Today's Autonomy Pulse
XPeng CEO Takes Direct Control of Robotics Division to Accelerate IRON Humanoid Production
He Xiaopeng is assuming direct oversight of XPeng's robotics unit as the company readies its IRON humanoid robot for mass production this year, with commercial sales aimed at China and overseas next year. In Q1, XPeng's vehicle deliveries fell 33% to 62,682 units, dragging revenue down 17.6% year‑over‑year to $1.92 billion.
Honeywell Introduces New Warehouse Software Platform and Innovative Sortation Solution
Honeywell announced two new logistics solutions: the Momentum Core software platform and the IntelliSort Irregulars Sorter. Momentum Core consolidates warehouse execution, control and reporting into a single, modular system built on Ignition SCADA, allowing rapid reconfiguration without costly re‑platforming. The IntelliSort sorter automates handling of oversized and heavy parcels, processing 3,000‑5,000 irregular items per hour with a drop‑in design. Both offerings aim to boost visibility, agility and reduce downtime for distribution centers and e‑commerce fulfillment operations.
AIR Lifts Off With First Flight of Heavy-Lift Cargo Drone
Air has completed the maiden flight of its Production AIR Cargo-Heavy Lift UAS, a vertical‑take‑off and landing (VTOL) drone capable of carrying roughly 550 pounds in a 70‑cubic‑foot cargo bay. The aircraft demonstrated stable hover, transition, and forward flight, confirming...
Everrati Brings Its EV Propulsion Expertise to Next-Gen Unmanned Vehicles
Everrati Automotive, a UK firm known for converting classic cars to electric, is extending its propulsion expertise to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company will focus on supplying advanced electric motors, battery packs and software...
Salesforce Is Building an AI That Watches You – and Acts for You
Salesforce is preparing to unveil Agent Albert, an AI platform that observes end‑users and autonomously performs tasks on their behalf. The initiative, first sparked three years ago after the launch of ChatGPT, has been accelerated by a dedicated internal AI...
US Navy Conducts Autonomous Minehunting Operations in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Navy has begun autonomous mine‑hunting operations in the Strait of Hormuz after intelligence indicated Iranian mines. The effort employs Textron’s Common Uncrewed Surface Vessel with AQS‑20 sonar and General Dynamics’ Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish UUVs, supplementing a limited return...
Human Half-Marathon World Record Zapped by Humanoid Robot at the 2026 Beijing E-Town Half Marathon
At the 2026 Beijing E‑Town Half Marathon, Honor’s humanoid robot Lightning finished the 13.1‑mile race in 50:26, beating the human world record of 57:20. The event featured over 12,000 runners and about 300 robots on parallel courses, highlighting a dramatic...
Tesla FSD Guides Cyclist Across Busy Palm Springs Road
Coming up to a CV/Link crossing in Palm Springs (a 52-mile multi-purpose trail along the Whitewater River to Coachella) with a blinking light signifying they wanted to cross this relatively busy road. Tesla's FSD recognizes it, and lets the biker...
Honda Considers an Analog Spin for Software-Defined Vehicles
Honda Motor Co. is teaming with Texas‑based semiconductor maker Mythic to co‑develop an analog compute‑in‑memory system‑on‑chip for its upcoming software‑defined vehicles. The partnership leverages Mythic’s memory‑centric architecture, which the company claims can deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of...
Saildrone Unveils New Spectre USV at Sea Air Space 2026
Saildrone unveiled the Spectre, a 52‑meter unmanned surface vessel capable of carrying up to 25,000 kg of payload, including two 40‑ft containers. Its hybrid diesel‑electric drive delivers ultra‑quiet cruising at 12 knots and a top speed of 27 knots with over 5,000 hp. The...
AI Poised to Power Next‑gen Humanoid Robot Brains
Gill Pratt designed the DARPA robotics challenge. Now he thinks advances in AI can help power the brains of humanoid robotics in the near future. https://spectrum.ieee.org/humanoid-robots-gill-pratt-darpa
Dronamics Enters Japan and Welcomes Asia Air Survey as Strategic Investor
Dronamics announced a strategic partnership with Japan’s Asia Air Survey, which is investing through its corporate venture arm and becoming the first Japanese shareholder. The deal includes the creation of Dronamics Japan Holdings to commercialize the Black Swan drone in Japan and...
