Robotics News
Breaking news, funding rounds, product launches, and industry moves โ filter by category.
Stanford OceanOneK: Underwater Humanoid Robot Explores Depths at 1,000m with Haptic Feedback โถ Video
Stanford OceanOneK: underwater humanoid robot reaching 1,000m depth with haptic feedback, 3D vision, and bimanual arms.
Jetson ONE: Personal eVTOL for $128K โ No Pilot License Required After 5-Day Course โถ Video
Jetson ONE personal eVTOL: $128K, 102 km/h, 20 min flight, no license needed after 5-day course. Sold out through 2027.
NTU Singapore 5-in-1 Magnetic Surgical Microrobot (Seed-Sized) โถ Video
NTU Singapore researchers created a 4.4mm magnetic microrobot that performs 5 surgical functions: crawling, cutting, drug delivery, biopsy, and heat generation. Controlled wirelessly via magnetic fields โ no batteries or electronics.
Boston Dynamics Atlas Raises the Bar Again โถ Video
Boston Dynamics demonstrates new Atlas capabilities โ showing significant advancements in humanoid robot agility and performance.
NAVIAI Humanoid Robot by Zhejiang Innovation Center โถ Video
NAVIAI โ a humanoid robot developed by Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, showcased in a viral video highlighting its capabilities and purpose.
Chinese Robots Perform on US Talent Show โถ Video
Chinese robots performing on an American talent show โ a sign of growing public exposure and adoption of embodied AI in entertainment.
NVIDIA unveils Isaac GR00T Reference Humanoid Robot at GTC Taipei โ first open-source humanoid reference design โถ Video
NVIDIA announced the Isaac GR00T Reference Humanoid Robot at GTC Taipei โ the world's first open-source humanoid robot reference design. Built on Jetson Thor edge computing with the Isaac GR00T open platform. Features a Unitree H2 Plus body with Sharpa five-finger dexterous hands and 75 degrees of freedom. NVIDIA has built complete Physical AI infrastructure: chips (Jetson Thor + Blackwell), synthetic data (GR00T-Dreams), world models (Cosmos), foundation models (GR00T N-series VLA), and simulation (Isaac Sim + Isaac Lab + Omniverse). Partners include Agility, Boston Dynamics, Figure, 1X, NEURA, XPENG, and more.
Alibaba Qwen released Qwen-VLA โ unified VLA model controlling humanoid robots, cross-embodiment โถ Video
Alibaba Qwen released Qwen-VLA, a unified Vision-Language-Action model integrating manipulation, navigation, trajectory prediction, and cross-embodiment control (single-arm, dual-arm, humanoid) into one system. Adapts via embodiment-aware prompts without separate training heads. 76.9% OOD success on ALOHA dual-arm tasks. Major LLM company entering Physical AI race โ joining Google Gemini Robotics and Mistral Physics AI.
X Square Robot open-sources Wall-OSS-0.5 VLA model under "Pretrain Once, Act Anywhere"
X Square Robot open-sourced Wall-OSS-0.5, a Vision-Language-Action model for real-world robotic manipulation. The pretrained checkpoint shows zero-shot generalization on multiple tasks without post-training, and outperforms open-source models like pi0.5 in controlled comparisons. Demonstrates that action-aware training improves robot-relevant understanding.
Astribot T1 wheeled humanoid launched โ from ~$14K, smaller version of S1 โถ Video
Shenzhen Astribot launched the T1 wheeled humanoid robot. Smaller version of S1, rounded cute design, human-level dexterity, magnetic eyes. Targeting malls, bars, hotels, auto shops, education, home services. Typical Chinese robot strategy: premium flagship (S1) + affordable smaller variant (T1).
Germany is a sleeping giant of physical AI โ 3rd in robots per factory workers globally
Ole Lehmann argues Germany is a top contender in physical AI (robots that pick boxes, weld cars, carry groceries) even though it lost the software AI race to US/China. Stat: Germany ranks 3rd globally for robots per factory workers (449 per 10,000 humans). The point: two separate races โ software vs. physical โ and Germany is winning the second one.
