Robotics
Industry moves, humanoids, drones and research robotics — what's shipping and what's next.
From our newsroom
OriginalDenmark's Supermarket Humanoid Pilot Is a Reality Check for Buyers
Unitree humanoids are restocking shelves overnight in a Danish supermarket, but they're slower than human staff and still remotely guided. For buyers, that gap is more informative than any keynote demo.
Before You Buy a Humanoid Robot, Watch These Three Market Signals
A new AI brain, a dedicated motion-systems supplier and a well-funded new entrant all surfaced this week. Together they show the humanoid robot stack splitting into reusable layers, which means the spec sheet you compare today may not hold.
Humanoid Robots Can Sprint and Box, But Can They Do Your Laundry?
The World Humanoid Robot Games 2026 delivered sprints, boxing and football, but the facts that matter for buyers are about manufacturing scale, dexterity and cost, not the highlight reel.
BYD Joins the Humanoid Robot Race, But Scaling Production Is the Real Test
BYD has unveiled a 31-joint humanoid design, adding a major new name to track. The same week's reporting on manufacturing bottlenecks and dexterity problems is a reminder that a design is not a product.
Humanoid Robots Still Fail the Generalization Test: What Boston Dynamics and Odyssey Are Doing About It
A new analysis argues humanoid demos rarely survive contact with the real world. This week's hardware and software responses, from a redesigned Atlas hand to a new world model, show what closing that gap actually requires.
Humanoid Robots in 2026: Still a Funding Story, Not Yet a Buying One
This week's humanoid news is capital and training data, not finished products: a $60M motion-capture round, a new benchmark, a planned US factory and two opposing bets on how autonomous a robot should be.
Humanoid Robots Are Entering Eldercare: What Buyers Should Watch Before Trusting One
Donut Robotics' new alliance with nursing-home operator Charm Care puts a humanoid in the highest-stakes home-robot category there is. The hardware, autonomy, and acceptance questions it raises are far from settled.
Agibot Just Became the World's Top Humanoid Robot Shipper: What That Means for Buyers
IDC data puts global humanoid robot shipments near 25,000 units in H1 2026, up 432.1 percent year on year, with Agibot ranked first worldwide. For buyers, that shipment lead is a more reliable signal than any keynote demo.
Who's Actually Shipping Humanoid Robots? Agibot Tops IDC Data as Astribot Lands in North America
IDC data puts Agibot first in global humanoid shipments for H1 2026, and Astribot's T1 just made its first North America appearance at IROS. Here's what the shipment numbers, not the keynotes, say about who to watch.
Flourish One: A $3,555 Phone-Trained Humanoid Built for Busy Parents
Flourish is pricing its home humanoid at $3,555 and training it by phone instead of fixed routines. Figure's decision to retire part of its own fleet this week is a reminder that humanoid hardware has a lifecycle, and resale value is still untested.
Before You Buy a Home Humanoid: Why the Form Factor Still Isn't Settled
Flourish's $3,555 phone-trainable home robot is the first concrete consumer price tag on a humanoid, but Agility Robotics' move to explore wheeled designs for its Digit humanoid shows the basic shape of these machines is still up for debate.
Digit's Maker Is Exploring Wheels: What It Means for Humanoid Buyers
Agility Robotics says it is weighing wheeled variants of its Digit humanoid alongside legs, while a Stanford and Caltech test had a GPT-6 Astra-powered robot tidy an unfamiliar kitchen without task-specific training. Both point buyers toward judging software flexibility and form-factor options, not just hardware specs.
Optimus Hands, Digit Wheels: Why Humanoid Robot Buyers Should Watch, Not Rush
Tesla wants to build 20,000 Optimus units a week, but robot hands don't scale like car parts. Meanwhile Agility Robotics, whose Digit already works customer floors, is hedging with wheeled designs of its own.
Tesla Optimus Falls Short of Its Production Goal, and Agility Hedges With Wheels
Tesla's Optimus line is reportedly building "several hundred" robots a week, nowhere near its stated 20,000-per-week target. Agility Robotics, meanwhile, is looking beyond legs for its Digit humanoid.
