This year at Probot has been a whirlwind of humanoid robotics with a great deal of practical work done to improve the productivity and sustainability of Finnish industry. We have taken robots to factory floors, event stages, and EU projects. Regardless of the location, the underlying idea is always that There are jobs for humans and jobs for robots. Here is a review of the year 2025, which is coming to an end.
At times, the past year has felt like we are living in two parallel realities. On the one hand, our humanoid robot has attracted admiration at trade shows, on television, and on social media feeds. At the same time, very concrete work has been done on the floor of our assembly hall: robot cells have been built and processes have been refined.
“It has been a pleasure to see how much excitement humanoid robots generate in people. Various robotics solutions are our core competence. At the component level, it doesn’t matter to us whether it’s a traditional six-axis industrial robot or a two-legged, two-armed humanoid,” summarizes our CEO Matti Tikanmäki.
In addition, we have focused on content that supports our customers’ everyday lives. For example, we have compiled a guide aimed at supporting the procurement of initial robotics and automation projects. We have also reminded people that robotics, sustainability, and human-centered working life go hand in hand. However, let’s start our review of the year with what perhaps attracted the most attention: humanoid robotics.
The buzz around humanoid robotics
For us, 2025 can rightly be called the year of humanoid robotics. We started talking about the topic early in the year, but real interest exploded when we unpacked our first Unitree G1 humanoid robot at the beginning of the summer. The fall has brought dozens of interviews and even more speaking engagements. Perhaps you spotted us on YLE or MTV3 news and the Viiden jälkeen program? Some of the content filmed will not be published until next year.
Our CEO Matti and CTO Antti Tikanmäki have presented the possibilities of humanoid robotics at several events across Finland. There have been a large number of events, and here are just a few of them: Futuretech and Rails Ahead in Oulu, Sanoma Get Tomorrow, Teknologia 25 and MatchXR in Helsinki, Digi360 in Turku, the DigIT event in Savonlinna, Labrapäivät in Seinäjoki, and Tulevaisuuden teknologia in Kalajoki. In addition, we organized an AI Afterwork event at the Helsinki XR Center in collaboration with Metropolia.
Our humanoid robot Arska has become a real celebrity this year. For many, he has been the first humanoid robot they have seen live. Most people have said that he is not scary at all, but rather a surprisingly likeable colleague of the future. You can now follow Arska’s adventures on his own Instagram account.
Pioneers with customers in mind
We have a burning interest in robotics and automation technology. We closely follow new developments in the field and which technologies can already be put to practical use. This enables us to always offer our customers the most appropriate and up-to-date solutions. It is precisely this curiosity and passion that has led us to become involved in the development of humanoid robotics.
During its twenty years of operation, Probot Oy has delivered robotics and automation solutions to almost all sectors of Finnish industry.
“We have a team that is technically capable of implementing virtually anything in the field of robotics. Our customers can trust that we always have the latest information on different technologies. This allows them to focus on what they do best: their own business,” Matti summarizes.
There are jobs for robots and jobs for humans
This year has also helped us to clarify our core values and goals. At Probot, we want to build a working life where robots do robot work and people do human work. Did you know that Finland is falling off the list of the top 20 countries that utilize robotics the most, even though we have traditionally been one of the leading countries in the use of technology? The Finnish economy also has still not returned to growth and we need to increase labor productivity to remain competitive. So, Probot Oy clearly still has some work to do.
“In this economic situation, it is more important than ever to look to the future and develop production. However, it is not always necessary to start with large projects. Small-scale conceptualization projects are an excellent way to find out where automation and robotics can be used most effectively. This year, we have implemented more than a dozen such projects, and they have helped several companies move forward with their development plans,” says Matti.
This year, our assembly hall has once again seen the completion of robotics and automation projects supporting domestic industry. In order to do our part in facilitating initial purchases, we published a robot purchasing guide earlier this year. It brings together the most important steps in planning a robot purchase: where to start, what questions to ask, what information is needed in advance, and what pitfalls to avoid. Check out the guide here.
