Today's Robotics Pulse
U.S. Army awards AeroVironment $14.6M contract for VAPOR® CLE reconnaissance drones
AeroVironment announced a $14.6 million production contract from the U.S. Army for its VAPOR® Compact Long Endurance (CLE) unmanned aircraft system. The all‑electric VTOL platform will be fielded under the Medium Range Reconnaissance program to provide rapid‑deployment, long‑range surveillance capabilities.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires UK underwater sensing firm for $442M
Leveling up Industry 4.0
The March/April 2026 EDN issue spotlights the next wave of Industry 4.0, highlighting event‑based vision, wide‑bandgap power electronics, smart motor‑control ICs, edge AI, and new cybersecurity mandates. Event‑based sensors reduce latency and data load, while SiC and GaN devices boost efficiency and power density in factories and data centers. Integrated motor‑drive solutions promise measurable energy savings, and edge‑embedded intelligence enables real‑time defect detection and adaptive control. Regulatory pressure from the European Cyber Resilience Act forces OEMs to embed security throughout product lifecycles.
MODEX 2026: Peak Technologies Introduces Peak Automation Intelligence
Peak Technologies launched Peak Automation Intelligence at MODEX 2026, an AI‑powered platform that delivers real‑time visibility and automated data capture across warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing operations. Built on machine‑vision, smart optics and mobile computing, the solution tracks every pallet,...
Mariana Minerals and Pronto Announce Partnership to Automate Mining Truck Ops at Copper One
Mariana Minerals is integrating Pronto's autonomous haulage system into its MineOS platform at Copper One, the company’s Utah copper mine and refinery. The partnership follows Pronto’s recent acquisition by Atoms, a physical‑AI firm founded by Travis Kalanick. By feeding real‑time...
MODEX 2026: Yale Lift Truck Technologies to Showcase Offerings that Address Warehouse Challenges
Yale Lift Truck Technologies is showcasing its latest lift‑truck portfolio, operator‑assist systems, and automation portal at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta. The exhibit features ergonomic three‑wheel stand‑up trucks, a new lithium‑ion‑powered counterbalanced model, and the Route Runner direct‑store delivery solution. Interactive...
Skyrover Wants to Be Your Next DJI Drone
Skyrover is entering the U.S. drone market with FCC‑compliant, competitively priced models, aiming to offer DJI‑style features without the premium. The entry‑level S1 sells for $289 with a 48‑MP Sony sensor and forward obstacle avoidance, while the X1 retails at...
No Backspace in the Physical World – Building AI for 5,000-Lb Machines
FieldAI, led by former NASA and DARPA engineer Dr. Ali Agha, is developing a universal AI brain that can control a spectrum of heavy‑duty robots, from modern robot dogs to retrofitted excavators. The system emphasizes a 99.999% safety reliability target,...
Labor Constraints Are Accelerating Adoption of Dock Automation and Robotic Picking
Labor shortages and high injury risk in manual trailer and container unloading are prompting warehouses to adopt dock automation and robotic picking. Contoro Robotics showcases a semi‑autonomous solution that removes the most strenuous tasks while keeping workers in supervisory roles....
MODEX 2026: Stoecklin Logistics to Showcase Intelligent Automation, ASRS Technologies
Stoecklin Logistics will unveil its latest intelligent automation solutions at MODEX 2026, highlighting the FSP Shuttle System and the CasePicker platform. Both technologies are engineered to boost efficiency, accuracy and adaptability in modern distribution centers. The offerings are supported by...
Robotic Mower Could Beat $50‑per‑acre Weekly Cost
If you have 2 acres or more and use one of the automated robotic mowers, let me know your story. I am paying someone $50 an acre to mow my lawn every week and I feel like I can have a...
Avride Robotaxi Kills Mother Duck in Texas, Sparking Neighborhood Outcry
An Avride autonomous vehicle struck and killed a mother duck nesting near Mueller Lake in Austin, Texas, igniting anger among local residents. The company confirmed the car was in autonomous mode, halted testing on the affected streets, and said it...
Origami-Inspired Robot Built From Printable Polymers Uses Electric Current to Move
Engineers at Princeton have built a soft‑rigid hybrid robot using 3D‑printed liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) hinges and embedded flexible printed circuit boards. The robot moves by localized heating of the polymer, eliminating the need for motors or external pneumatic systems....