DoorDash Pays Gig Workers to Train Their Replacement Robots
doordash is paying 8 million gig workers to train the robots that replace them it's pretty insane once you look at the details on march 19, they launched an app called "tasks" it's basically a menu of filming jobs the menu: wash some dishes,...
GA-ASI Completes MQ-9B ‘Flight Into Known Icing’ Flight Tests
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) finished a series of flight tests in early April to certify its MQ‑9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI). The tests, conducted at the company’s Flight Test & Training Center in North...
Tesla Robotaxi Misses Exit on Dallas Highway, Raising Safety Concerns
Tesla’s driverless robotaxi service stumbled in Dallas when a Model Y missed a highway exit, slowed, and pulled over at 80‑90 mph, prompting passenger Chris Ramos to flag navigation flaws. The incident arrives as Tesla rolls the service out to Dallas and...
Honor’s Lightning Crushes Human Record at Beijing Half-Marathon, Finishing in 50:26
Chinese smartphone maker Honor’s humanoid robot Lightning won the Beijing half‑marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, eclipsing the human world record of 57:20. More than 100 robots raced alongside 12,000 human runners, with nearly half operating autonomously, highlighting a leap...
X-Humanoid's Embodied Tien Kung 3.0 Wins Beijing Robot Warrior Challenge with Fully Autonomous Run
The Beijing Yizhuang Robot Warrior Challenge on April 18 served as a proving ground for next‑generation disaster‑response robotics, where X‑Humanoid’s full‑size humanoid Embodied Tien Kung 3.0 completed every obstacle—pendulum traversal, barrier breaching, and obstacle clearance—without remote assistance. By securing the highest overall...
Milvus Robotics Introduces the SEIT F1500S Forklift-Type Autonomous Mobile Robot for Advanced Material Handling
Milvus Robotics unveiled the SEIT F1500S, a forklift‑type autonomous mobile robot designed for fast deployment in high‑mix manufacturing and warehousing. The AMR can lift up to 3,500 lb (1,500 kg) to a height of 8.86 ft (2.70 m) and claims to be the fastest...
Neptune Robotics Invests $12M USD in New Singapore Factory to Expand Robotic Hull Cleaning Capabilities
Neptune Robotics is allocating $12 million to a new manufacturing and R&D facility in Singapore, aimed at scaling its AI‑powered robotic hull‑cleaning systems. The expansion is projected to boost cleaning capacity by 400% by the end of 2026 and support up...
Guest Article: Physical AI Isn’t Replacing Farmers. It’s Critical for Keeping Them in Business
Physical AI is emerging as a lifeline for U.S. family farms, offering autonomous capabilities that augment—not replace—human workers. By retrofitting proven tractors like the Kubota M5 with Agtonomy’s AI stack, growers can oversee multiple machines, cut labor costs, and attract...
Siemens Gets Physical on Industrial AI
Siemens unveiled its Eigen Engineering Agent at Hannover Messe, a physical AI system that can plan, code, configure and validate industrial automation projects. The agent claims to work up to five times faster than manual workflows, improve system quality by...
MQ-9B SeaGuardian: Enhancing Naval and Marine Corps Operations
General Atomics’ MQ‑9B SeaGuardian unmanned aircraft system is being positioned as a cornerstone of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operations, offering the longest endurance of any platform in its class and a full suite of maritime ISR‑T sensors. The UAV...
Sight Machine Advances Autonomous Agents for Manufacturing with AI Agent Crews
Sight Machine unveiled autonomous AI agent crews that continuously monitor and optimize manufacturing operations, showcased at Hannover Messe. The agents tap into the company’s semantic layer—a live digital twin of production processes—to translate raw factory data into actionable insights. Individual agents...
Hyperscale Data Issues Strategic Statement by Its Executive Chairman on Omnipresent Robotics and U.S. Based Robotics Infrastructure and Embodied AI...
Hyperscale Data Inc., an AI‑focused data‑center firm, announced that its subsidiary Omnipresent Robotics will develop and deploy humanoid robots on U.S. soil. The company highlighted a strategic partnership with Singapore‑based AGIBOT, granting it the highest partner tier and direct access...