Asimov walks through leg design for their humanoid robot v1 โ full breakdown โถ Video
Cointelegraph covers Asimov detailing how they designed the legs for their humanoid robot v1. 12-minute video breakdown of the engineering process. Moderate engagement (43 likes, 8.9K views).
Kame โ pocket-sized open-source quadruped for desktop robotics experimentation โถ Video
Kame is a tiny quadruped designed for coding, learning, and experimentation from your desktop. Open-source robotics leveling the field โ no massive labs needed anymore. Low engagement (3 likes, 118 views) but noteworthy as a signal of the accessibility shift in robotics.
Ex-Robots lifelike humanoids entering mass production โ not prototypes, actual production โถ Video
Ex-Robots, known for hyper-realistic bionic humanoids, reportedly entering mass production. Life-like skin, facial expressions, social interaction capabilities. The milestone signals the shift from lab experiments to commercially viable humanoid robots that pass as human in social settings.
Noetix X-Head 1 bionic head sold for $15,400 on JD Auctions โ 40K viewers watched โถ Video
Noetix Robotics X-Head 1 bionic head sold for $15,400 on JD Auctions after 49 bids, starting at $0.14. 40K viewers watched. 7.5kg, 24 DoF, gaze + lip + facial emotion + LLM voice dialogue. Same bionic tech from 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala skit. Listed for home use, but the prettier-than-human design raises the usual uncanny questions.
Pudu Robotics D5 Series โ rugged quadruped with backflips and outdoor delivery โถ Video
Pudu Robotics D5 Series quadruped: IP67 rated, dual-spectrum sensing, gesture control, all-terrain mobility. Jumps, runs, backflips, and carries packages across rough ground, stairs, and crowded streets where wheeled robots fail.
Figure F.03 ran 200 hours straight sorting packages โ zero failures, Brett Adcock confirms โถ Video
Brett Adcock (Figure AI CEO, 454K followers) announced that the F.03 humanoid completed 200 continuous hours of warehouse package sorting without a single failure. What started as an 8-hour challenge ran for over 8 days. Powered by the Helix AI system. Peak engagement on X today โ 8.4K likes, 3.6M views.
AgiBot A3 pulls off Webster flips, Thomas flares, and aerial acrobatics โถ Video
AgiBot A3 humanoid demonstrates advanced gymnastics: Webster flips, Thomas flares, and mid-air running flips. Shared by Wes Roth (35K followers). 67 likes, 9K views. AgiBot continues to build one of the most impressive humanoid hardware stacks in China, even if less hyped than Unitree or Tesla.
UBTECH Walker C1 โ next-gen full-size humanoid for urban co-existence โถ Video
UBTECH released Walker C1, a full-size humanoid built for urban environments. At the China International Supply Chain Expo, it will serve as the first official "silicon spokesperson" โ handling navigation, reception, information queries, and host-style interaction. 165 likes, 13K views on X.
Persona AI shows Gen 1 humanoid stretching at Houston HQ โ Gen 2 teased โถ Video
Persona AI, led by Nicolaus Radford (formerly NASA / humanoid robotics veteran), showed their Gen 1 humanoid doing morning stretches at Houston HQ. The CEO hinted Gen 2 hardware appears in the same footage. Realtime robot motion flexibility routines โ hip, arm, and torso mobility.
AgiBot A2 โ the quietly underrated service humanoid from China โถ Video
AgiBot (founded by Deng Taihua and Peng Zhihui) is building one of the most complete humanoid robotics stacks in China. The A2 specs: 169 cm, 69 kg, 40+ active DoF, 700 Wh battery (~2 hrs), LiDAR + RGBD + fisheye cameras, dexterous hands with force/torque sensing. While Unitree wins on price, Tesla on manufacturing, Figure on enterprise, and Atlas on athleticism โ AgiBot is quietly targeting the service robot lane.
Tesla Optimus walking evolution 2023-2026 โ from stilted shuffle to natural gait โถ Video
Compilation comparing Optimus walking progress across three years. 2023 footage shows unstable, slow walking with restricted arm swing. By 2026 the gait is nearly human-like โ smooth stride, natural arm coordination, improved posture. This progress is reportedly before Optimus V3.