ZenaTech Announces Its 21st Acquisition, Expanding National Drone as a Service Network and Pacific Northwest Footprint to Serve Business and...
ZenaTech announced the completion of its 21st acquisition, purchasing Andy Paris & Associates, a long‑standing land surveying firm in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The deal expands ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service (DaaS) network into the Pacific Northwest, enhancing its ability to...
Wristband Enables Wearers to Control a Robotic Hand With Their Own Movements
MIT engineers have created a wrist‑worn ultrasound band that captures real‑time images of wrist muscles, tendons, and ligaments and converts them into precise hand‑gesture data. An AI model trained on these images maps 22 degrees of freedom to finger and...
Cross Wrap Solution Supports Restart of Circulose Recycling Plant
Cross Wrap, a Finnish developer of automated bale handling equipment, has delivered a dewiring and in‑feeding system to enable the restart of Circulose’s Ortviken textile‑recycling plant in Sweden. The plant, the world’s first commercial‑scale chemical textile recycler, will resume production...
ResilienX Receives FAA BVLOS Waiver, Clearing the Way for Expanded ORION-X Operations
ResilienX secured an FAA Certificate of Waiver allowing its ORION‑X drone‑as‑a‑service platform to conduct beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) flights without on‑site visual observers. The approval, enabled by a partnership with NUAIR’s FAA‑accepted surveillance network, was granted in January and integrated after roughly...
Revolutionary Silicon Anode Battery Technology for Drones & Robotics
Silicon‑nanotech firm Sila Nanotechnologies has joined Unmanned Systems Technology’s supplier ecosystem as a Platinum Partner, offering its Titan Silicon anode for lithium‑ion batteries. The anode delivers up to five times the gravimetric energy and twice the volumetric capacity of conventional...
DoD Seeks Expanded Investment in Counter-UAS Capabilities
The Pentagon’s Counter‑Drone Task Force is asking Congress for more than $580 million in FY 2027 research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) to accelerate counter‑UAS systems. The request targets rapid fielding of technologies that detect, track and neutralize small commercial drones that...
South Korea Deploys 24‑Hour High‑Altitude Strategic Drone
Busan, April 8, 2026. South Korea rolls out its first production strategist drone... the MUAV/KUS-FS. 13m fuselage, massive 25–26m wingspan, powered by a 1,200 hp turboprop. Developed domestically with 90% local parts by Korean Air, Hanwha, and LIG Nex1. It can...
Meet ‘Alex’: A Disaster-Response Humanoid Challenging China’s Robotics Rise
The Institute for Human Machine Cognition (IHMC) unveiled Alex, an 85‑kg humanoid robot that forgoes legs and is 15 kg lighter than its predecessor Nadia, featuring upgraded manipulation, perception and teleoperation for disaster‑response tasks. Backed by a multimillion‑dollar, multi‑year grant from...
Persistent Flight in the Stratosphere - Justin Selfridge, Phd. And CEO of Devorto
In this episode, Dr. Justin Selfridge, founder and CEO of DeVorto, explains the Tethered Uni‑Rotor Network (TURN), a novel aircraft architecture that uses multiple small rotor‑like drones tethered to a central hub and spun to keep ultra‑thin wings under tension,...
Open-Source 6-DoF Robot Accelerates Curved FFF
Researchers have released an open‑source six‑degree‑of‑freedom (6‑DoF) robotic system that integrates FFF 3D‑printing with advanced kinematics and a low‑cost control stack. The robot achieved a deposition speed of 128 mm/s—44% faster than a conventional three‑axis printer—while cutting idle travel by up...
Tuurny Deploys AI Robotics to Harvest RAM Chips, Tackling US Chip Shortage
Tuurny unveiled its Nantul robotic cell, capable of pulling up to 300 RAM integrated circuits per hour from domestic e‑waste, and secured a six‑figure contract with UK processor Areera. The system promises a new on‑shore source of memory chips while...
Plus One Robotics Surpasses 2 Billion Picks and Celebrates 10 Years of AI-Powered Warehouse Innovation
Plus One Robotics announced it has surpassed 2 billion successful picks across its global fleet, marking a milestone achieved in just two years after reaching 1 billion. The milestone coincides with the company’s 10th anniversary and reflects rapid adoption of its AI‑driven...
