Today's Robotics Pulse
Chinese startup Spirit AI tops global AI robot leaderboard, beating Nvidia
Spirit AI’s embodied intelligence model, Spirit v1.6, achieved a score of 1,924 on the RoboArena benchmark, surpassing Nvidia’s Cosmos3‑Nano‑Policy. The company also disclosed a ¥1.5 billion (≈$222 million) funding round to accelerate its robotics AI platform.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OneRobotics acquires Nanoleaf for $40M
For the First Time Royal Navy Helicopters Have Used Live Data From Multiple Drones to Target a Moving Vehicle
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters successfully used live data from two drones and ground sensors via a mesh network to engage a moving vehicle. The Eagles Eye trials demonstrated a hybrid air wing where crewed aircraft act as airborne command centres, sharing instant sensor feeds beyond line of sight. The decentralized mesh proved self‑healing and interoperable, mirroring technologies proven in Ukraine. Lessons will feed into upcoming Norwegian fjord exercises targeting fast‑attack threats.
MassRobotics Reveals 11 Startups to Take Part in 5th Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program
MassRobotics, together with Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electric Automation, announced the 11 startups selected for the fifth Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst cohort. The five‑month program, running January‑May 2026, pairs founders with senior experts, a medical advisory board, and a Boston‑based...
#490 – State of AI in 2026: LLMs, Coding, Scaling Laws, China, Agents, GPUs, AGI
In this episode Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka dissect the 2026 AI landscape, covering the geopolitical AI race between China and the US, the competitive standings of major LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok, and the evolving role of...
New Robotic Sampler Aims to Transform Monitoring of Aquatic Ecosystems
MBARI, in partnership with USGS and READI‑Net, unveiled FIDO – a 22‑kilogram autonomous robot that filters and preserves up to 144 eDNA samples for aquatic biosurveillance. Built on the two‑decade‑old Environmental Sample Processor, FIDO offers a lightweight, low‑cost alternative that...
Training Four-Legged Robots as if They Were Dogs
Researchers from Korea University, ETH Zurich and UCLA unveiled a dog‑training‑inspired framework that lets humans teach four‑legged robots using touch, gestures and spoken commands. A training rod serves as a temporary guide, after which the robot responds directly to human...
A Smelly Snapshot of the Current State of Electronic Noses for Robots
A new review in npj Robotics details rapid progress in electronic noses for robots, highlighting gains in sensor sensitivity and odor source identification. The analysis shows e‑noses now detect faint chemical signatures and pinpoint their origins more reliably. These capabilities...
All‐in‐One Luminescent Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Driven by a Single Electrical Stimulus with Large Out‐of‐Plane Actuation and Fast Response
Researchers have created an all‑in‑one dielectric elastomer actuator that simultaneously bends out‑of‑plane and emits light using a single electrical input. By tuning ZnS:Cu2+ phosphor concentration and employing an asymmetric electrode design, the device achieves a high curvature of 4.71 cm⁻¹, a...
Sharpa Showcases Autonomous Fine-Manipulation Robot and New AI Model at CES 2026
Sharpa unveiled its full‑body robot North at CES 2026, where it played autonomous ping‑pong matches and completed long‑horizon tasks such as 30‑step windmill assembly and card dealing. The demonstrations, running eight hours a day for four days, highlighted the company’s progress...
Covvi Releases Two Lighter, Shorter Variants of Advanced Bionic Hand
Covvi announced two new wrist configurations for its advanced prosthetic, the Straight Wrist and the Friction Wrist, both lighter and shorter than the original Flex Wrist. The Flex Wrist still offers 27 degrees of lockable flexion, while the Straight Wrist...
Omron Launches New High-Payload Collaborative Robots and Software Upgrade
Omron Robotics has broadened its TM S collaborative‑robot line with three new models—TM30S, TM20S and TM6S—each delivering higher payloads and longer reach. The hardware upgrades include IP65 protection and, for the larger units, an integrated joint‑6 force‑torque wrist sensor. Alongside the...