The evolution of humanoid robot walking โ from ASIMO to Optimus and Atlas
Humanoid locomotion has advanced dramatically over 25 years: Honda ASIMO (2000, cautious stepping), Boston Dynamics Atlas (2013-2015, dynamic balancing), Tesla Optimus (2023-2026, stride length and posture improvements), Unitree H1 (2024-2026, full-speed running), and Figure F.03 (2026, coordinated multi-robot tasks while walking). Key enablers: model-predictive control, reinforcement learning in simulation, better torque-density actuators.
Figure F.03 โ two humanoids clean bedroom and make bed fully autonomous in under 2 min โถ Video
Two Figure F.03 humanoid robots autonomously clean a messy bedroom and make the bed. Handles deformable objects like bedsheets, coordinated movements (nodding before pulling bedspread). Powered by Helix system. Hotel and household applications.
China dominates global robotics โ 295k industrial installs, 54% of world, 2M operational โถ Video
China installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024 โ 54-57% of global total, 9x US. 2M robots operational (43% of world). Robot density 470/10k workers (3rd behind S. Korea and Singapore). Domestic share 57.6%. Powered by EV supply chain overlap and 15th Five-Year Plan.
Neuralink surgical robot โ reaching any brain region for generalized neural interface
Neuralink building surgical robot capable of reaching any brain region. Goal: generalized neural interface to help solve any condition originating in the brain. Surgical precision robot demoed.
Genesis GENE-26.5 โ single model dexterous manipulation, 54 DoF bimanual hand, 200k hours training โถ Video
Genesis GENE-26.5 robotics model: single robotic hand with 54 DoF on bimanual system grasping multiple objects at once. Trained on 200,000+ hours real human hand data. Zero fine-tuning across sequences. Scaling data 4x raised success from 16.6% to 65.6% on long-horizon tasks.
New Atlas (BD) mass-production-ready โ 190cm, 90kg, 56 DoF, 4h hot-swap battery, Gemini VLA โถ Video
Boston Dynamics new Atlas robot demo: flexing, one-leg balance, dynamic poses, calisthenics. Mass-production-ready: 1.9m, 90kg, 56 DoF, ~50kg payload, 4h hot-swappable battery, -20ยฐC to 40ยฐC. Powered by Google DeepMind Gemini Robotics (VLA). Hyundai scaling to thousands/year, 30k by 2028.
RealMan Robotics Alpha humanoid sorts waste on London conveyor belt โ 24/7, trained by guided movements
East London recycling plant deploys humanoid robot Alpha (RealMan Robotics + TeknTrash Robotics) to sort waste 24/7. Trained by guided arm movements + millions of daily data points. Addresses 40% staff turnover in waste sorting.
Zurich is Europe's robotics capital โ ecosystem deep-dive by Lukas Ziegler
Zurich's robotics ecosystem: ETH Zurich talent, ABB proximity, deep-tech funding. 20+ companies highlighted: ANYbotics (50M), Voliro (3M), Flexion Robotics (0M), Ascento, Wingtra, Auterion (30M), and many more.
McKinsey report: Humanoid robot BOM 0k-50k, mass-market target under 0k
McKinsey report breaks down humanoid robot costs: actuators 40-60%, sensing 10-20%, compute 10-15%. China has cost edge via EV supply chain overlap. Chicken-and-egg problem: low volumes deter supplier investment. Supply chain war decides the race.
Boston Dynamics Spot + RAI Institute โ whole-body manipulation stacks 15kg tires โถ Video
Spot robot demonstrates advanced whole-body manipulation: precisely dragging, rolling, and stacking 15kg tires. AI from RAI Institute powers the full-body control. Potential for warehouse and industrial applications.
Wingtra RAY โ next-gen VTOL drone for high-speed aerial surveying โถ Video
Wingtra RAY vertical take-off and landing drone designed for high-speed aerial surveying. VTOL design enables quick deployment and efficient survey-grade data collection.
Kawasaki Kaleido humanoid robot for disaster zones โ climbs rubble, lifts 30kg โถ Video
Kawasaki Heavy Industries unveils Kaleido, a humanoid robot for search and rescue. Navigates rubble, climbs obstacles, handles heavy objects up to 30kg. Demo shows walking, sweeping, moving objects in simulated rough terrain.
