Today's Robotics Pulse
U.S. Army awards AeroVironment $14.6M contract for VAPOR® CLE UAV
AeroVironment secured a $14.6 million production contract from the U.S. Army for its all‑electric VAPOR® Compact Long Endurance (CLE) unmanned aircraft system, supporting the Medium Range Reconnaissance program under the Company‑Level Directed Requirement Small Uncrewed Aircraft System, Tranche 2.
From One Demo to Reliable Automation: How GPA Reimagines GUI Process Automation
Salesforce AI Research unveiled GPA, a GUI Process Automation system that learns a workflow from a single human demonstration and replays it with deterministic precision on the local machine. Unlike traditional RPA, GPA avoids brittle scripts, and unlike vision‑language models, it eliminates non‑deterministic behavior and cloud‑based data exposure. The tool builds a spatial graph of UI elements, matches them during replay, and can pause when confidence drops. Early pilots show GPA completing tasks faster and more reliably than VLM‑based agents, positioning it as a privacy‑first, high‑consistency automation layer for enterprises.
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Volume 24 [Members Edition]
Y Combinator announced a robot‑focused hackathon aimed at accelerating hardware‑centric AI startups. Andreessen Horowitz introduced $5,000 grants for developers contributing to the Vibe code platform, a move to nurture early‑stage tooling. OpenAI completed its acquisition of TBPN, adding a seasoned...
Zappos Beat Amazon with Kiva Robots Before Acquisition
Zappos was beating Amazon on cost per order. Amazon couldn't figure out how. Turns out @Alfred_Lin's team was running Kiva robots before Amazon even believed they'd work. Amazon later bought Kiva for $775M. Alfred went from operating automation at Zappos to funding...
Attabotics Announces Integrator Partnership Program to Expand Availability of Robotic Cube Storage Technology
Attabotics announced an integrator partnership program to broaden distribution of its 3D robotic cube storage solution, naming SAVOYE North America as the inaugural partner. The collaboration leverages SAVOYE’s AiRVOS™ WES platform to integrate Attabotics technology into end‑to‑end fulfillment workflows. By...
Attabotics Announces Integrator Partnership Program
Attabotics announced an integrator partnership program to extend its 3D robotic cube storage technology through third‑party distributors. The first partner, SAVOYE North America, will combine its automated storage expertise with Attabotics’ hardware and software to deliver end‑to‑end fulfillment solutions. The...
Yokogawa and ANYbotics to Integrate Robotics Software with Inspection Robots
Yokogawa Electric and ANYbotics are integrating Yokogawa’s OpreX Robot Management Core software with ANYbotics’ four‑legged ANYmal inspection robots, including the explosion‑proof ANYmal X. The unified platform will allow autonomous inspections of hazardous zones in oil & gas, power and metals facilities,...
Asylon and Thrive Logic Bring Physical AI to Enterprise Perimeter Security
Asylon and Thrive Logic have partnered to embed physical AI into enterprise perimeter security, combining Asylon’s autonomous robotic patrols with Thrive Logic’s AI‑driven analytics and automated incident workflows. The integration streams video from mobile robots to the AI platform, which...
Arastelle Joins Red Cat Futures Initiative to Expand Persistent ISR and Tactical Communications Capabilities
Red Cat Holdings announced that Arastelle Drone Solutions has joined its Futures Initiative, integrating Arastelle’s modular tethered UAS technology with Red Cat’s drone family, including the Black Widow platform. The partnership enables persistent ISR, communications relay, and extended flight times...
ParaZero Technologies Expands Israeli Defense Contract with New Order for Anti-Drone Systems
ParaZero Technologies announced a follow‑on purchase order from an Israeli defense entity for its DefendAir Counter‑Unmanned Aerial Systems. The order expands an existing contract and underscores the growing demand for soft‑kill anti‑drone solutions that use a patented net‑launch mechanism. ParaZero...
Dwbrobot Launches Zero-Investment Robot Model to Accelerate Industrial Automation
Dwbrobot has unveiled an advanced robotics platform that operates on a zero‑investment Robotics as a Service (RaaS) model, allowing manufacturers to adopt automation without large capital outlays. The company also introduced RaaStp, a sharing‑economy variant that lets individual investors fund...
