYmal can now inspect where it matters most, without rebuilding any infrastructure," Euler-Rolle added. dormakaba framed the project as part of a shift in access management beyond human users. "The joint pilot illustrates how access solutions are evolving beyond traditional applications for human users. By securely authenticating and authorising autonomous machines, access management can become an important enabler for the next generation of industrial automation," said David Fuller, Chief Innovation Officer, dormakaba. LEGIC also pointed to the role of digital identity in machine access. "This is about authenticating autonomous systems; issuing a trusted identity, in effect a badge for the robot. With this project, we are taking a major step into physical AI, extending LEGIC's secure access credential technologies from people and objects to machines," said Mehdi Elhaoussine, General Manager, LEGIC Identsystems AG.

ANYbotics launches Shift operational engine to power autonomous robot inspection at scale. By Robotics 24/7 Staff October 1, 2026 Designed for processing industries like energy, metals, mining and chemicals, ANYbotics said that its new operations platform, Shift, helps maintenance and reliability teams run autonomous inspection robot fleets, detect failing equipment and turn inspection data directly into actionable work orders. Stay up-to-date with news and resources you need to do your job. Research industry trends, compare companies and get weekly market intelligence with Robotics 24/7. AI-driven robotic inspection technology company ANYbotics announced the launch of ANYbotics Shift, the new operational engine powering the company's autonomous inspection technologies. The company said that Shift is designed to simplify asset health assessments and enable downtime-minimizing preventive maintenance. Shift connects a facility's plant model, robot fleet, inspection intelligence data and maintenance systems into one continuous workflow. ANYbotics said that the new platform empowers businesses to harness the full potential of autonomous inspection by planning and running multi-robot missions, while organizing captured field data directly around existing asset management infrastructure. Autonomous robot inspection data generation and analysis. The company said that undetected failures cost the world's 500 largest companies an estimated $1.4 trillion each year in preventable downtime, with a single hour of outage averaging $250,000. ANYbotics said that it addresses this challenge by deploying autonomous robots that collect hundreds of thousands of inspection data points every month. The company said that this continuous data stream creates something unprecedented in process industry operations: a comparable inspection baseline across every asset over time. By tracking this baseline, ANYbotics added that reliability engineers can clearly see an asset's degradation curve and intervene before a minor anomaly escalates into a multi-million-dollar shutdown. "Robotic inspection delivers the most value when field data flows directly into maintenance action," said Péter Fankhauser, co-founder and CEO of ANYbotics. "Shift makes that seamless. It unifies plant mapping, robot fleet coordination, inspection AI analytics, and systems integrations into one platform. At its core, Shift AI powers the intelligence that transforms field findings into work orders, saving millions in avoiding unplanned downtime." As industrial sites scale from single robots to full fleets, ANYbotics said that the challenge shifts from what individual machines can inspect to how whole fleets operate, focusing on rapid site deployment, team-wide adoption and seamless integration into maintenance workflows. ANYbotics said that Shift was built specifically for this transition and optimizes the four pillars of fleet success: * Deployment speed * Role-based adoption * Asset intelligence * Workflow integration The company said that setup tasks, which once took specialists weeks, can now be completed by local technicians in days, while raw sensor data is automatically transformed into prioritized work orders. "ANYbotics Shift's API gives our APM platform consistent, valuable equipment-level inspection data from across the plant floor," said Neha Joshi, product leader, GE VERNOVA APM. "Combining field insights with our analytics creates a more complete picture of asset health, helping teams identify, validate, and address issues more effectively. When our models flag a potential issue, we can use the same API to send robots to verify it and capture additional context. The integration has been seamless, making it easy to incorporate field insights into existing workflows and accelerate value for our customers." How Shift works. At its core, ANYbotics said that Shift AI serves as a shared intelligence layer that continuously learns from and feeds into every connected module. Because all four modules operate on the same living model of the plant, the company said that every data reading retains its asset context, precise location and operational history, meaning every inspection automatically enriches the entire platform. On this foundation, the company said that Shift delivers visibility, action and measurable impact through four interconnected