The View From Universal Robots: Four Physical AI Predictions for 2026 and Beyond
Universal Robots VP Anders Billesø Beck outlines four physical AI trends reshaping robotics through 2026. He predicts a shift from reactive control to predictive mathematics, enabling robots to anticipate impacts of motion. Imitation learning will turn isolated cobots into cooperative,...
Electric Air Taxis: Paris’ Future in the Skies and What It Means for Luxury Travel
Electric air taxi pilots missed their high‑profile Paris 2024 Olympic debut due to certification, technical and environmental setbacks. Vertiport infrastructure is already in place and test flights continue, positioning a commercial launch for around 2026. The technology promises to add...
Deepgram Raises $130 Million Series C at $1.3 Billion Valuation
Deepgram announced a $130 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.3 billion, led by AVP and joined by strategic backers such as Twilio, ServiceNow Ventures, SAP and Citi Ventures. The capital will accelerate the expansion of its real‑time voice AI...
Wing Launches Drone Delivery for Walmart in Greater Houston in Biggest Expansion Yet
Wing has launched its drone delivery service for Walmart customers across Greater Houston, marking the company’s most ambitious expansion to date. The service promises deliveries of everyday essentials, groceries, and OTC medicines in as little as 30 minutes using lightweight...
4XRobots Expands Into US Market with Focus on Greenhouse Automation
Danish robotics firm 4XRobots announced a U.S. expansion aimed at automating commercial greenhouse operations across North America. The company appointed Nick Chambers as head of global market development and joined the Association for Advancing Automation to forge partnerships with local...
Road to Rail: Slashing Costs and Carbon with Automation
In the "Road to Rail: Slashing Costs and Carbon with Automation" episode, hosts explore how automation technologies are transforming rail infrastructure projects by reducing both financial expenditures and carbon emissions. They discuss specific innovations such as autonomous track inspection drones,...
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...
Model‑Robotics Loop Accelerates Experimental Discovery Rates
Agree completely with @kevinweil this loop between models and robotic labs works today and it’s going to be exciting the directions that scientists take autonomous labs. Feels inevitable that it will yield a great speed up in our...
FlexLink Launches Online Store to Simplify Conveyor Purchases
FlexLink unveiled an Online Store that lets customers select, configure, and purchase conveyor systems in a few clicks. The platform guides users through industry‑specific criteria, material characteristics, and environmental factors before presenting a tailored solution. Integrated with a real‑time 3‑D...
Robots Gain Finger-Level Force Awareness for Reliable Tasks
Robots are getting good at copying motion. Force is the harder problem. Too little force and the task fails. Too much force and something breaks. UMI-FT tackles this gap by adding something most learning setups miss: finger-level force awareness. Each...
For This Flying Robot Company, Student Internships Trump Senior Engineers
Avestec Technologies, a Canadian maker of flying inspection robots, has shifted its talent strategy from senior hires to student interns. Partnering with the ICTC’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Digital program, the firm brings on three to four interns each semester,...
Opentrons Global Robotics Chief, James Atwood, Named Chief Executive Officer
Opentrons Labworks has promoted James Atwood, who has led its Robotics Business Unit since April 2023, to chief executive officer. Under his guidance the company expanded its installed base to more than 10,000 robotic systems deployed worldwide across academia, biotech...
Cybernetix Ventures Announces Fourth Annual Robotics Invest and Second Annual Robotics Tech Week
Cybernetix Ventures announced its fourth Robotics Invest event, scheduled for May 26‑27 2026, anchoring the second annual Robotics Tech Week from May 26‑29. The invitation‑only gathering caps attendance at 300 senior founders, investors, and corporate leaders, aiming to fast‑track funding, partnerships, and market...
Robot Talk Episode 142 – Collaborative Robot Arms, with Mark Gray
Universal Robots' Mark Gray discussed the company's lightweight collaborative robot arms on Robot Talk Episode 142. The cobots, weighing under 20 kg, are designed for safe, direct interaction with human workers and have been deployed in leading UK research centers such...