Disc-shaped autonomous trash-collecting robot โ conveyor belt scoops floating waste from polluted Chinese river โถ Video
Yellow-and-black disc robot uses front conveyor belt to scoop bottles, sponges, and debris from polluted waterways. Autonomous unmanned cleanup in hard-to-reach areas. Fills up quickly โ scalability challenge for real-world use.
Multimodal hexapod robot โ switches between wheels and legs to handle any terrain โถ Video
Hexapod robot dynamically switches between wheeled and legged locomotion modes. Rolls on flat surfaces, extends legs for steps, gaps, and uneven terrain. Used for pipeline inspection in dunes.
AMP Robotics Cortex โ AI-powered recycling sorting robot โถ Video
Vision-based system sorts bottles, cans, plastics from mixed waste on conveyor belts. Handles hundreds of categories under dirt, damage, poor lighting. Addresses 20-25% contamination rates in recycling facilities.
FANUC AI robot arm harvests tomatoes in Dutch greenhouse โ 98% ripeness accuracy, 5x faster than competitors โถ Video
Four Growers (YC, 3B backed by Google Ventures) deploys 5 FANUC robot arms in Netherlands tomato greenhouse. 8 cameras detect ripeness at 98% accuracy. 50% labor cost reduction. Installed in 1 week.
FRANKA Robotics FR3 Duo โ teleoperated via GELLO Duo for bimanual training data, runs Gemini Robotics inference โถ Video
FRANKA Robotics shows FR3 Duo teleoperated via GELLO Duo to capture multimodal training data including tactile torque signals. That data trains models like Google DeepMind Gemini Robotics, then same platform runs inference on-device from natural language. Early access open.
Hyundai MobED โ smart robot for autonomous movement on flat and rough terrain โถ Video
Hyundai Motor Group unveils MobED, a robot with AI, cameras, and LiDAR for environmental awareness and obstacle avoidance. Pro and Basic versions. Delivery, construction, and research applications. On sale early 2026.
Learning-augmented cobot solders motor cables at 99.4% success rate after 20 min training โถ Video
Hybrid neural network + 3D safety monitoring system on standard cobot solders motor cables at sub-0.6mm precision. 99.4% success rate after 20 minutes of training data. 108 motors over 5+ hours in real factory. No endless retraining needed.
Trash-collecting robot boat โ autonomous cleanup on polluted waterways โถ Video
Robot boat tirelessly scoops floating plastic waste from heavily polluted waterways. Uses mechanical arm and conveyor system to grab debris and deposit into onboard bin. 253K views.
TienKung Omni โ compact humanoid robot teaser from TienKung Robotics โถ Video
TienKung Robotics teases the TienKung Omni โ a small, agile humanoid with smooth precise movements, walking, balancing, and interaction capabilities. New compact design targeting advanced dexterity.
China drone food delivery stations โ constant takeoff and landing, nonstop meals โถ Video
Video shows busy drone food delivery relay stations in China with drones constantly taking off and landing to drop off meals. 11.5K views. Raises questions about drone air traffic control and scaling in dense urban areas.
Kawasaki Kaleido โ humanoid robot for search and rescue in disaster zones โถ Video
Kawasaki Heavy Industries unveils Kaleido, a humanoid robot purpose-built for search and rescue. Navigates rough terrain, climbs debris, lifts heavy objects. Designed to support human rescue teams in hazardous environments.
5-axis 3D printing demo โ zero-support helical coil by ai_build and GenerateMachine โถ Video
CTO Robotics shares a demo of fully synchronized 5-axis 3D printing, printing complex geometry (helical coil) without supports. Breakthrough in multi-axis additive manufacturing.
Robot-operated store demo โ wheeled arm retrieves products from shelves โถ Video
Brian Roemmele showcases a fully automated retail kiosk where a wheeled robot arm navigates shelves, grabs products, and delivers them after payment. Debates over practicality vs. traditional vending machines. ~11.5K views.