General Cherry Partnering with Orqa FPV
General Cherry has announced a partnership with European UAV manufacturer Orqa FPV to build an underground factory that will produce drone components free of Chinese parts. The joint venture will establish production lines in Ukraine and Croatia, leveraging Ukraine’s battlefield‑tested...
Automation Anywhere Reports 61% of Q4 Software Bookings From AI as Enterprises Deploy Agentic AI to Run Core Business Functions
Automation Anywhere reported that AI‑powered offerings accounted for 61% of its Q4 software bookings, signaling a decisive shift from AI pilots to production‑scale deployments. The company saw double‑digit growth in non‑GAAP ARR and RPO, and its $1 million‑plus ARR customer base...
Why UiPath Is Re-Designing Its Platform Around Agents that Build Automations, Not Just Run Them
UiPath is redesigning its automation platform around coding agents that create, deploy, and self‑heal workflows, shifting the focus from execution to design. The new approach embeds AI‑driven agents into the development lifecycle, expanding the user base beyond specialist RPA developers...
Reliable Robotics Completes Detect and Avoid Testing for the FAA
Reliable Robotics announced the completion of a Federal Aviation Administration contract to conduct Detect and Avoid (DAA) flight tests using its ACAS X‑based system around Hollister Municipal Airport. The campaign, performed with Virginia Tech and partners Sagetech, Collins and uAvionix, generated...
Mujin Launches Software Subscription for Robotics, Shifting Automation to a Recurring Software Model
Mujin Corp. announced a subscription‑based model for its flagship MujinOS operating system, moving away from traditional one‑time licensing. The service delivers continuous software upgrades, dedicated remote support, and performance dashboards, initially for the Single SKU Palletizing application with Standard and...
Smart Manufacturing: How IoT Is Transforming Industrial Operations
Smart manufacturing is reshaping factories by fusing IoT sensors, edge computing and advanced analytics into a unified, data‑driven architecture. Real‑time visibility enables predictive maintenance, production optimization and digital‑twin simulations, while private 5G and edge AI improve latency and reliability. The...
One Million Industrial Vehicles Charged in North America and Beyond by Delta to Advance Electrified Automated Logistics
Delta announced that its MOOV Series charging solutions have powered more than one million industrial vehicles across North America and globally. The portfolio spans 1‑30 kW conductive and inductive systems, including the MOOVair wireless chargers and the modular MOOVbase fast‑charging stations....
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Medline (Nasdaq: MDLN) has launched Pick Pack Pro™, an automated fulfillment system at its Montgomery, N.Y., distribution center. The technology combines robotics, conveyor sortation and right‑size packaging to handle high‑volume, narrow‑catalog orders for health plan members. By optimizing order batching...
Robotaxi Firms Refuse Senate Request for Remote‑operator Intervention Data
Seven robotaxi firms—Aurora, May Mobility, Motional, Nuro, Tesla, Waymo and Zoox—have refused Sen. Ed Markey’s request for data on remote assistance operator (RAO) interventions. The denial intensifies a Senate‑led probe into safety oversight and data transparency for autonomous‑vehicle platforms.
Stealth RQ-180 Drone Spotted Near Greece's Larisa Air Base, Confirming U.S. Recon Ops
A rare video released by The Aviationist shows the secretive Northrop Grumman RQ-180 stealth surveillance drone approaching Larisa Air Base in Greece. The sighting confirms the base as a forward operating location for the platform, underscoring heightened U.S. intelligence activity...
Tennant Rolls Out X16 SWEEP for Round-the-Clock Autonomous Sweeping
Tennant announced the X16 SWEEP, its first autonomous floor‑sweeping robot from a major cleaning brand, targeting warehouses, logistics hubs and light‑manufacturing sites. Powered by Brain Corp’s BrainOS, the machine combines AI‑driven path planning, visual intelligence and a DustShield system that...
Kraken Robotics Demonstrates KATFISH Autonomous Launch and Recovery From SEFINE USV
Kraken Robotics successfully integrated its KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar and autonomous launch and recovery system (LARS) onto SEFINE’s RD‑22 unmanned surface vessel during a Q1 2026 demonstration off Istanbul. The system delivered 3 cm × 3 cm resolution sonar imagery at a 200‑meter...
Beyond GenAI: How Agentic AI Is Redefining the Human-Machine Relationship in Food Manufacturing
Agentic AI is emerging as autonomous digital co‑workers on food‑manufacturing shop floors, moving beyond generative AI tools. These agents can assess conditions, troubleshoot issues, and detect anomalies, boosting uptime and operational insight. Manufacturers are adopting a human‑in‑the‑loop model to keep...