Smart robot solutions as the answer to sustainability challenges
In the spring, the impact of the European Union’s sustainability reporting directive was a hot topic. Its direct impact will be felt by the largest companies, but smaller companies will also be affected through supply chains. Inspired by this discussion, we shared in our blog how robotics can help companies respond to sustainability challenges.
Robotics support a safer and more humane working environment. Routine, heavy, and dangerous work tasks can be automated, allowing human workers to focus on more demanding and meaningful tasks. This promotes employee well-being and job satisfaction. In addition, robotics can improve production efficiency, thereby reducing both costs and environmental impact.
With the smart robotics solution we designed for our customer, material waste has been reduced by enabling the utilization of waste material through accurate sorting. Our machine vision-equipped robot cell checks and measures all surplus pieces from the process and enables their reuse if they meet the set quality requirements. The investment will pay for itself in an estimated 2.5 years.
“The customer’s leftover material used to end up in the trash, unused. Manual sorting would not have been practical, as the necessary measurements would have taken an unreasonable amount of time. Now this former waste material can be turned into sellable products.,” says Eemeli Mutanen, our automation engineer involved in the project, with satisfaction.
Our EU projects also combine robotics, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. This year, we continued our work on the Recirculate project, in which we are collaborating with Centria to build a robotic solution for dismantling and sorting electric car batteries. In the Agrarsense project, we are developing greenhouse automation and logistics to reduce resource waste and minimize the environmental impact of food production. A new project launched this year is RADIANCE, in which we are working with VTT to develop a robot for wall condition inspections and renovation work. The aim of the project is to streamline and automate the repair of plasterwork on building walls.
More through cooperation
Few robot solutions are created alone. It is important to us that our customers have access to a wide range of high-quality technology. Technology that is suitable for the specific task and environment for which the solution is being developed. That is why we continue to work closely with our long-term partners OMRON, KUKA, Kinova Robotics, and Cajo Technologies.
In the spring, we organized an event with our partner Murri Oy at our assembly hall in Kempele. There visitors could learn about the products Murri represent and our expertise in robotics. At the event, we also presented our own mobile robot solutions, such as the agile and compact Dolly™ mobile robot. Dolly™ is the solution for internal logistics, research experiments, and mobile manipulation. It is well suited for confined spaces and works both indoors and outdoors.
“The best part of the event was the discussions with our customers and partners. It is easy to showcase our expertise more comprehensively in our own premises. Then if you want, you can even touch the devices that are literally stuck to the floor,” smiles our sales manager Maria Ruottinen.
Our selection also includes Unitree robot dogs and humanoid robots, around which we can build practical applications. We can also arrange “short work orientation periods” (TET) for the humanoid robot at the customer premises, during which we can determine the best uses for the robot.
This fall, we added a new product to our range: the Scewo BRO electric wheelchair, which can climb stairs. It allows research groups to view the challenges of accessibility and freedom of movement from a whole new angle and creates more possibilities for wheelchar users.
Looking ahead to 2026
Looking back on 2025, we feel both grateful and excited. Much has been accomplished, but we strongly feel that we are only on our way to the next level. We believe that next year, the development of humanoid robotics will come even closer to the everyday user. We also want to be involved in bringing humanoid robotics pilots closer to practical applications.
In 2026, we will continue to develop robotic solutions that streamline production, packaging, measurement, and logistics for our customers, and we want to help more and more SMEs take their first or next step on the robotics path. We hope that more and more people will realize how robotics, sustainability, and people-centered working life go hand in hand.
Warm thanks and Christmas greetings
Finally, we would like to thank you: our customers, partners, followers, and anyone interested in probotics. It has been a privilege to solve challenges together and build a future working life where robots do the work of robots and people can focus on what they do best.
We wish you a peaceful Christmas season and an inspiring new year 2026!
See you again next year!