Newton โ open-source physics simulator by NVIDIA, DeepMind, Disney (Linux Foundation)
Newton is an open-source physics simulator for robotics, co-developed by NVIDIA, Google DeepMind, and Disney Research, now under the Linux Foundation (Apache 2.0). Runs thousands of robots in parallel on one GPU. Up to 475x faster than MJX for manipulation.
Lucen Robotics deploys pick-and-place fix at robot-first LA hotel โถ Video
Linyan Fu (Lucen Robotics / fdotinc) reports successful deployment fix in a robot-first hotel in Los Angeles, plus pick-and-place at another site. Notes that demo-to-deployment is where most robotics companies struggle.
Shenzhen deploys humanoid police robots for public patrols โถ Video
Humanoid police robots deployed in Shenzhen for visible patrols, video monitoring, traffic direction, and crowd management in public spaces. Part of China's smart city initiative.
Tesla Optimus tries skateboarding โ imperfect balance, improving motor skills โถ Video
Video shows Tesla Optimus humanoid attempting to skateboard: pushes off, glides briefly, then falls sideways. Elon Musk suggested Optimus may one day play piano.
Figure AI hits 350 humanoid units produced, 1/hour build rate, 80% yield โถ Video
Figure AI has produced 350 Figure 03 units at a rate of 1 robot per hour. The company has manufactured 9,000 actuators across 10+ variants with 80% first-pass yield.
Direct Drive Tech D1 โ modular robots that self-assemble into larger units โถ Video
Hong Kong startup Direct Drive Tech showcases D1 robots that autonomously link together into larger units or split apart for navigating tight spaces. 50K+ views.
Ground Control Robotics Scuttle โ centipede robot for rough terrain โถ Video
Multi-legged centipede-inspired robot designed for crop monitoring and inspection where wheeled robots cannot go. Climbs obstacles and navigates tight spaces.
Kinetix AI unveils KAI โ 115-DoF humanoid with tactile skin and world model
Shenzhen-based Kinetix AI (XPeng alumni) launches KAI, a full-sized humanoid with 115 degrees of freedom, 18,000-sensor tactile skin, and a world model trained on 100k+ hours of first-person video. Targets sub-$40,000 for home and service use.
Asimov open-sources v1 humanoid robot โ full design, BOM, and DIY kit at $15,000 โถ Video
Asimov Inc releases Asimov v1 as fully open-source: 1.2m tall, 35kg, 25 DoF humanoid robot. Mechanical design, simulation files, and BOM on GitHub. DIY kit ships end of summer 2026 for $15,000 ($499 deposit). Built for community-driven humanoid development.
Eka Robotics unveils Vision-Force-Action Model for robot manipulation โถ Video
Eka Robotics, founded by MIT's Pulkit Agrawal, announces their Vision-Force-Action (VFA) model โ treating force sensing as a first-class modality alongside vision for robotic manipulation. The approach aims to give robots a native understanding of physical forces.
Japan tests Unitree G1 and UBTECH Walker E humanoid robots at Tokyo Haneda Airport โถ Video
JAL is testing Unitree G1 and UBTECH Walker E humanoid robots at Tokyo Haneda Airport for cargo loading and luggage handling. Japan's aviation sector faces labour shortages from rising tourism and declining workforce. JAL plans to expand use to cabin cleaning and operating support machines.
RobotEra deploying 1,000 L7 humanoid sorters across China Post and SF Express โถ Video
Beijing-based RobotEra is deploying its L7 humanoid robot across 10+ logistics centers for China Post and SF Express. The robots operate 24/7, reaching 85% human efficiency. Batch deliveries at thousand-unit scale begin Q2 2026. RobotEra recently raised $200M.
PIPE-i: Beca's 3D-printed robot inspects confined spaces with LiDAR โถ Video
New Zealand engineering company Beca developed PIPE-i, a remotely controlled robot for inspecting manholes, tunnels, and hazardous confined spaces. Built with 3D printing and equipped with LiDAR, it provides operators with live video feedback in real time.
CIX signs lease for first humanoid robot store in the USA โถ Video
CIX announced the signing of a lease for The REK Shop in San Francisco's Nob Hill โ billed as the first humanoid robot store in the US. Expected to open in approximately two months, featuring robot shopping by day and robot fights at night.
