The Robot Report
Robotics news, research, analysis and investment insights for industry professionals
Stanford, Princeton Scientists Launch MedOS AI-XR-Cobot Clinical System
Stanford and Princeton researchers unveiled MedOS, the first AI‑XR cobot system designed to act as a real‑time clinical co‑pilot. The platform fuses smart glasses, collaborative robotic arms and a multi‑agent AI that builds a 3‑D world model, enabling perception, planning and autonomous intervention. Early pilots in surgical simulations and hospital logistics have demonstrated reduced errors and support for overburdened clinicians. Backed by NVIDIA and other partners, MedOS will be showcased at Stanford and at NVIDIA’s GTC.
ETM Brings Its Transverse Flux Motor Technology to Robotics
Electric Torque Machines (ETM) announced the launch of its transverse flux motor (TFM) technology for robotics and advanced actuators. The company offers the TFM via a licensing model that lets OEMs manufacture the motors in‑house, preserving margins and roadmap control....
Overland AI Raises $100M to Scale Autonomy with the U.S. Armed Forces
Overland AI, a Seattle‑based autonomous‑ground‑systems developer, announced a $100 million financing round led by 8VC and backed by multiple venture firms and a $20 million venture‑debt facility. The capital will be used to scale production and fielding of its ULTRA unmanned ground...
Road to Rail: Slashing Costs and Carbon with Automation
In Episode 229 of The Robot Report, Kevin Damoa, founder and CEO of Glid Technologies, discusses the company’s autonomous road‑to‑rail vehicle designed to dramatically lower freight costs and carbon emissions. Glid, launched in 2022, recently secured $3.1 million in pre‑seed funding to...
The RaaS Blueprint: Key Insights From a Conversation with RobCo’s Roman Hölzl
RobCo, the Munich‑based modular robotics firm, opened a U.S. headquarters in San Francisco and announced a $100 million Series C round to accelerate its AI‑driven automation roadmap. The company commissioned Sapio Research to survey 400 U.S. industrial decision‑makers, publishing the Automation Readiness...
First Patient Enrolls in Clinical Trial for Wandercraft Atalante X Exoskeleton
Wandercraft’s Atalante X self‑balancing exoskeleton has enrolled its first patient in a pilot clinical trial at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s thoracic surgical ICU. The six‑month study will assess safety, feasibility, usability and effectiveness of the device for early mobilization of...
9 Weeks to 9 Days: How Autonomous Drilling Is Transforming Data Center Construction
DEWALT and August Robotics have launched an autonomous concrete‑floor drilling system that mounts a DEWALT rig on the Lionel AMR, using CAD files to drill with 1/8‑inch accuracy. The solution targets data‑center construction, where thousands of rack‑anchor holes are required....
Big Robot on Campus: Starship Finds 97% Student Approval Rating
Starship Technologies surveyed 5,000 students across 65 U.S. campuses and found a 97% approval rating for its autonomous delivery robots. The company reports over 9 million total deliveries and 1.5 million miles traveled on U.S. campuses in 2025 alone. Funding of $50 million...
Vention Raises $110M to Accelerate Physical AI Deployments in Manufacturing
Vention Inc., a Montreal‑based industrial automation firm, announced a $110 million Series D round to accelerate its “physical AI” strategy. The funding will expand its Zero‑Shot Automation platform, add AI‑driven tools, and support a four‑playbook growth plan focused on enterprise customers, AI...
AAA20 Group Debuts Cobot Palletizer for Food and Protein Processing
AAA20 Group will unveil the CP-66-WD wash‑down collaborative palletizer at the International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. The IP69K‑rated cobot is built for food and protein processors, especially beef plants, and can be power‑washed like standard equipment. Offered through...
State of Robotics Industry Report 2026
The Robot Report’s State of Robotics Industry Report 2026 marks an inflection point as the sector moves from speculative demos to reliable, real‑world deployments. It surveys the full robotics ecosystem—industrial automation, mobile units, humanoids, and autonomous vehicles—while highlighting advances in...
Hadrian Raises Funding for Automated Manufacturing, Bringing Valuation to $1.6B
Hadrian, an AI‑powered factory builder for aerospace and defense, announced a new funding round that lifts its valuation to $1.6 billion. The capital, led by T. Rowe Price and backed by a16z, Founders Fund and other investors, will fund rapid factory expansion,...
1X Launches World Model Enabling NEO Robot to Learn Tasks by Watching Videos
1X Technologies unveiled a new World Model that lets its humanoid robot NEO learn tasks by watching internet‑scale videos. The AI update translates any voice or text prompt into visualized actions, using an inverse dynamics engine to execute movements even...
Registration Opens for Robotics Summit & Expo 2026
Registration is now open for the Robotics Summit & Expo 2026, scheduled for May 27-28 in Boston’s Thomas M. Menino Convention Center. The two‑day event, produced by The Robot Report and WTWH Media, will feature more than 50 technical sessions...
IRobot Emerges From Chapter 11 as Restructured Picea U.S. Subsidiary
iRobot emerged from a pre‑packaged Chapter 11 filing after Shenzhen Picea Robotics acquired the consumer‑robotics pioneer, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The restructuring created iRobot Safe Corp., a U.S.‑based entity that isolates consumer data from Chinese ownership. The deal restores...