Buying Your First Home Robot? Check This Before You Pay
A robot lawnmower owner's warning, a Dreame washer under €700 and a no-membership trade-in scheme line up this week. Here is what actually informs the buying decision.
Home Robots in 2026: What You Can Actually Buy vs. What's Still Hype
The week's robotics news splits cleanly into shippable home devices and long-horizon humanoids. Here is what belongs on a shopping list and what belongs on a watch list.
Home Robots in 2026: Buy the Budget Vacuum Now, Watch the Humanoids
Comparative testing still favours cheap, proven appliances over the first household humanoids. Here is what to buy today and what to leave on the watch list.
Buying an Outdoor Robot? Judge How It Navigates, Not Just How It Cleans
For robot mowers and pool cleaners, the spec that separates a good unit from a frustrating one is increasingly navigation, not raw suction or cutting power. Here is what to check before you buy.
Prime Day Robotics Deals: Which Drone and Robot Discounts Are Actually Worth It
Prime Day has cut prices across drones, robot mowers and home gadgets. Here is which discounts hit genuine lows and which are routine.
Prime Day Robot Deals: Which Home Robot Is Actually Worth Buying?
Prime Day is cutting prices on robot mowers, pool cleaners and vacuum-mops by roughly 12% to 15%, with one model down 500 euros. The deal only matters if the category fits your home.
The 2026 robotics boom is real — but for your home, it still means vacuums and mowers
The industry's growth charts point up, yet the machines that work unsupervised in an ordinary home remain narrow. Buy on what a robot reliably does today, not on the keynote.
Touch, not walking, is the robotics story this week
A cluster of independent announcements this week converged on tactile sensing and dexterous manipulation. For anyone weighing a "coming soon" home robot, this is the capability that still gates everything.
Humanoid robots in mid-2026: from demo videos to delivery dates
This spring the humanoid story changed. Unitree is shipping in volume, 1X is taking $20,000 pre-orders, and Boston Dynamics' Atlas is on factory floors. Here's what you can actually buy right now, and why none of it is a home helper yet.
The state of home robotics in 2026
Vacuums that map your home in 3D, mowers that skip the boundary wire, and the first humanoids creeping toward the living room. Here's where consumer robotics actually stands this year — and what's still marketing.
Humanoid robots in 2026: hype vs. reality
Every month brings a new humanoid demo and a bold timeline. We separate the real engineering progress from the staged videos — and explain what would actually have to be true for one to land in your home.
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SyndicatedBioinspired robot airdrops into remote waters via morphing wing-sail
“Fall like a maple seed, sail like a boat” sounds like advice from legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. In reality, it describes a new robotic platform scientists have created for fast, long-term deployment to monitor remote waters. Continue Reading Category: Robotics ,…
Read at sourcePlug-in solar is legal in these 10 states now – how it could save you money
So-called balcony solar setups are becoming legal across the US. Here’s the latest.
Read at sourceThe rise of the machines is canceled: Why humanoids with AI are helpers, not enemies
Humans play a key role in developing humanoid robots and training AI models, so we can maintain control, writes a columnist. The post The rise of the machines is canceled: Why humanoids with AI are helpers, not enemies appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceDu jamais-vu pour la police : un robot saisi après une agression sexuelle
À Cologne, un robot d'1,20 mètre a fini dans un coffre de voiture, puis sous scellés. Deux adolescents sont visés par une enquête inédite, suspendue à une question : qui commandait la machine.
Read at sourceWhy opportunity charging is winning as robot fleets scale
Ben Waters explains why opportunity charging is becoming essential for keeping autonomous robot fleets moving, scalable, and operationally efficient. The post Why opportunity charging is winning as robot fleets scale appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceWound-helix robot leaps and bounds over obstacles
Remember that “dancing pencils” game schoolchildren played, where they passed two pencils through a small rubber band, twisted them repeatedly, and then let go to make the pencils jump around as the band unraveled? Turns out they were onto some serious futuristic robotics, as…
Read at sourceHave a Meta business account? You’re consenting to AI scraping now, legal experts say
And there’s no opt-out available.
