Today's Robotics Pulse
ROBOTIS’s AI Sapiens learns K‑POP dance from a phone video
South Korean robotics firm ROBOTIS showcased its AI Sapiens humanoid robot mastering a complex K‑POP routine using only a smartphone video. The approach leverages video‑based motion capture, reinforcement‑learning simulation and Sim2Real transfer, removing the need for costly motion‑capture studios. The 1.3‑meter, 34‑kg robot is equipped with 23 DYNAMIXEL‑Q actuators.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Waymo acquires Apple’s Arizona Proving Ground for $220M
EPropelled Launches Integrated Propulsion and Power System to Accelerate Next Generation of Agricultural UAVs
ePropelled has unveiled a fully integrated propulsion and power solution tailored for agricultural UAVs, merging high‑efficiency brushless motors, electronic speed controllers, and intelligent power management into a single architecture. The global ag‑drone market is projected to surpass $4 billion in 2026, expanding at 20‑30% annually, driven by precision farming and labor shortages. The new system delivers high thrust density, superior energy efficiency, advanced thermal control and precise motor‑ESC coordination, enabling longer flights and heavier payloads while simplifying OEM integration. Its modular design also positions it for ground‑based robotic platforms in precision agriculture.
Physical AI BoF From MIPI Invites Robotics Companies
The MIPI Alliance has launched a Physical AI Birds‑of‑a‑Feather (BoF) group to define interface standards for emerging humanoid robots. The initiative, chaired by Valens Semiconductor’s Edo Cohen, will evaluate current MIPI specs and recommend extensions that support high‑bandwidth sensors, embedded...
Ukraine Built an Automated Turret That Shoots Fiber-Optic Drones on the Front
Ukraine’s UGV Robotics unveiled the Khyzhak turret, an AI‑assisted 7.62 mm gun system that automatically detects, tracks and calculates firing solutions against Russian fiber‑optic FPV drones. The turret combines a wide‑angle and a narrow‑angle thermal camera, a laser rangefinder and a...
U.S. Air Force’s First Chief Modernization Officer Talks CCAs, Mass Production
Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi was confirmed as the Air Force’s first chief modernization officer, a role that consolidates modernization efforts across the service. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee he is "bullish" on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program,...
Robo-Octopus Gripper Goes Limp to Grapple, Stiffens to Lift
Researchers from Peking University, NUS, Zhejiang University and the Beijing Institute of Technology unveiled the Octopus‑Inspired Upward Transport Robot (OUT‑Robot), a six‑armed underwater manipulator that shifts from pliable to rigid in 1.3 seconds and 0.8 seconds respectively using a shape‑memory polymer. The...
Automated Tire Unveils SmartBay, AI Robot That Changes Tires Without Removing Wheels
Automated Tire, Inc. introduced SmartBay, an AI-driven robotic system that changes and balances tires without removing the wheel, targeting a 45‑minute door‑to‑door service. The Boston‑based firm says a single technician can oversee three SmartBay bays, addressing technician shortages and rising...
Robot Soldiers Could Make Wars Deadlier—And China Is Already Building an Army
China is rapidly expanding its portfolio of AI‑powered humanoid combat robots, positioning itself ahead of the United States in the emerging lethal autonomous weapons race. The country already operates over 2 million industrial robots, installing roughly 295,000 in 2024, while the...
Unitree's UNISTORE Turns Robots Into App‑Driven Platforms
Humanoid skills are about to make Claude Skills look like a joke Unitree just launched UNISTORE, an app store for humanoid robots. You can create, publish, buy, and deploy robot skills with one click across all their models. Just the motion library is...
Robot Navigates Using Human‑like Touch, No Cameras
Sixth sense: #Robot uses human-like touch awareness for camera-free navigation by Neetika Walter @IntEngineering Learn more: https://t.co/uOmxwlYcVM #Robotics #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/znK1oZIPeS
Physical AI Conference Comes to San Jose as Robotics & Autonomous AI Go Mainstream
The Physical AI Conference North America will convene May 18‑19, 2026 at San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center, gathering engineers, AI pioneers, and enterprise technologists to explore the rise of AI‑driven robotics and autonomous systems. The two‑day event will showcase how...