modules designed to operate as a single, unified system: * Shift Fleet takes the friction out of scaling from one robot to a full fleet, keeping robots on repetitive inspection duty while reliability engineers stay in the driver's seat, reviewing findings, prioritizing repairs and deciding what to fix. It schedules, monitors and controls the entire robot fleet from one place. Missions can be triggered directly from the distributed control system (DCS), ensuring critical assets are inspected consistently without adding workload to stretched teams. * Shift Insight combines thermal, acoustic, visual and gas readings with operating conditions like motor speed, load and ambient temperature. A reading only counts as an anomaly when the context says it should, surfacing overheating, partial discharge, leaks and misalignment while they are still relatively harmless. * Shift Connect turns confirmed anomalies directly into work orders inside the core operational software. Through productized connectors and standard REST APIs, Connect integrates seamlessly across five key categories: * Distributed Control Systems (DCS) like Yokogawa * Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools like SAP and IBM Maximo * Asset Performance Management (APM) platforms such as GE Vernova APM * Digital twin or contextualization layers like Cognite and Oracle * ANYbotics said that this bi-directional integration allows process thresholds to automatically trigger new robot inspection rounds, while an integrated notification center delivers real-time alerts through everyday tools like email and Microsoft Teams, with SMS and WhatsApp support coming next. * Shift Maps provides a live digital twin of a plant. It uses existing asset hierarchy (from asset to section to unit) and maps inspection targets into asset performance management (APM) and enterprise asset management (EAM) infrastructures. Importing asset structures by asset ID, so every reading lands on the right piece of equipment. "Shift AI connects all four modules and is the shared intelligence they all work on. A reading doesn't just get stored; it arrives knowing which asset it belongs to, where that asset sits, what it looked like last time, and which work order it should become," said Jacob Euler-Rolle, head of product management, workflow integration at ANYbotics. "The plant model from Maps, the inspection task from Fleet, the interpretation from Insight, and the action from Connect are one continuous workflow. And it runs both ways: a work order or a process alarm can send the fleet straight back to the asset. Every cycle through that workflow feeds Shift AI, which makes the next one smarter." Shift runs as a managed cloud platform operated by ANYbotics, with regional hosting so customer data resides where it is required, such as in the E.U. or the U.S. For specific IT/OT or regulatory requirements, ANYbotics said that Shift can also be deployed in a customer's own cloud environment or, where necessary, on-premises. The company said that customer inspection data remains fully owned by the customer and is handled in strict compliance with data protection laws, including GDPR. ANYbotics holds ISO 27001 certification, and its ANYmal robots carry CE, IP67, ATEX, and IECEx certifications. New and existing ANYbotics customers. ANYbotics said that for existing customers, they can expect a seamless transition from Data Navigator (ANYbotics' existing asset management platform) to Shift that requires no action. With the upcoming regular platform update, the company said that Data Navigator will automatically become Shift, carrying over all existing data, configurations, integrations and custom workflows without disruption. Because there is no migration project or technical overhead required, ANYbotics said that teams can log in and continue working as usual, benefiting from a refreshed platform identity, alongside the platform's new, expanded capabilities. "Shift makes it easy for SAP to integrate robot inspections into business processes," said Adelya Fatykhova, global lead architect, embodied AI agents, physical AI, and robotics, SAP. "Physical AI on SAP Business AI Platform translates a business need into a Shift mission, with results stored back in SAP for follow-ups like maintenance order creation. Robot inspection missions through Shift enhance SAP's Autonomous Supply Chain for asset & field service with robot execution." Over the coming months, ANYbotics said that it plans to expand Shift's capabilities beyond ANYmal hardware to support third-party robotic systems. The company said that the move is to position Shift as a hardware-agnostic command center for heterogeneous robotic workforces. Shift's API-first architecture also establishes it as a foundation for industrial AI agents to orchestrate robot fleets, assign tasks dynamically, and utilize inspection intelligence across broader plant automation workflows. ANYbotics said that Shift is in use across more than 200 robot deployments and runs hundreds of thousands of inspections every month. The company said that this operational depth, built from real plants rather than software, is what sets it apart from generic robotic fleet management tools. Latest in quadruped. Latest in artificial intelligence. Latest robotics news.

