Flat Earth: Are Engineering Tools About to Disappear?

AI agents, industrial robotics, and the future of engineering software—from factory design to robot commands.

We’re seeing an explosion of AI in engineering: models turning drawings into 3D designs, agents helping create plant layouts, and new tools challenging the way engineers work. So where will the value come from next—engineering software, AI platforms, or the context data behind them? I also explore whether agents could leap across the traditional automation pyramid and connect directly with industrial systems.

Then I talk with Bosch’s Thorsten Brach about connecting AI agents to industrial robots using MCP, MHS, and SRCI. We get practical about robot integration, deterministic PLC functions, and why wheeled robots may arrive in factories before legged humanoids. The big question: how do we make these systems easier to use without losing the expertise needed to keep them safe and reliable?

Bosch Manufacturing Solutions

https://www.bosch-manufacturing-solutions.com/

Standard Robot Command Interface (SRCI)

https://www.profibus.com/technology/srcI

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

https://modelcontextprotocol.io/

IEC 61131-3

https://www.iec.ch/standards

OPC UA

https://opcfoundation.org/about/opc-technologies/opc-ua/

Integrated Robotics

https://www.boschrexroth.com/en/us/products/product-groups/automation/ctrlx-automation/

NVIDIA GTC

https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/

Autodesk

https://www.autodesk.com/

BenchCAT

https://benchcat.org/