Massachusetts' Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Innovation Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), have awarded nearly $2 million through the Massachusetts Robotic Digital Twin Initiative to six organizations. The funding aims to accelerate commercialization for robotics hardware developers by expanding access to digital twin technologies—virtual, data-driven replicas of physical robots that enable testing before real-world deployment, reducing costs and improving safety.
Key takeaways
- Grantees will provide publicly accessible digital twins of their products, lowering barriers for the broader robotics ecosystem.
- Recipients include Boston Dynamics ($494,640 for a Spot digital twin), Luminous Robotics ($495,581 for a high-payload manipulator), Northeastern University ($281,660 for contact-rich manipulation), BlueFusion Inc. ($257,451 for AV sensor simulation), Robot on Rails ($253,431 for lab automation), and SAMIS AI ($150,000 for multi-robot collaboration).
- Grantees will leverage over $1.3 million in additional matching resources from industry and academic partners.
- The initiative supports sectors like advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, education, and physical AI research, with potential for workforce development in underserved regions.
The state, home to more than 500 robotics companies and over 100 R&D labs, also launched its State of Robotics campaign to showcase innovation. Governor Healey's proposed Mass Wins Act includes $25 million for robotics R&D and commercialization, reinforcing Massachusetts' leadership in the field.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2026-06-18 · “Massachusetts awards $2 million to six local robotics companies”