Chinese logistics center reportedly operated by humanoid robots 24/7 โถ Video
A Chinese logistics center is rumored to be fully operated by humanoid robots running 24/7, reportedly achieving 85% of human-level efficiency. The facility highlights China's push toward autonomous warehouse and logistics operations.
PeritasAI partners with NVIDIA and AdventHealth to bring AI robotics to surgery
PeritasAI is using NVIDIA Isaac for Healthcare in partnership with LightwheelAI and AdventHealth to bring AI-powered robotic systems to the operating room. The collaboration aims to enhance surgical precision with autonomous robotic capabilities.
EngineAI humanoid robot goes outdoors in new 'Get out and have fun' demo
Chinese robotics company EngineAI shares video of their humanoid robot walking and moving outdoors, stepping beyond the lab environment. The clip shows the robot navigating open terrain, demonstrating real-world locomotion progress.
Galbot humanoid demonstrates Tai Chi in lab demo
Galbot's wheeled-base humanoid robot performs smooth Tai Chi arm poses in an indoor lab, showcasing fluid upper-body motion control. Posted by Auki, noting the Galbot outperforms their other robots at Tai Chi movements.
AGIBOT unveils A3 humanoid robot with martial arts capabilities
Chinese robotics company AGIBOT teases its upcoming A3 humanoid robot in a dramatic demo video. The robot is shown in a martial-arts stance inside a traditional Chinese training hall with red lanterns and lion-dance props, showcasing advanced balance and dynamic movement control.
Unitree G1 EDU developer robots available for short-term rental in San Francisco
Unitree G1 EDU dev units now available for rental in the SF Bay Area through May. Multiple providers including TOBoRLife (official NA distributor) and FUTUROBOTS offer monthly terms starting around $1,800/month.
Gurren humanoid prototype update: new teleoperation software and v2 hardware
Indie builder Mikhail (@LagannMikhail) shares progress on the Gurren humanoid: improved software teleoperation via VR headset, new custom controller, and v2 arms and legs entering manufacturing.
Robros IGRIS-C humanoid robot deployed at Lotte logistics center in South Korea
Korean robotics company Robros has deployed its IGRIS-C humanoid at a Lotte logistics center for packing operations. The 1.54m, 56kg robot uses reinforcement learning to handle clothes, bag items, and seal packages.
Clone Robotics reveals fluid-driven musculoskeletal humanoid at Abundance Summit
Polish startup Clone Robotics showcased their hydraulic muscle-based humanoid system at the Abundance Summit. Their Clone Alpha android uses 1000 artificial muscles and no electric motors, with 279 units available for pre-order at $100,000.
Kia to deploy 30,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas robots at Georgia plant by 2029
Hyundai-owned Kia plans to deploy Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia manufacturing facility starting 2029, with a target of 30,000 units for automotive assembly operations.
Reflex Robotics deploys mobile robots in real warehouse environments
Reflex Robotics shows its mobile robots doing real picking and packing work alongside human workers in warehouse settings.
Japanese startup Zeals importing Chinese humanoid robots for hospital care
Zeals is bringing Chinese-made humanoid robots to Japan and training them in Japanese hospitality standards for patient care in hospitals.
Drones transforming agriculture in rural China โ spraying crops on terraced hillsides
Agricultural drones now widely deployed across rural China for crop spraying on steep terraced farmland, replacing manual labor in hard-to-reach areas.
Chinese company Unipath deploys household robot in real homes โ cooks, cleans, wakes you up
Unipath launches a household robot now in real-home use in China. The robot can wake users, operate appliances, organize storage, and cook meals automatically. Goes viral with 479K views.
Boston Dynamics Tech Talk: Form & Function of Enterprise Humanoid Design
Boston Dynamics releases detailed tech talk on the engineering decisions behind Atlas's enterprise humanoid design โ balancing form factor, payload, and reliability for real industrial deployment.
Midea's 6-armed industrial robot works as coordinated unit
Chinese appliance giant Midea demonstrates a 6-armed robot system working as a single coordinated unit for manufacturing tasks. Embodied AI enables multiple arms to collaborate without collisions.