Unitree Rolls Out $540K GD01 Giant Mecha, the First Mass‑Produced Manned Robot
Unitree Robotics announced the GD01, a 500 kg, 10‑foot tall manned transformable robot priced at roughly $540,000. The launch marks the first mass‑produced civilian mecha, but regulatory and market questions loom large.
Humanoid Secures Landmark Deal with Schaeffler to Deploy Thousands of Humanoid Robots
UK‑based Humanoid has signed a phased deployment and supply agreement with Schaeffler to roll out thousands of wheeled humanoid robots across the German supplier’s global sites, with the first units operating by end‑2026. The deal, structured as Robot‑as‑a‑Service, includes a...
U.S. Army Clears Armed Robot Dog for Special Operations Evaluation
Australian firm Skyborne Technologies secured a $6.5 million Department of War Limited Safety Release for its CODiAQ armed quadruped robot, allowing the system to enter Operational Test and Evaluation with U.S. Special Operations Command. The contract covers 14 robots equipped with...
French Navy Deploys Deep‑Sea ROV to Map 16th‑Century Shipwreck at 8,200‑Foot Depth
France's navy and the Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research (DRASSM) completed a three‑day mission in April using a Travocean remotely operated vehicle to photograph a 16th‑century Italian shipwreck at more than 8,200 feet below sea level. The ROV captured...
How Wales Air Ambulance Is Cutting Back-Office Time to Save More Lives
Wales Air Ambulance (WAA) partnered with ArvatoConnect to automate its weekly lottery fundraising, turning a day‑long manual process into an hour‑long workflow. The RPA solution cut administrative time by 92% and halved daily report processing, freeing roughly half a day...
Robotics Leap Forward: Felix Shang and Unitree Impress
Sensational progress from Felix Shang and @UnitreeRobotics in robotics. The rapid improvements in the space are truly mind blowing, well done all 👏👏 https://t.co/uFiAc0haNJ
Hyundai Motor Group Restructures to Accelerate Production‑Robot Adoption in Smart Factories
Hyundai Motor Group announced a corporate overhaul on May 12, 2026, establishing a Robot Manufacturing Solutions Strategy Team to drive large‑scale deployment of production robots. The move places robotics at the core of its manufacturing organization and ties the effort...
TECO Unveils High‑Payload UAV Powertrain and Award‑Winning Robotic Joint Modules at XPONENTIAL 2026
At Detroit’s XPONENTIAL 2026 exhibition, TECO Electric & Machinery and its U.S. arm TECO‑Westinghouse revealed a 12.5 kW hairpin motor powertrain for heavy‑payload drones and an All‑in‑One robotic joint that won the 2026 Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. The launch signals TECO’s...
Efficient Robot Navigation Inspired by Honeybee Learning Flights
Researchers have introduced Bee‑Nav, a honeybee‑inspired navigation system that merges path integration with a compact neural view‑memory to enable long‑range, low‑power robot flight. Simulations show the learned homing area can be under 1 % of the total space while still correcting...
Unitree G1 Robot Ordained at Seoul’s Jogyesa Temple in $13,500 Ritual
A $13,500 Unitree G1 humanoid was formally ordained at Seoul’s Jogyesa Buddhist temple, receiving the dharma name Gabi. The ceremony, staged by the Jogye Order and Unitree Robotics, highlights a clash between declining Buddhist membership and the rise of AI...
Dürr AG Q1 Profit Falls 16% as Industrial Automation Orders Slump
Dürr AG posted first‑quarter earnings of €20.23 million, a 16% decline from the same period a year earlier, while revenue slipped 6.6% to €940.21 million. The German automation specialist said the drop mirrors a slowdown in industrial‑automation orders across Europe and Asia,...
Seegrid Surpasses 20 Million Autonomous Miles in Industrial Facilities
Seegrid's autonomous mobile robots have logged over 20 million miles in active industrial facilities, equivalent to circling the Earth more than 800 times. The mileage was accumulated across 24/7 manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics sites in North America, with no recordable safety...
Exotec Partners with Musinsa to Power New Automated Warehouse for Fast-Growing K-Fashion Business
Exotec has partnered with South Korean fashion platform Musinsa to install its Skypod robotic system and Deepsky warehouse execution software in a new Yeoju warehouse. The deployment marks Exotec’s first customer in Korea and a key step in its Asia‑Pacific...