Global Humanoid Robot Installations Reach 16,000 Units as Commercial Deployments Accelerate
Global humanoid‑robot installations reached an estimated 16,000 units in 2025, marking a shift from prototype pilots to early commercial rollouts. China drove more than 80% of these deployments, with AgiBot, Unitree, UBTech, Leju and Tesla comprising roughly 73% of the...
Dürr Installs Its Paint Shop of the Future for First Saudi Automotive Company
Dürr is installing its Paint Shop of the Future at CEER, Saudi Arabia’s first home‑grown electric‑vehicle brand. The modular system uses flexible EcoProBooth boxes, AGVs and next‑generation ovens that cut energy use and CO₂ emissions. Integrated DXQ digital solutions provide real‑time monitoring, predictive analytics...
New US Robot Safety Rules Focus on How Robots Are Actually Used on the Factory Floor
The Association for Advancing Automation released Part 3 of the ANSI/A3 R15.06‑2025 robot safety standard, completing a three‑part framework for U.S. industrial robots. Unlike Parts 1 and 2, which mirror ISO 10218 hardware and application requirements, Part 3 concentrates on safe operation of robot cells, guiding...
Episode 142: Collaborative Robot Arms - Mark Gray
In this episode, Claire interviews Mark Gray, the UK country manager for Universal Robots, about the rise of collaborative robot arms, or cobots, that can safely work side‑by‑side with humans. Mark shares insights from his three decades in automation, highlighting...
Exotec Expands Partnership with Renault at Warehouse in Germany
Exotec is equipping Renault Deutschland’s new 258,000‑square‑foot Brühl warehouse with its Skypod robotic system. The deployment includes 89 Skypod robots designed to move more than 1,600 containers per hour and pick 1,500 order lines each hour. Integrated with Exotec’s Deepsky...
AIhub Monthly Digest: January 2026 – Moderating Guardrails, Humanoid Soccer, and Attending AAAI
The January 2026 AIhub monthly digest covers five main stories: the record‑breaking AAAI 2026 conference in Singapore and AI science‑communication talks; an interview with Anindya Das Antar on evaluating moderation guardrails for LLMs; insights from RoboCup trustee Alessandra Rossi on...
China Poised to Outpace US in Robot Intelligence
I haven't seen any data collection effort like this in San Francisco. Understanding how your brain senses things is next level for training robots. This right here is telling me that China is about to pull way ahead of USA's robots. Except I...
Build Real‑World Software, Join Our Home Robot Team
If you're tired of writing code that only lives on a screen, join us in building software that gives people their time back in the real world. Sunday is hiring Software Engineers of all levels to bring our home robot to...
Testing Robotics in Space
The future of in-space robotics relies on testing operations in space.
Policy Boosts Dexterous Robots, Paving Way for Child‑like Learning
A new Science #Robotics Focus article highlights the merits of a new policy that enables dexterous robotic manipulation and speculates on how future research may enable robots to learn from humans the way a child learns from watching its parents....
Multiply Labs Partners with Nvidia to Bring Physical AI Robotics to Advanced Biomanufacturing
Multiply Labs announced a partnership with Nvidia to embed the company's Isaac Sim, GR00T, FoundationPose and FoundationStereo technologies into its robotic biomanufacturing platform. The collaboration enables digital twins, AI‑driven manipulation models and perception pipelines that accelerate automation of cell and...
Meta's CTO on VR Layoffs, Glasses, and the Next AI Model
In this interview, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth discusses the recent VR layoffs, the accelerated production of Meta glasses, and the company's broader AI ambitions, including AI wearables and humanoid robots. He explains that slower-than-expected VR adoption is shifting focus to...
Elbit Systems Selects Lowental Hybrid for World’s First True Hybrid UAV Propulsion System
Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems has signed a decade‑long agreement with Lowental Hybrid to equip its tactical UAVs with the company’s Native Parallel Hybrid™ propulsion system. The hybrid solution delivers up to five times longer flight endurance, silent electric operation,...