Read at sourceWhy MVP App Development is the Smartest First Move
Great digital products rarely arrive fully formed. For startups, product teams, and established companies testing a new concept, custom MVP app development services can turn a promising idea into a working product before time, budget, and internal energy are spent in the wrong…
Read at sourceHow Personal Injury Lawyers Can Automate Medical Chronologies: 6 Best AI Tools in 2026
Personal injury lawyers can automate medical chronologies by using AI to extract treatment dates, providers, diagnoses, and procedures from medical records, then organize those details into a timeline linked to the original documents. The legal team reviews the chronology and…
Read at source9 Best Shopify Plus Agencies for B2B and Enterprise Ecommerce in 2026
The best Shopify Plus agencies for B2B and enterprise ecommerce in 2026 include Fyresite, Zaelab, Teifi Digital, Praella, Shero Commerce, BlueSwitch, Uncap, AAXIS, and TMG. Fyresite is a strong choice for complex Shopify Plus migrations, automotive ecommerce, custom product…
Read at sourceMassRobotics opens applications for Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program
The cohort will run February through June 2027, concluding with company showcases at the Robotics Summit and Expo in Boston. The post MassRobotics opens applications for Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceVideo Friday: When Two Robots Become One
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. CoRL 2026 : 9–12 November 2026,…
Read at sourceAn Nvidia insider-turned-VC on why robotics hasn’t hit its ChatGPT moment, yet
Amulya Vishwanath, who spent seven years leading product marketing for NVIDIA’s robotics platforms, says robotics is currently in its “Lego era,” with the basic building blocks like actuators, robotic hands, software, and safety standards still being rebuilt.  This…
Read at sourcePhysical AI is more than robots, says the Nvidia veteran now investing in it
Amulya Vishwanath, who spent seven years leading product marketing for NVIDIA’s robotics platforms, says robotics is currently in its “Lego era,” with the basic building blocks like actuators, robotic hands, software, and safety standards still being rebuilt.  This…
Read at sourceHow many jobs is your state losing to AI? This dashboard tracks the cuts – and the cost
CAIS’ Wage Loss Dashboard puts AI-related job cuts into dollars and cents.
Read at source« 100 drones kamikazes par jour » : Pourquoi l’armée française confie sa production militaire aux géants de l’automobile
L'armée française fait appel à l'équipementier automobile Schaeffler pour assembler des drones militaires en France. Grâce à ces méthodes de fabrication en série, la production journalière va passer de 10 à 100 appareils dès le mois de novembre.
Read at sourceTesla patent reveals touch-sensitive skin for robot hands
Tesla has filed a US patent application for a touch-sensitive “skin” that can be molded around robot fingers and palms, potentially providing humanoid robots with a scalable way of detecting contact, force and pressure. The application, US 2026/0310299 A1, was…
Read at sourceSkild AI trains robots to learn physical skills through self-play
Skild AI has demonstrated a new self-play training approach that enables robots to develop physical skills without relying on human demonstrations, using its S1 robotics foundation model to learn soccer through more than 140 years of simulated play. The company says the…
Read at sourceETH Zurich scientists turn WUJI robotic hand into self-propelled mobile manipulator
Scientists at ETH Zurich have demonstrated how an anthropomorphic robotic hand can use its fingers not only for manipulation but also for locomotion, enabling the hand to crawl, recover from falls and move around its environment without a separate mobility system. The research…
Read at sourcePudu expands beyond service robots into semi-humanoids and quadrupeds
Pudu Robotics, best known for the delivery and cleaning robots increasingly found in restaurants, hotels and other commercial environments, is expanding its technology portfolio into semi-humanoid robots and quadrupeds as it looks beyond its established service robotics…
Read at sourceBest Application Security Platforms for Smart Manufacturing Software
A dashboard shows a temperature spike. That number came from somewhere. An API picked it up. A service moved it along. A query pulled it out of storage. One weak spot anywhere in that chain and the reading can lie. The tools in this article look at the software that builds those…
Read at sourceBest SAST Tools for Python and Java Automation Backends