UniXAI starts home robot deployment in Suzhou โ cooking and cleaning ready
Chinese startup UniXAI begins deploying home robots in Suzhou, China. The robots can cook and clean autonomously, marking one of the first real residential deployments of household humanoid robots.
Kyber Labs demos robot doing clinical pathology โ specimen handling with precision manipulation
Brooklyn-based Kyber Labs demonstrates a single robotic system doing tool use, precision manipulation, and planning in a clinical pathology lab. The robot handles specimen tubes alongside lab equipment.
Unitree IPOs at ~$610M after delivering 5,500+ humanoid robots
Unitree Robotics goes public with ~$610M IPO. The company has delivered 5,500+ humanoid robots, achieved ~1.7B RMB revenue with over 60% gross margins. Plans to ship 20,000 units in 2026.
Asimov opens presale for 'Here Be Dragons' DIY humanoid kit โ $499 deposit, $15,000 target
Asimov Inc launches presale for their open-source humanoid robot kit. 1.2m tall, 35kg, 25+ DoF, fully unassembled with build manual and videos. $499 deposit secures a spot, $15,000 target price close to BOM cost.
LATENT tennis robot now beats human researchers โ autonomous humanoid plays pro-level rallies
The LATENT system trained on the Unitree G1 can now sustain multi-shot rallies against human players. Researchers from Tsinghua and Peking University report the robot consistently beats them in tennis matches.
Tien Kung 3.0 becomes first humanoid to conquer 2026 Beijing autonomous test
Taiwan's Tien Kung humanoid robot becomes the first to pass Beijing's full autonomy test, navigating real urban environments without human intervention.
Nebius and NVIDIA collaborate for Physical AI Cloud
Nebius partners with NVIDIA to build a Physical AI Cloud platform for training and deploying robotic AI models at scale.
RealSense unveils autonomous humanoid navigation at GTC 2026
Intel's RealSense division demonstrates autonomous humanoid robot navigation capabilities at NVIDIA GTC 2026, enabling robots to navigate complex environments without mapping.
Mind Robotics (Rivian spinout) raises $500M at $2B valuation
Mind Robotics, an industrial robotics lab spun out of EV maker Rivian, raises $500M in Series A funding. Valued at $2 billion, focused on AI-powered industrial robotics.
Apptronik closes over $935M Series A for humanoid robots
Austin-based Apptronik, maker of the Apollo humanoid robot, closes a massive $935M Series A round. One of the largest robotics funding rounds in history.
Figure AI introduces Figure 03 โ next-gen humanoid
Figure AI announces Figure 03, their latest humanoid robot built on Qualcomm's safety-grade SoC platforms. Comprehensive physical AI stack with improved capabilities.
Sunday raises $165M to launch autonomous robots by Thanksgiving
Mountain View startup Sunday raises $165M to build and deploy their first autonomous robots by Thanksgiving 2026.
Robotics startups raised $890M in February 2026 alone
AI-powered robotics startups raised $890 million across four major deals in February 2026, signaling massive investor appetite for the sector.
Andrew Yang proposes taxing AI agents instead of human labor
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang calls for shifting taxation from workers to AI systems. 'AI is to knowledge work what robots were to the factory floor.' Warns millions of white-collar jobs will be displaced within 12-18 months.
First humanoid robot 'arrested' โ Unitree G1 escorted by police in Macao
Police in Macao literally arrested and escorted a Unitree G1 humanoid robot after it nearly gave a 70-year-old woman a heart attack on the street. The first recorded 'arrest' of a humanoid robot.
ETH Zurich releases three new OrcaHand models โ open-source, 3D-printable dexterous hands
The Soft Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich announces three new OrcaHand variants including the OrcaHand Touch with 83 taxels per fingertip, detecting forces down to 0.1N. All models are open-source and 3D-printable for under 2,000 CHF.
Uber founder Travis Kalanick plans to launch new AI & robotics company
Travis Kalanick, who built Uber into a global logistics empire, is reportedly entering the robotics space with a new AI and robotics venture. His experience in fleet management and autonomous operations at scale makes this a significant move.
