Skild AI Acquires Zebra Technologies’ Robotics Automation Unit

Skild AI, a fast-rising startup that makes software to help robots learn to complete tasks, has bought the robotics automation division of Zebra Technologies Corp., marking its latest effort to broaden its reach in a hot segment.

Skild, which develops “brains” for a wide range of robots, plans to integrate Zebra’s fleet management software, giving it the ability to control large groups of robots at once, including running an entire warehouse, Skild co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Deepak Pathak said in an interview announcing the acquisition.

This would represent a departure from the traditional method of programming robots for one specific task at ...