The movement of a robot arm occurs after a signal is sent out by the controller. But there is another world beyond the controller. There are Python services that queue up tasks. There are Java backends responding to API requests. Modules are passing around data. Bugs live there…
Read at sourceBest SCA Tools for Open-Source Risk in Industrial Software
Industrial software incorporates existing libraries and external dependencies to streamline development. These components power manufacturing applications, industrial control systems, and other solutions. However, you might need to address security weaknesses and licensing…
Read at sourceFrom Brief to Working Platform: Top Companies Providing Energy Data Platform Development Services
Renewables made up 85.6% of all new power capacity added worldwide in 2025, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026. Each new solar park, wind farm, and battery site adds another stream of operational data. Energy companies…
Read at sourceIdeals VDR Review: Features, Pricing, and Use Cases
Virtual data rooms are designed for business processes where confidential documents must be shared with multiple internal and external parties under controlled access. M&A due diligence is the best-known example, but VDRs are also used for fundraising, audits, restructuring,…
Read at sourceStryker invests $400M into CMR Surgical
Stryker plans to serve as the exclusive sales agent in the U.S. for the Versius robotics portfolio from CMR Surgical. The post Stryker invests $400M into CMR Surgical appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceHow ADI is helping robotics startups scale
Robotics businesses need help keeping up with innovations as they scale. Analog Devices Inc. or ADI is offering its Emerging Tech Hub. The post How ADI is helping robotics startups scale appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceTechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Last day
Last day to be part of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Join 10,000+ tech leaders for a day of connections and insights. Save 75% on your pass now.
Read at sourceGoogle’s new Universal Cart tracks prices on items you want now – plus 3 other tricks
Google unveiled two new shopping tools ahead of the holiday buying season. Here’s what to know.
Read at sourceAgility chooses Nyobolt for ultra-fast charging for Digit 5 humanoid
Nyobolt is providing power technology for Digit 5 that enables Agility's humanoid to work up to 20 hours a day. The post Agility chooses Nyobolt for ultra-fast charging for Digit 5 humanoid appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceSave 50% on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ticket and join the last 2 days in San Francisco’s Moscone West
Get a 50% discount on the last two days of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 14-15, in San Francisco. Register now and join the rest of the startup ecosystem. Today, it's all about physical and software AI.
Read at sourceRoboBusiness 2026 panel to discuss reshoring with robots
While reshoring manufacturing is a high priority for policymakers and technologists, RoboBusiness panelists will examine how to promote it. The post RoboBusiness 2026 panel to discuss reshoring with robots appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceTechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Day 2
Day 2 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, full of all themes across AI, as well as an investor-only session, more roundtables, Side Events, and more. Register to save 50% on your pass.
Read at sourceTimken Precision Drives puts the motion challenge first in humanoid robots
Timken combines the expertise of Cone Drive, SPINEA, CGI Motion, and Timken Encoders to develop application-specific motion systems. The post Timken Precision Drives puts the motion challenge first in humanoid robots appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceNeurosymbolic planning using natural language communication for cooperative autonomous vehicles
Imagine you are driving toward an intersection. A truck parked on the corner blocks your view of a car speeding toward the intersection from the right. You can’t see it, but the car next to you can. What if that neighboring vehicle could simply tell your car, “Vehicle merging…
Read at sourceNYSOFA expands partnership with Intuition Robotics to bring ElliQ to more seniors
With the expansion, NYSOFA and Intuition Robotics established a new three-year, $2.1 million agreement to keep rolling out ElliQ. The post NYSOFA expands partnership with Intuition Robotics to bring ElliQ to more seniors appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceIndustrial Next wants factory robots to switch tasks in minutes, not weeks
Industrial Next helps manufacturers automate complex, delicate tasks that have traditionally required human labor.