LivsMed Completes Korean IPO to Accelerate Remote Robotic Surgery
LivsMed completed a KOSDAQ IPO, raising ₩135.9 billion ($94 million) and achieving a $1 billion market valuation. The proceeds will fund a new production base, R&D, and global expansion of its minimally invasive surgical portfolio. The company showcased its STARK robotic system in...
Microsoft Research Reveals Rho-Alpha Vision-Language-Action Model for Robots
Microsoft Research unveiled Rho-alpha, the first robotics model built on its Phi vision-language series, extending capabilities with tactile sensing and bimanual manipulation. The model translates natural‑language commands into control signals, co‑training on physical demonstrations, simulated tasks, and web‑scale visual question‑answering...
Spencer Krause: Why Hardware Is the New Engineering Frontier
In the latest episode of The Robot Report, SKA Robotics co‑founder and CEO Spencer Krause argues that hardware development is the next engineering frontier in the post‑AI era. He draws on 23 years of field‑robot experience, including rugged solutions for...
The Hidden Technology Behind Fluid Robot Motion
Fluid robot motion is reshaping automation by replacing rigid, jerky mechanisms with smooth, adaptable actuation. The article highlights five core technologies—pneumatic artificial muscles, strain‑wave gears, central pattern generators, electroactive polymers, and shape‑memory alloys—that enable softer, more precise movements across sectors...
NEURA Robotics Partners with Bosch to Advance German-Made Robotics
NEURA Robotics announced a strategic partnership with Robert Bosch GmbH to co‑develop AI‑driven software and collect real‑world production data in Bosch facilities, feeding the Neuraverse robotics ecosystem. The collaboration aims to accelerate industrial deployment of humanoid and legged robots across...
Patents Vs. Trade Secrets in the Age of AI Robotics
Robotics firms are confronting a new IP dilemma as AI increasingly generates inventions, but U.S. patent law still requires a human inventor, limiting patent eligibility for AI‑only creations. The article contrasts patents—offering broad, licensable protection but demanding disclosure and costly...
A3 Releases Full Three-Part National Safety Standard for Industrial Robots
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has published the complete American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements, a 403‑page ANSI/A3 R15.06‑2025 document that unifies three parts into a single framework. Parts 1 and 2 update the legacy ANSI/RIA R15.06‑2012...
TESOLLO Uses Own Actuator in DG-5F-S Humanoid Robotic Hand
TESOLLO Inc. unveiled the DG-5F-S, a new humanoid robotic hand that incorporates the company’s in‑house actuator technology. The hand delivers a five‑finger, 20‑degree‑of‑freedom layout while weighing under 1 kg, making it comparable in size to a human hand. Priced at roughly...
ARM Institute Issues Education and Workforce Development Project Call
The Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing (ARM) Institute has launched an Education & Workforce Development Project Call, inviting members to submit manufacturing training programs for a free endorsement evaluation. The ARM Endorsement, powered by RoboticsCareer.org, highlights the most effective robotics curricula...
Buildroid AI Expands Simulation-First Robotics Platform to U.S. Sites
Buildroid AI is launching its simulation‑first robotics platform across U.S. construction sites in Q1 2026, leveraging NVIDIA Omniverse digital twins to pre‑test workflows. The San Francisco startup offers a robotics‑as‑a‑service model that integrates over 40 robot types, beginning with block‑laying robots...
Humanoid Takes Seven-Month Path to HMND 01 Alpha
London‑based startup Humanoid delivered its HMND 01 Alpha robot in just seven months, slashing the conventional 18‑24‑month hardware cycle. The company leveraged NVIDIA Isaac Lab, Isaac Sim and a simulation‑first pipeline that can train and deploy new locomotion or manipulation...
Neocis’ Yomi Platform Completes over 100,000 Osteotomies
Neocis announced that clinicians have performed over 100,000 osteotomies using its Yomi robotic platform, marking a significant adoption milestone. The company also confirmed the first successful cases with Yomi S, its second‑generation system featuring a smaller footprint and longer arm....
ATDev Develops Reflex to Bring Robotics and AI to Rehabilitation
Assistive Technology Development (ATDev) unveiled Reflex, a sub‑5‑lb wearable robot that guides knee rehabilitation through embedded sensors and remote monitoring. The startup has progressed from a university class project to securing venture capital—including a $200,000 SkyDeck check in 2022, a...
Oshkosh Acquires Core Technology Developed by Canvas
Oshkosh Corp. announced the acquisition of the core technology behind Canvas Construction’s 1200CX drywall‑finishing robot, bolstering its intelligent‑construction portfolio. Canvas, founded in 2017, claims the 1200CX reduces finishing time from five days to two and captures 99% of dust. The...
Amazon Acquires Rightbot, Adds to Robotics Delivery and Packaging Innovation Team
Amazon has acquired Rightbot Technologies, adding its robot‑unloading team to the company’s Robotics Delivery and Packaging Innovation (RDPI) unit. Rightbot’s mobile robot uses a suction‑gripper to handle unstructured loads from trucks and trailers. Amazon previously led a $4 million investment in...
ANELLO Launches Compact Navigation System for Resilient Drone Operations
ANELLO Photonics unveiled the ANELLO Aerial INS, a compact inertial navigation system built around its Silicon Photonic Optical Gyroscope (SiPhOG) technology. The unit delivers fiber‑optic gyro performance in a 1‑lb, 98% navigation accuracy without cameras. It is designed for UAVs,...