RoboSense Q1 2026 LiDAR Sales Jump 204% YoY, Robotics Segment Surges 1,459%
RoboSense announced that it shipped 330,300 LiDAR units in the first quarter of 2026, a 204.1% year‑on‑year increase. Robotics‑focused LiDAR sales leapt 1,458.8% to 185,500 units, surpassing the ADAS segment for the first time, underscoring rapid scaling of autonomy hardware.
U.S. Special Forces Tests FOG Unmanned Vessel in Spain
U.S. Special Forces conducted maritime exercises in Cartagena, Spain, using NEWT21’s FOG unmanned surface vessel equipped with UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía’s autonomous control system. The USV executed a fully autonomous navigation plan, dynamically adjusting routes, avoiding collisions, and maintaining health monitoring...
Green Cubes Supports Emerging Innovator USAMR with Advanced Lithium Battery Systems for AMRs
Green Cubes Technology is providing its industrial lithium‑ion battery systems to USAMR for use in automated mobile robots (AMRs) that transport goods in warehouses and factories. The swappable battery packs feature lithium‑iron‑phosphate chemistry, high energy density, and integrated battery‑management to...
EBV Elektronik Unveils MOVE Platform to Accelerate Next-Generation Robotics Development
EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company, launched the MOVE platform to streamline development of next‑generation robotics. MOVE aggregates a network of more than 20 embedded technology partners, offering a central gateway to processors, AI accelerators, sensors, motion‑control and connectivity solutions. The...
Coptrz Named Exclusive UK Partner for Avy
Coptrz has secured an exclusive partnership with Amsterdam‑based Avy, becoming the sole UK distributor of Avy’s long‑endurance BVLOS drone network for emergency services and defence. The agreement adds Avy’s fixed‑wing Aera aircraft and Dock "drone‑in‑a‑box" system to Coptrz’s portfolio, delivering...
VIDEO | AgXeed Series 7 Tested in the Field: Can It Handle Heavy Tillage and Tight Headlands?
The AgXeed AgBot Series 7 was put through a real‑world field trial on a French arable farm, pulling a heavy cultivator and navigating tight headland turns. The video demonstrates the robot’s ability to maintain precise trajectories while delivering the power needed...
Bankrupt Robot Manufacturer Agrointelli Sold in Parts
Agrointelli, the Danish maker of the Robotti field robot, was declared bankrupt on February 27, 2026 and failed to secure a full‑company buyer by the March 12 deadline. As a result, all staff were laid off and the trustee split the assets, selling...
When Robots Build Robots, Bottlenecks Shift Upstream
Robots building robots. It sounds futuristic, but it’s becoming a real direction. Once humanoids can assemble components, handle tools, and operate in human-designed environments, manufacturing starts to change fundamentally. You don’t just automate tasks. You automate the creation of the systems themselves. That has implications: Faster...
Low‑Voltage Artificial Muscles Power Untethered Soft Robotic Fish
Scientists have developed #dielectric elastomer actuators, or artificial “muscles,” that can operate at low voltages while still producing high output to drive #untethered, soft robotic fish movements. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/zAb0uHec2c https://t.co/d7qaKanQr1
ARK Invest Is Betting on Underdog Drone Delivery Company Manna to Beat Out Alphabet and Zipline
Manna, the Irish drone‑delivery startup, closed a $50 million Series B round led by ARK Invest, bringing total funding to $110 million. The company has already completed more than 250,000 deliveries in Ireland, Finland and Texas and partners with Uber, DoorDash, Deliveroo and Just Eat....
Consumers Crave Humanoids Even if Engineers Resist
What I usually tell people about humanoids is: The heart wants what the heart wants. People want humanoids. Roboticists want to change form factor because humanoids are hard. But consumers want humanoids.
China Secures Germany’s Premier Robotics Asset
How China Acquired Germany’s #Robotics Crown Jewel by @JacklouisP #AI #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #Innovation https://t.co/DuFtEGfyDb
Mastering Extremes: The UAS Trio that Could Tackle Latin America’s Diverse Needs
At FIDAE 2026 in Santiago, Airbus unveiled three uncrewed aerial systems—Flexrotor, Aliaca and SIRTAP—designed to meet Latin America’s varied terrain and mission sets. Flexrotor’s VTOL design and 12‑hour endurance make it ideal for wildfire monitoring and maritime ISR. Aliaca offers rapid...
