Robust.AI Selects Aptiv's PULSE-Powered Perception for Next-Gen Carter Robot
Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV) has announced that Robust.AI, a leader in AI-driven warehouse robotics, will integrate Aptiv's intelligent perception solutions, including its PULSE⢠sensor, into the Gen 3 Carter⢠collaborative mobile robot. The partnership builds on an existing collaboration aimed at accelerating scalable, AI-powered robotic workflows while pursuing Performance Level d (PL(d)) certification for industrial safety applications.
The Gen 3 Carter will combine Aptiv's AI and machine learning-based sensor fusion with Robust.AI's visual SLAM and perception technologies. Aptiv's PULSE sensor fuses radar and vision at the raw data level, enabling efficient depth mapping and occupancy grid generation for both navigation and functional safety. By integrating a surround-view camera with ultra-short-range radar, the sensor provides reliable 360-degree awareness while reducing blind spots, system complexity, and overall cost.
Reliability in Demanding Industrial Environments
Warehouse and factory floors present challenging conditionsâincluding dust, glare, moisture, and reflective surfacesâthat can degrade conventional perception systems. Aptiv's radar-vision fusion approach enhances decision-making and reliability when robots operate near people, equipment, and obstacles.
Jay Bellissimo, Senior Vice President and President of Intelligent Systems, Software, and Services at Aptiv, emphasized the critical role of safety perception: "Scale adoption of robotics requires safety critical perception that spans the dynamic conditions experienced in the real world. By bringing PULSE to the Gen 3 Carter robot, we're helping enable a more comprehensive and scalable approach to warehouse automation, while supporting a path toward the functional safety requirements increasingly demanded by these applications."
Forging a Path to Functional Safety Certification
As part of this next phase, Aptiv is working toward PL(d) certification for the PULSE sensor across relevant industrial safety use cases. PL(d), defined under the ISO 13849-1 standard, is a high-reliability safety classification essential for robotic applications operating near humans and equipment. Achieving certification ensures that the system not only performs safely in practice but also aligns with recognized regulatory frameworks.
Anthony Jules, Co-founder and CEO of Robust.AI, highlighted the impact of the collaboration: "Carter is built to work with people in real warehouse and manufacturing environments, so perception quality, system reliability, and ease of deployment matter enormously. Aptiv's PULSE sensor brings a differentiated camera-and-radar approach that further enables Carter to drive market leading performance and productivity in complex environments."
Software-Defined Flexibility for Warehouse Operations
Robust.AI's Carter is a collaborative mobile robot designed to augment existing warehouse workflows without requiring infrastructure changes. Its software-defined functionality supports order fulfillment picking, point-to-point transport, and mobile sorting, while a performance-based Robotics-as-a-Service model allows customers to deploy quickly and scale on demand.
The Gen 3 Carter will be showcased at Aptivâs booth at Automate 2026, alongside other innovations for robotics and industrial automation. More information is available at Aptivâs event page.
The source for this article is https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2026/06/23/robustai-selects-aptiv-perception-powered-by-pulse-for-its-gen-3-carter-robot-share/26765/.