Read at sourceHello Robot, A&K Robotics to discuss how robots navigate crowded indoor spaces at RoboBusiness
As robots move beyond warehouses and other controlled environments and into everyday life, navigation challenges will be critical. The post Hello Robot, A&K Robotics to discuss how robots navigate crowded indoor spaces at RoboBusiness appeared first on The Robot Report .
Read at sourceRivian’s startup Mind Robotics hires former Ford EV chief Doug Field
Field also worked on Apple's secretive car project and oversaw development of the Tesla Model 3.
Read at sourceLaplace Intelligence red-teams robots and self-driving cars before they hit the real world
University of Michigan spinout Laplace Intelligence uses AI agents and interactive simulation to stress-test robots and self-driving vehicles before deployment. The profitable startup is competing in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt, October 13-15 in San Francisco.
Read at source4 upgrades HomePod Mini 2 has over its 6-year-old predecessor
HomePod mini 2 is here, and there are four major upgrades that separate it from the first generation.
Read at sourceQ&A: Mars Perseverance Rover Sets a Distance Record
On 11 October , the Perseverance rover completed a drive that brought its total distance traveled on Mars to 28.10 miles (45.22 kilometers). This is a new record for Mars rovers, enabled in large part by Perseverance ’s ability to drive with much more autonomy than its…
Read at sourceTechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Day 1
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 officially kicks off today. See what's in store for Day 1 (Oct. 13) at San Francisco's Moscone West. Don't miss it. Register for your pass now and meet 10,000+ tech leaders at the startup epicenter of the year.
Read at source‘So perfect, they are literally identical’ – Your AI-polished resumes are recruiters’ new top stressor
Exclusive: A new Employ report shows how AI is both helping and hurting the hiring industry.
Read at sourceDutch tax authorities cancel Microsoft 365 cloud rollout – and turn toward open source
Another European move toward digital sovereignty has curtailed adopting the US workplace suite.
Read at sourceBiped bot uses your old, dusty phone for brains
That old phone gathering dust in a drawer could have a second life far more entertaining than being a paperweight. UCLA researchers have created PhoneBot, a little humanoid that puts your smartphone to work as the brains of a walking robot companion. Continue Reading Category:…
Read at sourceThe Hexa-Bouncer May Be The Most Overengineered Thing You See This Week
Sometimes, you want to build a simple project– the minimum viable product that solves your problem and nothing else. Other times you might be feeling a little extra, and want …read more
Read at sourceLearning to Play Like a Pro: Adaptive Motion Planning and Tracking for Humanoid Robots
This White Paper provides roboticists and control engineers with a comprehensive overview of how motion planning and motion tracking can be decoupled to preserve professional athletic style in humanoid robots, and why adaptive, speed-aware control is essential for closing the…
Read at sourceHumanoid robots can sprint and box – but the real test is doing the laundry
By Wai-keung Fung, Cardiff Metropolitan University At the recent World Humanoid Robot Games 2026 in Beijing, robots sprinted, boxed, played football and tackled tasks inspired by factories, restaurants and emergency situations. The robot Tiangong Ultra even completed the 100…
Read at sourceWater-pumping robot worms its way over rugged coastal terrain
Biomimicry involves borrowing ideas from nature to solve engineering problems. This is what one of the research teams at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering specializes in. We recently covered their fish-inspired robot, so exploring water bodies seems to be taken…
Read at source48 hours to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 — hear directly from the people building what’s next
Less than 48 hours, TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts in San Francisco’s Moscone West. Save up to $100 on your pass before prices increase at the door, plus get 50% on a second pass. Or score other deals.
Read at sourceImpossibly tiny Swiss motor looks like anything but
If you've already designed a soft-bodied robot, it kind of defeats the purpose if you just go and stick a rigid motor inside of it. That's why Swiss scientists have created a motor that takes the form of a thin, flexible fiber. Continue Reading Category: Robotics , Engineering…
Read at source3 days to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Meet the startups before they hit mainstream
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13-15 in San Francisco. Over 300 startups will show what they’ve built to 10,000 tech leaders. Plus, 250+ speakers are ready to share insights across 200+ sessions. Register before doors open to save up to $100 and get a second pass at…
Read at sourceNext-gen hopping robot is the smart flea we didn't know we needed
We’ve already seen robots that can swim like fish, stick to walls like geckos, and grab objects like elephants. Now, engineers at the University of Washington are building a new type of robot inspired by … the flea. Continue Reading Category: Robotics , Engineering Tags:…
Read at sourceDanu Robotics’ fight to build a better recycling robot
For six years, Danu founder Amy Ma has been working on a better way to sort recyclable waste.