Festo Introduces GripperAI, an AI-Based Solution for Mixed-Product Robotic Handling
Festo unveiled GripperAI, an AI‑driven software that enables robots to handle mixed‑product streams without custom programming or template loading. The solution runs on a standard industrial PC paired with any compatible 3D camera, automatically calculating grip points and selecting the...
Untitled
VisionNav Robotics unveiled its VNE40-66 Autonomous Precision Stacking Solution at Modex 2026, marking the industry’s first system able to stack cages up to 8.8 feet wide and 22 feet high. The robot handles loads of up to 6,150 pounds with millimeter‑level accuracy, thanks...
Tennant Strengthens Presence in Sweden Through Partnership with Johans Städmaskiner
Tennant Company announced a partnership with Johans Städmaskiner, a 40‑year‑old cleaning equipment specialist based in Northern Sweden. The deal gives Johans access to Tennant’s full line of scrubber‑dryers, sweepers, vacuums and autonomous floor‑cleaning robots, sold through its regional offices and service...
Waymo’s London Driverless SUVs Stuck in Dead-End Street Three Times in One Week
Waymo’s driverless Jaguar SUV entered a narrow dead‑end street in Shoreditch, London, and became immobilized three times within a single week. The incidents, captured on video and shared by a local resident, highlight navigation gaps as Waymo expands its testing...
Harvard Engineers Create Shape‑Shifting 3D‑Printed Filaments for Soft Robotics
Researchers at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering have introduced a rotational multimaterial 3D‑printing process that produces soft filaments capable of bending, twisting and contracting when heated. The breakthrough blends an active liquid‑crystal elastomer with a passive elastomer, enabling...
Yarbo Makes Remote Backdoor Opt‑In After Safety Concerns
Yarbo announced it will eliminate the always‑on remote backdoor in its robot lawn mower, shifting to an opt‑in model after researchers exposed a vulnerability that allowed internet‑based reprogramming. The change aims to restore consumer confidence in connected home robots.
Closing the Gap Between Animal Movement and Robotic Control
Carnegie Mellon researchers have created an AI‑driven framework that uses reinforcement learning to refine neuromechanical models of animal movement. The system acts as a digital twin, automatically identifying the parameters that cause discrepancies between real‑world animal data and simulations, and...
Stratom, AFRL Demonstrate New C-130 Cargo Handling System
Stratom demonstrated its Expeditionary Cargo Loader (XCL) on a C‑130 in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The remote‑controlled, tracked system can move up to 10,000 lb within a single 463L pallet slot, freeing space for two to five additional...
Stretch 4 Shows Home Robots Need No Legs
Do home robots really need legs? Hello Robot's Stretch 4 skips the humanoid hype for a safe and practical minimalist design. https://spectrum.ieee.org/stretch-4-home-robot?share_id=9478042
EEWOC: Wheeled Orb Robot Scales Steel Using Extendable Limbs
Meet EEWOC: A Wheeled Orb #Robot That Climbs Steel with Extendable Limbs via @WevolverApp #AI #Robotics #Innovation #TechForGood #EmergingTech https://t.co/brryYXDb05
China Reveals AI-Powered Lunar Robot for 2029 Moon Mission
China’s Hong Kong University of Science and Technology team unveiled an AI‑powered lunar robot slated for the Chang’e‑8 mission in 2029. The 100‑kilogram, four‑wheeled rover combines a humanoid upper body with dual arms to transport payloads, install instruments and collect...
German Multicopter Delivers Heavy Payloads for Fast Rescue
Grille: High-Payload German Multicopter Built for Rapid Rescue Operations by @DefenseTrends #Drone #Engineering #EmergingTech #Innovation https://t.co/1xaEmv0hdA
Chinese Hospital's Blood‑Drawing Robot Hits 94.3% Success
Chinese Hospital Deploys Blood-Drawing #Robot Achieving a 94.3% Success Rate by @Khulood_Almani #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/BNH5r1f8Pn
Robot Orders Hold Steady in Q1 2026 as Demand Broadens Across Non-Automotive Industries
North American firms ordered 9,055 robots worth $543 million in Q1 2026, essentially flat in unit volume but down 6.4% in revenue. The dip reflects a sharp 35% drop in automotive OEM orders, which cut revenue nearly in half. By contrast, life‑sciences,...