UBTECH Walker S2 begins mass production โ orders exceed 800 million yuan
UBTECH's humanoid robot Walker S2 enters mass production and delivery phase, with orders surpassing $112M. Deployed at BYD, NIO, and Zeekr car factories for quality inspection and assembly.
Unitree plans to ship 20,000 humanoid robots in 2026
Chinese robotics maker Unitree Robotics announced plans to ship 20,000 humanoid robots this year, up from 5,500 in 2025, signaling rapid scaling of humanoid robot production.
Stripe launches x402 payments on Base โ AI agents can now pay with USDC
Stripe taps Coinbase's Base network for the x402 payment protocol, enabling AI agents to make instant USDC micropayments for APIs and digital services without human intervention.
ICON 3D-prints entire affordable housing community in Texas
ICON's Vulcan printer completes a 100-home community in Georgetown, Texas โ the largest 3D-printed housing project in the US. Homes built at 40% less cost than traditional construction.
Boston Dynamics Atlas performs autonomous warehouse sorting
New demo shows the electric Atlas humanoid robot autonomously sorting and placing heavy engine parts in a warehouse setting, demonstrating practical industrial capability.
Figure AI raises $675M Series B at $2.6B valuation
Figure AI closes massive funding round backed by Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Jeff Bezos. The company plans to deploy Figure 02 humanoid robots in BMW manufacturing plants.
DJI faces expanded US restrictions โ agricultural drone sales continue in EU
New US legislation restricts DJI drone purchases by federal agencies. Meanwhile, DJI's Agras T50 agricultural drones see record sales across Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Viral post falsely claims Tesla Optimus Gen 3 in JAL airport trial โ actually Unitree G1 robots โถ Video
A viral X post falsely claimed Tesla Optimus Gen 3 robots were in a 2-year trial with Japan Airlines for baggage handling. Reality: JAL is testing Unitree G1 and UBTECH Walker E humanoid robots at Tokyo Haneda Airport. The viral video appears AI-generated or edited. Real trial footage shows Unitree G1s pushing cargo carts on empty tarmac. Highlights ongoing misinformation risks in the humanoid robotics space.
Unitree launches UNISTORE โ app store for humanoid robot skills and actions โถ Video
Unitree launched UNISTORE, an app store platform for creating, publishing, purchasing, and one-click deploying robot actions and skills across all Unitree robot models. Currently motion library live with basic moves, dances, martial arts (free for limited time). Dataset module restricted to approved developers. Available only in China for now, international version coming soon. Potentially transformative for the humanoid robotics ecosystem, similar to how app stores transformed smartphones.
Honda shows wearable Walking Assist exoskeleton for stair climbing and mobility support โถ Video
Honda demonstrated its lightweight Walking Assist wearable exoskeleton, helping users walk and climb stairs with ease. The device weighs 2.7 kg and is worn on hips and lower limbs, providing motorized assistance for inclines, stairs, and uneven terrain. Designed for mobility support and rehabilitation.
Unitree shows wheeled humanoid prototype โ legs optional โถ Video
Unitree Robotics demoed a wheeled humanoid robot prototype combining humanoid upper body with wheeled base for fast, stable locomotion. Concept aims to merge dexterous manipulation with efficient wheeled mobility.
RobotPlusPlus magnetic-climbing welding robot โ AI-powered high-altitude industrial robot โถ Video
RobotPlusPlus (Zhejiang, China) demoed a 90kg magnetic-climbing robot for high-risk industrial environments. Wheeled chassis with magnetic adhesion, dual 15-DOF humanoid arms, VR-controlled with millisecond response. AI trained on 100,000+ hours of operations. Handles welding, flaw detection, rust removal and spraying on vertical steel walls, chemical tanks and ship hulls.
Human-following industrial robot boosts warehouse efficiency โถ Video
Wheeled robot autonomously follows human workers in industrial settings, carrying materials and navigating obstacles. Practical design for material handling in warehouses and factories. Demonstrates growing deployment of practical AMRs over humanoids for logistics tasks.
Never Miss a Story
Get news delivered to your inbox โ filtered by your categories of interest.
Subscribe