Read at sourceVideo Friday: Robot Decommissioning Takes a Fun Turn
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. CoRL 2026 : 9–12 November 2026,…
Read at sourceRobot Talk Episode 165 – Robots behind the research, with Kushant Patel
Claire chatted to Kushant Patel from Brookhaven National Laboratory about robots that work in scientific facilities, such as particle accelerators. Kushant Patel builds software that helps robots and instruments perceive, map, and move through the physical world. After…
Read at sourceWe’re putting too much faith in AI’s ability to say no
Ever since people first seriously contemplated giving machines an intelligence modeled on our own, there has never been any question that they would, like us, be able to say no. The sci-fi canon is full of stories of robotic disobedience. Most of these capers are, of course,…
Read at sourceGot a Microsoft 365 subscription? Your storage is about to shrink
Today, shared Microsoft 365 plans include 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage for every family member. Microsoft is about to shrink that allotment dramatically.
Read at sourceRegulators are trying to protect you from being fired by AI – here’s how
Regulating AI at work is happening slowly, but it’s still stuck at the state level.
Read at sourceThis Disembodied Hand Is All the Robot You Need
A hand attached to the end of an arm is a given for most humans, but what if robots didn’t have to play by the same rules as we do? Researchers from ETH Zurich have turned an off-the-shelf robotic hand into a completely self-contained robot that walks on its fingertips while…
Read at sourceAI breakthroughs in robotics won’t change your life any time soon
The story is a collaboration between MIT Technology Review and Aventine, a non-profit research foundation that creates and supports content about how technology and science are changing the way we live. A robot shaped like a human—white with a black head and torso—has been…
Read at sourceTiny robot harvests battery power via skin on its feet
Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source. Continue Reading Category: Robotics…
Read at sourceHiPHI: A Large-Scale Benchmark for High-Precision Human Motion and Object Interaction
This White Paper gives robotics researchers and engineers an overview of a new large-scale motion capture dataset built to close the data gap limiting humanoid robot learning. It also shows how policies trained on the dataset transfer to a real humanoid robot. What you will…
Read at sourceWhat three days building a robot taught me
Last month, I went to York to build a robot. I came back with a robot, a tiny trophy-shaped sense of achievement, and somehow a few new friends. From 25th-27th August, I joined the UK RAS STEPS MicroMaze Robot Hackathon at the Institute for Safe Autonomy, University of York. The…
Read at sourceVideo: Dexterous robot hand learns the delicate art of silk embroidery
Agilink, a spin-off of Chinese robotics giant AgiBot, asked Fu Xianghong, a master of traditional Suzhou embroidery, to train its OmniHand 3 Ultra. The synthetic hand has learned to split silk strands, thread a needle, stretch fabric across a frame, and stitch, following a craft…
Read at sourceAttempts to Keep Humans in the AI Loop May Actually Push Them Out
A crucial safeguard against AI agents going rogue —keeping humans in the loop to review and approve their decisions—will fail unless designers and users change their current practices, a trio of leading AI ethics researchers argue. Though most autonomous agents have systems to…
Read at sourceBuilding a Cheap, Dexterous Robot Hand
Most of the time, assuming nothing’s gone wrong with them, we take our hands so much for granted that it’s easy to forget what remarkable pieces of engineering they are: …read more
Read at sourceResearch could guide the future design of social robots
By the University of Glasgow Giving robot companions animal-like or anime-style faces and voices could maximise their emotional appeal to users, according to new research which could help guide the growing field of social robotics. Social robots can provide companionship and…
Read at sourceMIT robot swims through water via living muscle cells
An MIT robot powered by a single layer of living muscle cells swam through a watery maze, following a light held in a researcher’s hand. It is slow, tiny and nowhere near ready for the open ocean, but its thin design could point toward softer, cheaper swimming machines. Continue…