WUR Develops Simulated Greenhouse Environment for Faster Robot Development
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is building a simulated greenhouse digital twin to test tomato‑harvesting robots. The environment combines 3D plant models with robot dynamics, reproducing growth, leaf orientation and fruit placement variations. Partnering with DENSO and Certhon, the simulation...
From Spraying to Decision Support: How Data Turns UAVs Into Climate Tools
The piece outlines how commercial agricultural UAVs are evolving from simple sprayers to data‑driven decision‑support platforms. By systematically capturing flight, nozzle, weather and outcome data, operators can apply machine‑learning models to predict optimal parameters, reducing water, chemical and energy use...
New Ukrainian Armed Sea Drone Spotted Near Russian Base
A previously unseen Ukrainian sea drone equipped with a remote‑controlled machine‑gun mount was observed during an attempted attack on Russia's Novorossiysk naval base. Russian footage shows the unmanned surface vessel being hit and destroyed by a Lancet loitering munition, with...
PASCO Marks 50 Years in Industrial Automation
PASCO, founded in 1976 to automate heavy drum handling, has evolved from a single hydraulic palletizer into a full‑line automation integrator. By embracing robotics in the early 2000s, the company now embeds robots in 97% of its systems, dramatically boosting...
Airbility, iBuzz, KILSA Partner to Develop High-Speed Security eVTOLs
South Korean eVTOL developer Airbility has signed an MoU with Thailand’s NT iBuzz, SmartOkO Thailand, and Singapore‑based KILSA Global to develop high‑speed, security‑focused unmanned aircraft. The partnership will combine Airbility’s high‑speed eVTOL platform with iBuzz’s secure communications, SmartOkO’s AI video‑analytics,...
Is Private 5G the Key to Scaling AI in Manufacturing
Manufacturers are hitting a data‑connectivity ceiling that limits AI adoption, and private 5G is emerging as the solution. The technology offers ultra‑low latency, high capacity, and secure coverage for thousands of sensors and cameras, enabling real‑time automation and digitalization at...
Humanoid AI Must Earn Trust in Real‑World Life
Humanoid robots are improving fast. What’s changing isn’t just capability, it’s proximity. AI is moving from screens into physical spaces, where it can act, assist, and interact in real environments. That raises a different set of questions. Not about performance in demos. But about reliability...
Record Your Chores to Teach Future Home Robots
How filming your chores could train the android butlers of the future https://t.co/LDpB30sx4c The dream of deploying humanoid robots in every home has created a new type of job. The only requirements are a head strap, a smartphone and a...
Indian Navy Probing Feasibility of Drones for Reloading VLS at Sea
The Indian Navy has issued a problem statement, REARM‑D, seeking a multi‑rotor drone capable of reloading surface‑to‑air missiles into vertical launch system (VLS) cells at sea. The UAV must carry over 900 kg, stay aloft for more than two hours, and...
Robots Climb Ceilings and Walls in Warehouses
Gravity-Defying #Robotic #Warehouse System: Ceiling- and Wall-Climbing #Automation via @ZappyZappy7 #Robot #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/ks5DdvJcWX
Intel Partners with Musk on Terafab AI Chips
Intel joins Musk's Terafab AI chip project to power humanoid, data center goals “One facility would power cars and humanoid robots, while the other would be designed for AI data centers in space, Musk had said.” https://t.co/tCGZgjWZ72 @intel https://t.co/M5L1Q6Njr6
The Hidden System Turning Chinese Tech Companies Into Military Suppliers
Chinese robot maker Unitree, which controls over 60% of the global quadruped market, has been quietly integrated into China’s military‑civil fusion system despite an earlier anti‑weaponization pledge. State designations, tax breaks and university procurement channels have funneled its affordable robot...
Lyft to Operate Waymo Robotaxis in Nashville
You'll be able to get these Nashville Waymos from both Lyft and Waymo app, once the service expands. Lyft will handle the fleet's readiness and maintenance, charging, and depot ops. I'll write more on the dynamics in my Robotaxi Report on Thursday,...
