West Manufacturing News • January, 0126 • GrayMatter Robotics Unveils AI Robotics Innovation Center

GrayMatter Robotics has officially opened its new 100,000-sq.-ft. headquarters and innovation center in Carson, CA, marking a significant expansion and the establishment of an advanced interactive robotics experience center for AIpowered manufacturing automation.

The facility features advanced manufacturing equipment and 25+ active robotic cells to facilitate customer experience, creating over 100 high-skilled jobs in advanced AI, robotics, multidisciplinary engineering, manufacturing operations, and technical support, with plans to add hundreds more positions over the next few years. The expansion comes on the heels of the company’s $85 million venture funding and growing demand for its breakthrough “physical AI”–powered factories of the future.

“This facility represents more than just a headquarters—it is our commitment to bringing advanced manufacturing back to American soil and to the South Bay region specifically,” said Ariyan Kabir, CEO and co-founder of GrayMatter Robotics. “We chose Carson for its proximity to aerospace, marine, and other manufacturing clusters, access to world-class port infrastructure, and most importantly, its skilled workforce. This is where the factories of the future are being built.”

GrayMatter Robotics’ new headquarters features 25+ (and growing) robotic cells actively performing real manufacturing operations on current and prospective customer and partner parts. The interactive experience center allows visitors— from potential customers to students— to witness firsthand how AI-powered robots autonomously sand, grind, polish, buff, spray, blast, and inspect parts across diverse materials and geometries, enabling factories of the future with an optimal teaming of humans, robots, and AI.

“We wanted to demystify industrial robotics,” said Brual Shah, CTO and cofounder. “Visitors can literally watch a robot scan a part it has never seen before, autonomously program itself in under a minute, and begin processing that part with precision that exceeds human capability. It is manufacturing intelligence in action.”

While much of the AI revolution has focused on digital intelligence—chatbots, image generation, and data analysis— GrayMatter Robotics is pioneering what industry experts are calling physical AI: artificial intelligence that interacts with and manipulates the physical world through robotic systems.

The company’s proprietary GMR-AI technology represents a fundamentally different approach than traditional industrial automation. Using physics-informed AI, the robots do not require manual programming. Instead, they incorporate established physics models— understanding forces, materials, geometries, and tool behaviors—to enable safe, accurate operation even with parts they have never encountered.

“Physical AI is a different kind of AI. It significantly expands upon digital AI we have seen explode over the past few years. Physical AI focuses on AI to make decisions in physical applications,” explained Satyandra K. Gupta, Chief Scientist and co-founder. “While a language model can write you an essay, our physical AI can autonomously figure out how to finish a never-before-seen aerospace component to aerospace-grade specifications. That is AI operating in the physical realm with real-world consequences.”

The implications extend beyond manufacturing efficiency. Physical AI systems must account for:

“The Carson facility serves as both headquarters and proof-of-concept for solving what has been one of American manufacturing’s most intractable problems: automating surface finishing and treatment in high-mix production environments where products vary constantly,” noted a spokesperson. “Traditional robotic automation requires extensive manual programming—often 80+ hours per unique part—and works only when producing identical items repeatedly. This limitation has left thousands of U.S. manufacturers unable to automate critical finishing operations, forcing continued reliance on manual labor for sanding, grinding, and polishing tasks that are ergonomically punishing and increasingly difficult to staff. GrayMatter Robotics’ physical AI-powered solutions eliminate this barrier.”

According to GrayMatter Robotics, the company’s systems can perform the following:

GrayMatter Robotics’ technology platform is supported by partnerships with leading companies in robotics hardware and materials science. FANUC provides the robotic platforms that GrayMatter’s physical AI brings to life, while 3M’s advanced abrasives technology integrates seamlessly with the company’s intelligent systems.

Mike Cicco, President and CEO, FANUC America, said: “GrayMatter Robotics combines deep expertise in AIdriven automation solutions with a strong understanding of the challenges manufacturers face on the shop floor. We have seen how their technologies—built on FANUC’s innovative and reliable robotic platforms—can significantly improve productivity, enhance ergonomics, and streamline operations. The opening of GrayMatter Robotics’ new headquarters reflects their growth and demonstrates their commitment to reshaping industrial automation.”

Alejandro Martinez, President, 3M Abrasives Systems Division, added: “We are excited to continue and expand our collaboration with GrayMatter Robotics, a partnership that highlights 3M’s commitment to empowering customers with user-friendly automated abrasive processing systems. By combining 3M’s expertise in abrasive products and processes with GrayMatter’s intelligent automation solutions, we can deliver enhanced value through consistent and quality results to our shared customers.”