From Ford’s Assembly Line to Fully Autonomous Dark Factories
More than a century ago, Henry Ford began to automated production of his vehicles. But today, dark factories operate without humans entirely. My latest for @IMechE's Professional Engineering https://t.co/fxnq0uvAnu
NEXFORM Unveils Hybrid Humanoid Robot for Lifting
Meet NEXFORM’s Hybrid Humanoid Built to Move and Lift by @CyberRobooo #Robotics #AI #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/YObNluLVuv
US Drone Declares Emergency, Drops From 52,000ft over Gulf
A US Navy MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft emitted a 7700 emergency squawk over the Persian Gulf and rapidly descended from roughly 52,000 ft to about 12,750 ft. Open‑source flight‑tracking data shows the drone’s altitude drop occurred within minutes north of Bahrain before...
Robotic Hull Cleaner Tackles Biofouling in Oceans
CLIIN #Robotics’ Hull-Cleaning #Robot Fights Biofouling at Sea via @WevolverApp #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #Technology https://t.co/hnlmI6Nn2w
Unitree Launches World's Cheapest Humanoid Robot Globally
Unitree to debut cheapest humanoid robot globally via Alibaba The international launch of the company’s cheapest humanoid robot next week is expected to cover North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore https://t.co/RHCUHGkTdh via @scmpnews
Circus Awarded Contract by Lithuanian Armed Forces for Autonomous Sustainment Robot Deployment
Munich‑based Circus SE has been awarded a contract to field an autonomous, AI‑powered sustainment robot for the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Vilnius. The system will be woven into existing barracks infrastructure and tested in real‑world training and multinational NATO exercises....
DJI Debuts Premium, High‑Performance Home Cleaning Drone
Welcome to the future with DJI’s first foray into the pantheon of home cleaning — expensive, but extremely capable. https://t.co/yiJzFJSRmy
America’s Drone Strategy Has a Supply Chain Problem
The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program (DDP) seeks to field 30,000 UAVs in Phase I and scale to 150,000 by 2028, but the push for mass production collides with a fragile, NDAA‑compliant supply chain. War with Iran is accelerating demand, potentially exceeding...
Ukraine Logs 21,500 UGV Missions in Q1 2026, Tripling Combat and Logistics Deployments
Ukraine’s defense ministry said more than 21,500 uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) missions were flown in the first quarter of 2026, a three‑fold increase from November 2025. March alone saw over 9,000 combat and logistics missions, reflecting a rapid expansion of...
Drones Are Changing Warfare And America Isn’t Ready
The United States is confronting a new threat: cheap, swarming drones that can overwhelm traditional air‑defense and missile‑defense systems such as THAAD and Patriot. While the Pentagon is pouring tens of billions of dollars into Counter‑UAS technologies, it is neglecting...
From Hype to Reality: ASI CEO Mel Torrie on Why Autonomous Vehicles Are Outpacing Humanoid Robots
Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) leverages its two‑decade‑old Mobius command‑and‑control platform to coordinate fleets of autonomous vehicles in agriculture, construction, mining and logistics. CEO Mel Torrie argues that these vehicle systems already generate clear, measurable returns, while humanoid robots remain expensive,...
D1 MAX: Unstoppable All‑Terrain Robot Redefines Mobility
Meet D1 MAX — The All-Terrain #Robot That Won’t Stop by @XRoboHub #Robotics #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology #Tech https://t.co/Fut9Gfd0H6
U.S. Marine Corps Launches Kamikaze Drone Program for Frontline Units
The U.S. Marine Corps issued a sources‑sought notice for a $50 million‑$75 million support contract aimed at its Organic Precision Fires‑Light (OPF‑L) loitering‑munition system. The contract will fund engineering, logistics, software and lifecycle services for the emerging kamikaze‑drone capability. OPF‑L is slated...
Tesla's FSD 14.3 Proves Reliable Driverless Robotaxis
FSD 14.2 is incredibly good FSD 14.3 is even better, and just as reliable They’re deploying fully driverless Robotaxis in Austin You can try and convince me this is all a failure, but that doesn’t match up with what I...