ANYbotics opens the door for inspections with ANYmal robots. Closed doors have been a barrier for mobile inspection robots in processing industries such as energy, metals, mining, and chemicals. ANYbotics today said it has partnered with dormakaba and LEGIC Identsystems AG to add automated door-access capabilities to its ANYmal robot fleet. "Inspection only delivers value if the robot can reach the asset, and a closed door was the one obstacle that stopped our robots from covering the most critical parts of a plant," said Jacob Euler-Rolle, product manager, workflow integration, at ANYbotics. "Solving it with LEGIC and dormakaba means ANYmal can now inspect where it matters most, without rebuilding any infrastructure." "Our customers do not buy robots; they buy a solution to their operational challenges: less unplanned downtime and fewer people in hazardous areas," stated Péter Fankhauser, co-founder and CEO of ANYbotics. "With dormakaba and LEGIC, ANYmal can move through doors like any authorized colleague, under the same rules and the same audit trail. The access-controlled door pilot has proven this works in a live operating environment, and we will now make that function available as an add-on across the entire ANYmal fleet." Spun out of ETH Zurich in 2016, ANYbotics said its ANYmal quadrupeds are designed for routine inspections, remote operations, and predictive maintenance of critical assets. It claimed that they can address labor shortages, increase plant uptime, reduce costs, and limit human exposure to hazardous areas. The Zurich-based company has about 200 staffers and has obtained more than $150 million in funding to date. ANYbotics and dormakaba expand robot navigation. ANYbotics said its robots can now navigate through both unlocked and locked doors across complex, multi-zone environments without requiring structural modifications or manual intervention. When ANYmal approaches an unlocked door on its planned route, a radar sensor detects its presence and triggers a retrofitted dormakaba ED 100 or ED 250 mounted on the door. The door opens automatically, ANYmal passes through, and the door closes behind it. This system works on existing doors and complies with indoor, outdoor, and fire-rated specifications, according to ANYbotics. To support deployment, dormakaba's localized teams handle surveying, hardware quoting, and installation for the company's customers. "Dormakaba's ED 100 and ED 250 are swing door operators that are largely independent of the door type," Euler-Rolle told The Robot Report. "They can automate almost any swing door within their specification and are retrofitted onto the customer's existing door rather than requiring a specific brand or a new door." ANYbotics offers a tele-assist feature to handle routine exceptions, allowing a remote operator to resolve the issue, adapt the mission, or direct the robot back to its dock, he added. LEGIC Identsystems helps with secure doors. For doors in secure or restricted areas, presence detection alone is not enough. To address locked doors, the partners have integrated their core technologies. ANYbotics provides the autonomous mobile robot (AMR), LEGIC Identsystems supplies the secure digital credential technology, and dormakaba provides the access management and door automation systems. "With this project, we are taking a major step into physical AI, extending LEGIC's secure access credential technologies from people and objects to machines," said Mehdi Elhaoussine, general manager at LEGIC. The new authentication system allows plant operators to maintain control over who or what enters specific areas. They can manage ANYmal's movement with existing security systems and limit access to defined zones, operating windows, or inspection tasks. Rather than bypassing plant security or leaving controlled doors permanently open, ANYmal carries a LEGIC security payload that gives it a trusted digital identity. As the robot approaches a protected doorway, it requests access electronically from dormakaba's exos system. It determines whether to grant access based on predefined permissions, unlocking the door automatically for ANYmal. How does the system handle the risk of people following the robot into areas for which they don't have authorization? "Tailgating is an inherent risk of access-control doors, and the robot inherits the facility's existing security protocols rather than replacing them," replied Euler-Rolle. "The robot authenticates and passes through doors just like a badged employee. It does not change the door's own anti-tailgating measures, nor does it weaken or override existing physical security measures - such as mantraps, interlocks, cameras, or guard protocols." "Consequently, someone tailgating a robot creates the same security event as someone tailgating a human, triggering the site's standard countermeasures," he said. "Additionally, because the robot logs every credential scan and transit with a precise timestamp, it creates a clear audit trail that provides better visibility than a manually propped-open door." LEGIC's credential and trust technology is licensed and integrated across a broad range of access-management systems industrywide, giving ANYbotics compatibility with existing plants, noted Euler-Rolle. The local security team can handle any exceptions without bringing in third parties. ANYbotics, dormakaba, and LEGIC Identsystems have demonstrated automated access to controlled doors. Source: ANYbotics GE Vernova validates ANYmal access at Whitegate Power Station. GE Vernova tested the new joint solution in a live operating environment at its Whitegate power plant in County Cork, Ireland. Over several weeks of continuous testing, ANYmal has operated reliably, repeatedly requesting access, passing through controlled doors, and completing its inspection routes without manual intervention, said the companies. "The door-passage solution allows ANYmal to move seamlessly between plant zones without compromising safety or security rules," said Brian Carroll, a maintenance engineer at GE Vernova Whitegate. "By letting the door open automatically for the robot, we can automate routine inspection runs across the entire facility while keeping fire and security barriers intact." The new access-control add-on will be available to current ANYbotics deployments and future ANYmal hardware platforms later this year. ANYbotics, dormakaba, and LEGIC Identsystems are also exploring further applications, including automated access to elevators, gates, and turnstiles in large facilities. "The joint pilot illustrates how access solutions are evolving beyond traditional applications for human users," said David Fuller, chief innovation officer at dormakaba. "By securely authenticating and authorizing autonomous machines, access management can become an important enabler for the next generation of industrial automation." The market for AMRs navigating restricted areas is linked to the inspection robotics sector, which ANYbotics' Euller-Rolle said is growing by more than 20% annually. At the same time, many mobile robots will eventually face closed doors in industrial sites, so the potential is even greater, he said. "Fire doors compartmentalize almost every process facility to isolate hazards, placing 30% to 50% of critical equipment behind restricted barriers," Euler-Rolle noted. "Because autonomous value is dictated by site coverage, overcoming these physical barriers directly unlocks the full value of robotic inspection. A robot capable of reaching 100% of a plant delivers exponentially higher utility than one restricted to half the facility."