Giant Humanoid Robot Revolutionizes Japan’s Railway Maintenance
A New Humanoid Giant Is Transforming Railway Maintenance in Japan by @CyberRobooo #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/N10UnSCqrU
AI Robot Combines Vision, Touch, Depth, and Language
Multimodal AI #Robot Fuses Vision, Depth, Tactile Sensing, and Language Understanding via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/RAvFmdNxbC
HYFIX Announces Availability of H1P Positioning, Navigation, and Open-Compute Module for Small Unmanned Systems
HYFIX Spatial Intelligence announced the H1P Positioning, Navigation, and Open‑Compute Module, now available as samples and evaluation kits at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026. The 17 × 22 mm module integrates the U.S.-designed H1 autonomous systems chip, dual‑antenna GNSS, LEO signal support, IMU sensor fusion, and dual‑CPU...
Prices Rise June 1; Grab Early‑Bird Deal Now
Reachy is mad, but RAM costs + tariffs are forcing our hand. Prices will go up on June 1st! Still at the early bird price until then though if you were looking for an excuse to get one now: https://t.co/veqPEwFIaP! https://t.co/UP45svdMr8
Fine‑tuned Large Behavior Models Boost Robot Task Learning
A new Science #Robotics study finds that “fine-tuned” large behavior models are more data-efficient and successful than single-task policies at teaching robots complex new tasks like coring and slicing an apple. https://t.co/T6OugH8W0f https://t.co/IB7129rua6
NATO to Cultivate Vetted Counter-Drone Vendor Pool for Nations to Pick and Choose
NATO is launching a pilot marketplace that will offer 18 vetted counter‑drone (C‑UAS) systems for member nations to procure quickly. The alliance will invite vendors to pitch by mid‑May, select the solutions within two months, and aim to have contracts...
Soaring Showcases Autonomous Aerial Medical Resupply Capability During U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps 44th Medical Brigade Operational Validation
Soaring participated in the U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps 44th Medical Brigade field exercise to validate autonomous Class VIII medical resupply. The company deployed two M25 unmanned aircraft, each delivering up to 25 lb over a 10‑km round trip, and trained soldiers...
South Korean Ministry Backs MasAuto’s $1.5 M R&D Push to Grow U.S. Autonomous Truck Fleet
MasAuto, a Korean self‑driving truck startup, received 2 billion won (≈$1.5 million) from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to fund R&D and AI training for its U.S. long‑haul operations. The support backs a 3,379‑km fixed route from California’s Port of...
Forsite and Flyscan Team Up on Integrated Leak Detection for Pipelines
Forsite announced a strategic partnership and minority‑investment deal with Flyscan Systems to deliver a unified liquid‑leak and threat‑detection service for pipeline operators. The combined offering merges Flyscan’s onboard sensing hardware with Forsite’s aerial patrol and data‑management platform, promising faster leak...
Samsung Leads $27M Seed Round in Config, the ‘TSMC of Robot Data’
Config, a Seoul‑San Jose AI startup that supplies data for robotic foundation models, closed a $27 million seed round led by Samsung Venture Investment. The round, which brings total funding to $35 million and values the company at more than $200 million, includes...
AGIBOT Launches Sharebot Rental Platform in 14 Countries, Driving Deployment Era
AGIBOT announced its Sharebot robotics‑as‑a‑service platform across 14 countries, marking a shift toward deployment‑focused business models. The move coincides with Chinese firms such as Unitree unveiling premium transformable robots, underscoring China’s expanding influence in global robotics markets.
Teen Builds ‘Bionic Underwater Robotic Turtle’ to Detect Ecological Threats
Fifteen‑year‑old Evan Budz of Burlington, Ontario, built a bionic underwater robotic turtle (BURT) that mimics sea‑turtle locomotion and uses AI to detect ecological threats such as coral bleaching, invasive species and microplastics. The robot weighs about 11 lb, can operate up...
Persona AI & Under Armour Researching Performance Materials for Humanoid Robotics
Persona AI and Under Armour have launched an early‑stage research partnership to evaluate performance‑apparel materials for use on industrial humanoid robots. The study will examine how fabrics handle heat, friction and repetitive motion in applications such as welding, manufacturing and...