Automating Tasks Creates a Need for Evaluation Agents
“as soon as you create an agent to automate some task, you will need a second agent to evaluate the work done.” https://t.co/Bw6gVndmBW #AI #CIO
T-MOTOR Launches MN11-13 Series for Industrial Heavy-Lift Drones
T‑Motor has introduced the MN11‑13 series, a line of heavy‑lift motors designed for industrial multirotor drones weighing 50 kg to 140 kg. The motors feature an IP45 dual dust‑proof net, an integrated die‑cast heat sink that lowers winding temperatures by 5‑8 °C, and...
Mobile Robot Maps Environment Instantly in Real Time
Watch a Mobile #Robot Map Its Environment in Real Time by @lukas_m_ziegler #EmergingTech #Innovation #TechForGood #Technology https://t.co/NIqSp8bLDQ
Driving Exams May Boost Trust in Autonomous Cars
Can driving exams for autonomous cars increase the trustworthiness of these systems? A recent Focus discusses whether this model could build trust without shifting responsibility away from manufacturers. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/iwDfY6PZZb
Big-D Expands Construction Operations with FieldAI as Robotics Adoption Accelerates
US construction firm Big‑D Construction is scaling its partnership with robotics provider FieldAI, moving from pilot tests to broader deployment across multiple sites. FieldAI’s map‑free, GPS‑independent robots can perform inspection, documentation, and material handling, integrating with Big‑D’s existing digital platforms....
X7 Humanoid Robot Streamlines Hospital Medication Dispensing
Meet X7: The Humanoid #Robot Helping Dispense Medicines in Hospitals by @CyberRobooo #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #AI #ML https://t.co/XwQfzq5NNf
HII and GMR Join Forces on Physical AI for Manned and Unmanned Shipbuilding
HII and GrayMatter Robotics (GMR) signed an MOU to embed GMR’s Physical AI into HII’s shipbuilding lines, targeting tasks such as sanding, grinding, blasting, coating and inspection. The partnership will explore autonomous shipbuilding, technology integration, workforce training, and scaling of...
First Defeat, Then Half a Billion Losses for Russia. Shield AI Targets Poland
Shield AI CEO Brandon Tseng admitted early UAV failures in Ukraine’s 2022‑23 electronic‑warfare environment, but the company has since fielded AI‑piloted V‑BAT drones that can operate without GPS or communications. With $1.7 billion invested, Shield AI now offers Poland a cost‑effective,...
DJI Confirms End-of-Support Timeline for Mavic 2, Matrice 600 Drones
DJI announced that support for the Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 2 Enterprise Zoom, Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual and the Matrice 600 Pro will end by May 29 2026, with the Mavic 2 Pro lasting until August 31 2026. After those dates the company will stop providing technical assistance, repairs, and parts. These models have...
Europe’s First Robotaxi Service Set for Zagreb via Uber, Pony.ai & Verne
Uber, Pony.ai and Verne have formed a three‑way partnership to launch Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb. The rollout will use Pony.ai’s Gen‑7 autonomous driving system on Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicles, with Verne handling fleet ownership, regulatory approvals and day‑to‑day...
Red Cat & Ukraine’s Spetstechnoexport Partner to Advance Multi-Domain Robotics
Red Cat Holdings has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s state‑owned Spetstechnoexport (STE) to co‑develop multi‑domain unmanned and robotic systems. The partnership creates a formal framework for joint technology integration, production scaling, and export coordination across aerial, ground and...
DroneShield Advances Decision Advantage with Q2 2026 Software Release as Drone Threats Scale Globally
DroneShield released its Q2 2026 software suite, adding a new ATAK‑CIV plugin that lets users receive RfLink data without installing additional software. The update expands the RfAI emitter library, improves Remote ID performance, and introduces emitter prioritization and frequency‑band power control...
Designing Supply Chains for Measurable ROI, Improved Automation
Warehouse leaders are rushing into robotics and high‑density storage without first defining success metrics, cleaning processes, or ensuring data integrity. This strategic misalignment leaves 92% of supply‑chain executives reporting that automation investments fall short of expected ROI. Experts advise a...
Ukrainian Troops Flew a Cat and a Dog 7.5 Miles by Drone to Evacuate Them From the Front Lines, Animal...
Ukrainian troops used a small FPV drone to transport a cat and a dog 7.5 miles from the front lines to a shelter, according to animal‑rights group UAnimals. The operation followed the injury of a soldier who had been caring...