What if the future of industry wasn’t just coming; it was already here?

That’s the question that echoed through the room at Industrial X Unleashed, where I had the privilege of hosting a conversation with leaders from two very different sectors: Chris Merchant from Linamar and David Gladey and Sean Remington from Eversource Energy. Their stories made one thing clear: the impact of physical AI isn’t a distant vision; it’s happening now, reshaping how we work, manufacture, and keep people safe.

Linamar: Manufacturing Innovation in Action

Chris Merchant, VP, Global Finance & IT of Linamar brought the audience right onto the factory floor. “If you looked five years ago, a production line would look quite different from what it does today,” he shared. Linamar’s journey from traditional, caged industrial robots to collaborative robots (cobots) has been transformative. These cobots are designed to work safely alongside people, sensing human presence and stopping instantly if needed. As Chris explained, “That allows us to have a smaller footprint, increase our revenue per square foot, and let operators step in for maintenance or tool changes without shutting down the line.”

But the innovation doesn’t stop there. Linamar isn’t just using robotics; they’re building the future for others, too. “You may not know, but our mobility-specific Linamar business manufactures outside the North American auto OEMs. We are probably the largest producer of gears,” Chris noted. With robots requiring dozens or even hundreds of precision gears, Linamar is perfectly positioned to supply companies like Boston Dynamics “ We see a huge opportunity to not only manufacture those components but also for full assembly,” he said.

This dual role, leveraging robotics to boost their own efficiency while supplying the robotics industry, shows how embracing new technology can open entirely new markets.

Eversource Energy: Augmenting the Workforce, Prioritizing Safety

Turning to the energy sector, David Gladey, VP, Distribution Engineering and Sean Remington, Manager, Innovation and Emerging Technology from Eversource offered a different, but equally compelling, perspective. For utilities, the challenge isn’t just efficiency; it’s about making the most of skilled workers and keeping them safe. “The build out of the grid, the modernization of the grid has happened at such a fast pace for us in every utility,” David explained. “It’s vital for us to think about anything I could do to make less tasks on some of our workforce so I could put more critical tasks to them.”

He illustrated this with a powerful example: “The amount of inspections we have to do just in, say, downtown Boston, I could easily tie up four to six resources just to go in a manhole to take a look inside. If I could do that with a robot and maybe a crew of one or two, I could free up at least fifty percent, sixty percent of that crew, which means more work can get done elsewhere.”

But it’s not just about freeing up time. Safety is paramount. “We’re not looking just to improve safety for our workers. How can I eliminate the safety issue for our workers?” David asked. Robots can take on the most hazardous tasks, such as inspecting manholes and navigating century-old tunnels, so people don’t have to.

Sean added another dimension: data. “Data is now multimodal. It’s video. It’s image, right? And so when we start to think about how we’re going to synthesize all that in and make it meaningful and bring that to the users, bring that to all parts of the company, that transformation is going to be pretty big.” With sensors everywhere, Eversource is turning every robotic task into an opportunity to gather insights, automate processes, and make smarter decisions.

The Future is Real, and It’s Here

What struck me most in these conversations is that this isn’t theory or a flashy demo. Linamar and Eversource are already seeing the benefits of physical AI: greater efficiency, safer workplaces, and entirely new business opportunities. This is Industrial AI, applied. The technology is robust, the impact is tangible, and the possibilities are immense.

At IFS, we’re proud to partner with innovators like Chris, David, and Sean, helping them unlock the full potential of physical AI. The future of industry isn’t just coming; it’s unfolding right now.

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