Agibot Introduces Five Robotic Platforms and Eight AI Models
AGIBOT unveiled five new robotic platforms and eight AI models at its 2026 Partner Conference, built on its “One Robotic Body, Three Intelligences” architecture. The lineup includes the A3 humanoid, G2 Air mobile manipulator, OmniHand 3 Ultra‑T dexterous hand, D2...
Nomagic Hires New Chief Scientist From Google DeepMind to Lead Development of Foundational Models for Robotics
Nomagic has appointed Dr. Markus Wulfmeier, a former Google DeepMind researcher, as chief scientist to spearhead its Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) foundation model program. He will leverage the company’s proprietary “Library of Chaos,” a massive dataset of real‑world warehouse edge cases, to...
AI-Defined Vehicles and Expanded Electrification Shape Nissan’s Future Mobility Strategy
Japanese automaker Nissan announced its long‑term “Mobility Intelligence for Everyday Life” strategy, focusing on AI‑defined vehicles (AIDV) that blend its AI Drive and AI Partner platforms. The plan expands electrification options, allowing the company to tailor battery‑electric, hybrid or fuel‑cell...
HII Unveils Next-Gen Framework for Integrated Manned-Unmanned Warfare
HII announced a next‑generation framework that fuses its portfolio of naval warships with modular, containerized capabilities, autonomous unmanned systems and open‑architecture mission technologies. The approach aligns with the U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations’ “Hedge Strategy” and spans maritime, air,...
AI System Learns to Keep Warehouse Robot Traffic Running Smoothly
Researchers at MIT and robotics firm Symbotic unveiled a hybrid AI system that directs autonomous warehouse robots using deep reinforcement learning paired with a fast planning algorithm. The method predicts congestion and re‑prioritizes robots before bottlenecks form, delivering roughly a...
Allies Test Drone Swarm Warfare at UK Experiment
The British Army’s Warfighting Experiment 2026 saw troops from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia test coordinated drone swarms near Copehill Down. The three‑week trial focused on real‑time data sharing, establishing a common machine language for allied unmanned systems....
Honor's Lightning Humanoid Shatters Half-Marathon Record in Beijing, Finishing in 50:26
Honor's humanoid robot Lightning completed Beijing's half‑marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, beating the human world record of 57:20 set by Jacob Kiplimo. More than 100 robots raced alongside 12,000 humans, and Honor swept all three podium spots, underscoring China's...
FSD % Bug Miscounts Miles Since European Rollout
Looks like there is a bug affecting the FSD % in Netherlands @tvanschadewijk says he has been using FSD the entire time since he got the update, but when he installed it it said 1,000 miles driven since 14.2 FSD Europe...
Robots Outpace Humans in Specific Tasks, Not Overall
From mocked… to outperforming humans in just one year. 2025: slow, experimental 2026: faster than elite runners Impressive? Definitely. But also worth a closer look. These results often come from controlled conditions, optimized hardware and very specific tasks. Endurance, adaptability, terrain changes, and real-world variability are a...
Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH Launches Series Production of USV in Hamburg
Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH has begun series production of the Kraken K3 Scout unmanned surface vessel at its Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The 8.4‑metre, 55‑knot USV can be configured for surveillance, critical‑infrastructure protection or weapons carriage. The joint venture with Britain’s...
Self‑driving Cars Now Infer Intent, Not Just Objects
A Xiaomi car reportedly flagged a nearby Range Rover as likely undercover police. And that is a much bigger signal than it sounds. What interests me is not whether it got this one case perfectly right. It is what this points to. Cars are...
QNX Integrates with Nvidia IGX Thor to Accelerate Safety-Critical AI Deployment
At Hannover Messe, QNX, a BlackBerry division, announced an expanded partnership with Nvidia to integrate QNX OS for Safety 8.0 into Nvidia's IGX Thor platform and its Halos Safety Stack. The unified solution combines QNX's deterministic real‑time operating system with Nvidia’s functional‑safety‑rated...