Read at sourceVideo Friday: Albatross Falls, Spins, Self-Rights, and Sails Away
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. CoRL 2026 : 9–12 November 2026,…
Read at sourceAtlas Robot’s New Hand May Outperform Humanlike Designs
Today, Boston Dynamics is announcing a redesigned hand for its Atlas robot . The previous generation could do some crazy superhuman things with its three fingers, but it was never intended for mass production in the tens or hundreds of thousands. Switching from research hardware…
Read at sourcePogo-Bot Goes All Terrain With Compliant Foot
What do you get when you combine a pogo stick, a quadcopter, and engineering students from the University of Toronto? This thing, apparently– a “monopedal hopping robot” that uses a …read more
Read at sourceRobotics and automation? Informal reflections on familiar terms
By Emmet Cole “Robotics and automation” is a pairing heard often around these parts. It puts the “RA” in IEEE RAS, after all. The familiar combination shows up in conference titles, funding calls, and program descriptions. But what is actually meant by…
Read at sourceA Day in the Life of a Roboticist: Charlie Kemp
Building useful robots starts with understanding the people who use them. For Charlie Kemp, cofounder and chief technology officer of Hello Robot, that means developing assistive robots that can help people with everyday tasks and support greater independence. In this Robots…
Read at sourceSmall, medium or large, a robotic fish maintains its swimming ability
The scalable robot ScaFi. 2026 CREATE Lab EPFL. CC BY SA-4.0. Propeller-powered underwater vehicles have long helped scientists explore and monitor aquatic environments. But they’re limited by their own mechanics: spinning blades can snag on vegetation, stir up sediment, and…
Read at sourceWind-up elastic robot jumps forever when fed infrared light
Robots – that is, self-guided mechanisms interacting with or changing their environments – exist in the popular imagination as large, blocky, metallic beings like R2D2 or TARS from Interstellar. But the field of soft robotics offers a vast array of robotic limbs, sensors, and…
Read at sourceCenter-Pivot System Modified to Mow Lawn
When flying over the United States, Australia, and a few other vast and relatively empty parts of the world, strange circular formations can be spotted. These are typically center-pivot irrigation …read more
Read at sourceFDA-cleared exoskeleton puts spinal-cord patients back on their feet
A robotic suit that lets someone with a spinal-cord injury stand up, look a friend in the eye, or stir a pot on the stove without anyone's help just cleared its biggest hurdle. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency that vets medical devices before they reach the…
Read at sourceVideo Friday: Life’s Better With a Little Robot Goose
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. IROS 2026 : 27 September–1 October…
Read at sourceRobot Talk Episode 163 – Robots helping people, with Aaron Edsinger
Claire chatted to Aaron Edsinger from Hello Robot about their Stretch robots that can help people with mobility issues live more independently. Aaron Edsinger is CEO and Co-Founder of Hello Robot, a robotics company dedicated to developing practical, safe, and accessible robots…
Read at sourceAn open source approach to physical AI from Intrinsic
Deborah Lupton / Pop Chips / Licenced by CC-BY 4.0 Intrinsic (an AI robotics group at Google) announced that the company is making parts of its platform open source. Intrinsic Core™ is a set of ROS-compatible capabilities for building sophisticated robotic applications. The…
Read at sourceRobot Makes Literal Daisy Chains
[Jude Robinson]’s robot Daisy has an unusual function: making a literal chain of daisies. The device is his student final project and demonstrates how a system can replace sensing with …read more
Read at sourceMexican EPICS in IEEE Team Builds Portable Educational Platform
In Guadalajara, Mexico, many high schools have motivated teachers and talented students with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but they lack access to advanced tools such as robotics laboratories. The resources shortfall limits the students’…
Read at sourceWhat’s coming up at #IROS2026?