AWS Announces Welding Automation Exposition and Conference 2026
The American Welding Society announced the Welding Automation Exposition and Conference (WAEC) 2026, scheduled for June 2‑4 in Minneapolis. The three‑day event will showcase robotics, smart sensors, and Industry 4.0 solutions that aim to boost welding productivity and quality. Attendees can earn...
Prometheon: New Multi-Domain Information Management System Forsecurity-Critical ISR Operations
German firm Aerodata AG has launched Prometheon, a multi‑domain information management system tailored for security‑critical ISR missions. The platform integrates sensor feeds to deliver a real‑time common operational picture across the entire mission lifecycle, from planning through post‑mission analysis. Designed...
P8S Introduces X380 Mobile Robot for In-Aisle Picking
Pick8ship Technology AG unveiled the X380, a container‑based mobile robot that performs in‑aisle order picking. The robot can handle 350‑600 picks per hour and process up to 20 orders in a single run, reducing the need for traditional bin shuttling....
Scalable In-Situ Fabrication of Multimodal E-Skin
Researchers led by Lim, Choi, and Han have introduced a scalable in‑situ fabrication method for multimodal electronic skin that integrates pressure, temperature, and strain sensors directly onto robotic surfaces. The process combines deposition and patterning in a single workflow, using...
Into the Omniverse: Physical AI Open Models and Frameworks Advance Robots and Autonomous Systems
NVIDIA unveiled a comprehensive open‑source physical AI stack at CES 2026, linking high‑fidelity simulation, synthetic data generation, cloud orchestration and edge deployment through OpenUSD and Omniverse. The suite includes Isaac Lab‑Arena, Cosmos world models, Alpamayo vehicle models and OSMO orchestration,...
Drone-Enabled Bird Management for Australian Horticulture
AERIUM Analytics and Hort Innovation have launched a three‑year, government‑backed project to develop drone‑based bird deterrence for high‑value horticultural crops in Eastern Australia. The initiative will field‑test both fixed‑wing and flapping‑wing drones, aiming to create a practical, scalable solution that...
Sensor Integration Challenges in Multi-Layered Defense Architectures
Multi‑layered defense architectures impose artificial boundaries that fragment the engagement timeline, introduce handoff latency, and force sub‑optimal resource allocation. Heterogeneous sensors—radar, EO/IR, RF, acoustic—have mismatched refresh rates, coordinate systems, and data formats, leading to data‑fusion conflicts, temporal misalignment, and transformation...
Untitled
RobotLAB unveiled RobotDepot™, the first certified pre‑owned marketplace for commercial service robots, offering refurbished cleaning, delivery and customer‑service units at lower prices. Every robot is inspected, tested, upgraded and validated through a multi‑point certification process before shipment. Purchases include professional...
RobCo Raises $100M in Series C Funding
RobCo, a Munich‑based physical AI robotics firm, announced a $100 million Series C round. The financing was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Lingotto Innovation, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Greenfield Partners, Kindred Capital, Leitmotif and The Friedkin Group. The company plans...
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....
Robotics Teams Lose Time Rebuilding Infrastructure, Not Algorithms
🎙️ Stephen James is the founder and CEO of Neuracore , and Assistant Professor of Robot Learning at Imperial College London: In this episode, Stephen shares his path from growing up in Wales to spending a decade at Imperial, a...
Bioinspired Policy Lets Robot Fuse Sight, Touch in Dark
Scientists have developed a #bioinspired policy that enables a multifingered robot to combine visual and tactile cues, like humans, to perform learned and new #manipulation tasks even under poor lighting conditions. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/MUene2lPpC https://t.co/o4w77e6jPl
Robots Gain Spatial Smarts by Learning Real‑World 3D Environments
The dream of robots helping people live and work better in the physical world begins with helping robots to become more spatially intelligent by learning from the infinitely diverse and intricate environments of the 3D/4D worlds 🤖🤩