Tesla Is Sending Its Humanoid Optimus Robot to the Boston Marathon
Tesla will station its Optimus humanoid robot at the 888 Boylston Street showroom in Boston during the Marathon Monday weekend, letting the machine cheer runners and pose for photos. The appearance coincides with the race’s final stretch, exposing the robot...
Exclusive: Your Delivery Robot Will Now Offer the Blind Real-Time, On-the-Ground Eyes Around Sidewalk Hazards
Coco Robotics, which runs about 10,000 delivery robots across the U.S. and Europe, has partnered with BlindSquare to stream real‑time sidewalk hazard data to the app used by visually impaired pedestrians. The integration will launch in six markets—Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago,...
Genting Malaysia, Agibot Collaborate to Advance Embodied AI Robotics
Genting Malaysia Bhd has signed a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai‑based Agibot Innovation to develop embodied artificial‑intelligence robotics for its hospitality, entertainment and leisure venues. The partnership was formalised at the Agibot Partners Conference 2026 in Shanghai and will focus...
From Budget to Premium: New Wave of Low-Cost Autosteer Expands Across Segments
Chinese manufacturers are reshaping the global retrofit autosteer market by offering low‑cost, high‑accuracy GNSS solutions that rival premium systems. CNH Industrial teamed with CHCNAV to launch the affordable FleetPro kit, while ComNav’s AG501 Pro and Sveaverken’s F200 bring modularity and...
Volatus Aerospace Secures Multi-Year NATO-Allied Drone Training Contract
Volatus Aerospace has won a multi‑year contract to deliver specialist drone training and curriculum development to a NATO‑allied government ministry. The agreement starts with a two‑year term and could reach an aggregate CAD 2.1 million (about $1.5 million USD) if renewal options are...
NVIDIA Isaac GR00T Foundation Model for Surgical Robotics
NVIDIA unveiled the Isaac GR00T foundation model at GTC 2026, targeting adaptive, autonomous robotics in surgical and industrial settings. The model leverages large‑scale synthetic simulations and multimodal inputs—vision, motion, and force—to train robots on complex physical tasks. Early adopters such...
Zoox Cars Built by Bolting Wheels Onto a Meeting Booth
Fun fact: Zoox cars were assembled by bolting four wheels and some sensors to a meeting booth
Self‑aware Robots Share Skills Across Joint Constraints
A new Science #Robotics study classifies robots according to their joint constraints and endows them with this self-awareness, enabling diverse robots to learn the same skill safely and without retraining. https://t.co/fAPjb5AcEl https://t.co/vCFYxKyVLM
SRJ Technologies Lands US$4.4m Three-Year UAE Robotic Inspection Contract
SRJ Technologies Group Plc announced that its UAE subsidiary, Air Control Entech (ACE), has won a three‑year, US$4.4 million (≈A$6.1 million) contract to provide robotic leak‑detection and emissions‑inspection services for a government‑owned upstream oil and gas operator in the United Arab Emirates....
Robot Dog Uses Google AI to Read Gauges and Thermometers
Boston Dynamics’ robot dog now reads gauges and thermometers with Google’s AI 🤖 https://t.co/Z9OxCoqZbt https://t.co/VEz7BUBfYb
First European FSD Car Logged in FSD Database
Ladies and gentlemen... the first European FSD car reporting to @fsd_database thank you @tvanschadewijk https://t.co/DV7uWfWQ7y
Humanoid Robots Begin Self‑Manufacturing the Next Generation
The Self-Manufacturing Future: Humanoid #Robots Building Robots by @Robo_Tuo #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/jcy5dqX6Pn
Robot Autonomously Swaps Batteries for Nonstop Operation
Self-Sufficient #Robot Swaps Its Own Batteries for Continuous Operation by @UBTECHRobotics #AI #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/Odefk0LdM4
Swarm Drones Lift Heavy Loads with Precision
#Drone Teamwork Breakthrough: TU Delft Swarm Lifts Heavy Loads with Precision by @spaceandtech_ #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/hbtJnRIW59
Agentforce Lags Adoption: 23k Users of 150k
“Agentforce, has been somewhat slow to gain traction. Launched in late 2024, it is used by 23,000 customers out of the total base of 150,000 to build custom autonomous agents for use in workflows.” https://t.co/JJIeNyZOIq #cio #ai