The 2026 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2026) will be held from 27 September – 1 October in Pittsburgh, USA. The programme includes plenary and keynote talks, workshops, tutorials, forums, competitions, and a debate. Keynote talks The…
Read at sourceBarbara Mazzolai Wants to Build a New Field of Robotics
Throughout her career, roboticist Barbara Mazzolai has turned to nature for inspiration. Now she wants to ensure the technology she builds gives back to the environment, too. After starting her career as a biologist, a chance opportunity saw Mazzolai switch streams to…
Read at sourceMIT’s tiny flying robot gets 450% faster with AI
A new AI control system lets MIT’s tiny flying robot move with insect-like agility, boosting its speed by about 450 percent and allowing it to pull off 10 somersaults in 11 seconds. The technology could eventually enable miniature robots to search earthquake rubble and navigate…
Read at sourceTeaching a Robot Hand to Walk
Although it wasn’t apparently designed with this in mind, it seems particularly fortuitous that this walking robotic hand was released in time for Halloween. Designed by researchers from ETH Zurich, …read more
Read at sourceThis tiny organism can shrink to one quarter its size in milliseconds
A single-celled organism can shrink to one-quarter of its length in milliseconds using a remarkable calcium-powered protein “fishnet.” Scientists hope its unusual machinery could inspire artificial muscles capable of moving far faster than today’s designs.
Read at sourceVideo Friday: Two Birotors Make a Quadrotor
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. Humanoids Summit Seoul : 22–23…
Read at sourceAI uncovers hidden Ozempic side effects across 400,000 Reddit posts
AI analysis of 400,000 Reddit posts found that users of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound reported unexpected symptoms including menstrual changes, chills, hot flashes, and fatigue. Researchers cannot say the medications caused these problems, but the…
Read at sourceScientists just made quantum computer operations 1,000 times faster
Researchers have found a way to perform certain quantum operations more than 1,000 times faster, cutting thousands of repeated control cycles down to just one. The advance could reduce errors and bring reliable, fault-tolerant quantum computers closer to reality.
Read at sourceLittle Droid Has Party Mode
Remember those tiny little droids skittering around the pristine corridors of the Death Star in Star Wars? [heychaostheory] has put together something vaguely along the lines of those charming little mobile …read more
Read at sourceWill a cyborg cockroach paramedic save your life in the future?
If you think that cockroaches are creepy and useless, we can prove you wrong. Well, at least the “useless” part. Continue Reading Category: Robotics , Engineering Tags: University of Queensland , Cyborg , Insect , Rescue , Disasters
Read at sourceScientists find a way to slash computer memory energy use by orders of magnitude
Scientists have devised a new way to switch magnetic computer memory while using far less energy than today's leading technologies. By mathematically optimizing the pulses used to flip digital bits, the method could reduce energy consumption by several orders of magnitude.…
Read at sourceAI can now control fusion plasma faster than humans can react
Princeton researchers have tested an AI system that can monitor and control fusion plasma in milliseconds, reacting far faster than a human operator. In one experiment, it predicted a damaging instability about 200 milliseconds before it appeared and adjusted the plasma to stop…
Read at sourceAI searched 100 million possibilities and found a cheaper way to 3D-print a NASA rocket alloy
Researchers used AI to search through more than 100 million possible settings for 3D-printing a high-performance NASA alloy. After only 40 experiments, the system identified six successful configurations, including one that worked at a record-low 500 watts. That could allow…
Read at sourceA hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally been decoded
Researchers have used AI to uncover the DNA signature of a key genetic “switch” involved in turning genes on. After analyzing about 500,000 DNA sequences, the model identified the initiator in roughly 60% of human genes. The breakthrough could help predict the effects of harmful…
Read at sourceTiny robots powered by light can hunt down and collect bacteria
Researchers have built microscopic, light-driven robots that can rapidly navigate through liquid, collect bacteria, and deposit them in chosen locations. These tiny “cleaners” could open new possibilities for manipulating cells and microbes with remarkable precision.
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