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
Tutor Intelligence Trains Picking, Palletizing Robots in Data Factory
Tutor Intelligence has launched DF1, a "Data Factory" of 100 bimanual robots that learn through real‑world tele‑operation rather than simulation. Remote tutors in Mexico and the Philippines guide the robots, enabling policy evaluation 100 times faster than traditional methods. The company also unveiled Cassie, a mobile manipulator that can be deployed in two days and picks up to 14 cases per minute, offered on a usage‑based RaaS model priced at $14‑$18 per hour. Tutor recently secured $34 million in Series A funding to scale the fleet.
Aptiv and Comau to Co-Develop Next-Generation Solutions for Robotics, Automation
Aptiv PLC and Comau have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co‑develop next‑generation intelligent automation solutions. The partnership will focus on advanced robotics, autonomous systems, and AI‑enabled warehouse and logistics platforms, leveraging Aptiv’s perception, compute and software portfolio with Comau’s...
Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Ojai Robotaxi Service in Phoenix
Waymo has started fully autonomous operations of its Ojai robotaxi fleet in the Phoenix area, marking the first driver‑free runs of the next‑generation vehicle. The service precedes a planned ride‑hailing launch later this year, expanding Waymo’s testing footprint that began...
U.S. Army Awards AeroVironment $110 M Prototype Contract for Switchblade 400 LASSO
AeroVironment secured a prototype contract for its Switchblade 400 loitering munition under the Army’s Low‑Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. The award positions the system as a key component of a $110 million procurement effort aimed at giving mobile brigade combat...
Hyundai Pushes for Tens of Thousands of Boston Dynamics Atlas Robots, Accelerating Mass Production
Hyundai Motor Group, which controls Boston Dynamics, has asked the robotics firm to deliver tens of thousands of Atlas humanoid robots within the next few years. The demand follows a CES showcase of a production‑ready Atlas and comes as Boston...
The Future of Automation Returns to Chicago with 1,000+ Exhibitors and 200 Speakers
Automate 2026 returns to Chicago June 22‑25, expecting over 50,000 visitors, more than 1,000 exhibitors and 200 speakers. Hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation, the show will showcase robotics, AI, motion control, digital twins, and vision systems. Highlights include...
Report: How Public Safety Agencies Can Tap Drones to Protect Major Events
Public safety officials are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will draw an estimated 5 million visitors to 11 U.S. cities. A Center for Internet Security report warns that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) could be used by malicious actors...
Automate Your Tuesday Tasks in Five Minutes
Taco Tuesday energy but make it: automate the thing you do manually every Tuesday. What’s one task you keep doing by hand that a script could handle in 5 minutes?”
Mouser Electronics Shipping Wide Selection of Industrial Solutions From Schneider Electric
Mouser Electronics has expanded its global catalog to include more than 27,000 Schneider Electric parts, covering tower lights, solid‑state relays, variable‑frequency drives and PLCs. The partnership gives engineers instant access to Schneider’s digital‑automation and energy‑management solutions across Mouser’s fast‑shipping network....
Transforming Inventory Operations
Lapp USA, a distributor of industrial cables and accessories, deployed Corvus Robotics' Corvus One autonomous inventory drones in its 134,000‑square‑foot Brownsburg, Indiana facility. The drones perform nightly scans, turning a labor‑intensive, twice‑yearly manual count into 26 accurate inventories per year....
Armory Gets ₹100 Cr Defence Ministry Order For Counter Drone Systems
Armory, a defence‑tech startup founded in 2024, landed a ₹100 Cr ($10.5 M) order from India’s defence ministry to supply its AI‑powered counter‑UAS platform, SURGE. The system leverages the proprietary Samaritan OS to scan environments millions of times per second, learn new...
AI and Robotics Leaders to Headline Automate 2026
The Association for Advancing Automation announced the keynote lineup for Automate 2026, the largest North American robotics and automation trade show, scheduled for June 22‑25 in Chicago. Industry heavyweights from Siemens Digital Industries and Standard Bots will lead sessions on AI‑driven automation,...
Robotics to Make Healthy Food Affordable and Scalable
How do you make the world healthier? Make healthy food convenient and affordable. Rethink restaurants from the ground up with robotics to increase margins. Scale. If this mission excites you, they are currently looking for a Head of Operations to join...
Woolpert and Chance Maritime in Uncrewed Hydrographic Survey First
Woolpert and Chance Maritime have launched NOAA's first fully uncrewed offshore hydrographic survey off Pensacola, Florida, using the 40‑foot MC40 and 29‑foot MC29 unmanned surface vessels equipped with Woolpert’s multibeam sonar. The mission will capture 1,391 square nautical miles of...
Foreign Firms Invest $175 M in Shanghai Manufacturing Hubs, Doubling New FIEs YoY
Foreign companies are accelerating capital inflows into Shanghai’s manufacturing ecosystem, highlighted by ZEISS’s $174.9 million campus and Estée Lauder’s new lights‑out supply‑chain center. The city recorded a 14.1% rise in newly established foreign‑invested enterprises in the first two months of 2024,...
As US Eyes Smaller Military Footprint in Europe, New Unit Trains for Drone Warfare
The U.S. Army has created Eerie Company, a new unit stationed in Germany to train troops on drone and electronic‑warfare tactics. Acting as an opposing force at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, the company uses FPV drones modeled on Ukrainian...
ABB Robotics Launches PickMaster Lite to Simplify & Accelerate Robotic Picking
ABB Robotics introduced PickMaster Lite, a streamlined version of its PickMaster suite aimed at simplifying high‑speed, vision‑guided robotic picking for packaging OEMs and system integrators. The software reduces engineering effort by 30% and cuts commissioning time by 25% through pre‑configured...
Rockwell, Teradyne, Tesla See Automation Demand Despite Uncertainty
U.S. automation leaders Rockwell Automation, Teradyne and Tesla reported strong demand despite macro uncertainty. Rockwell posted $2.2 billion in Q2 sales, a 12% year‑over‑year rise, with intelligent‑device margins climbing to 20.9% and software margins to 34.9%. Teradyne’s robotics division saw revenue...
EU Invites Firms to Join New Ukraine Drone Alliance
The European Union has opened a call for companies to join a new EU‑Ukraine drone alliance, with registration open until May 25, 2026. The industry‑led initiative aims to pool manufacturers, start‑ups and end‑users from the EU single market and Ukraine to...
TDK Ventures' $500M AI Play Targets Inference Chips and Rugged Robots
Nicolas Sauvage is steering TDK Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Japanese electronics giant TDK, with a $500 million portfolio that backs low‑profile AI infrastructure such as inference chips, solid‑state grid transformers and warehouse robots. His four‑year horizon strategy aims to...
China's AI‑Enabled ‘Wolf Pack’ Drone Swarms Target Taiwan Conflict
A Foundation for Defense of Democracies report reveals China is developing AI‑powered quadruped “wolf pack” drones designed for scouting, supply and combat support in a possible Taiwan invasion. The analysis warns the systems could lower the political and military costs...
Iron Insider: No Operators? No Problem. Bluelight Machine's $50K Autonomy Kit Can Boost Productivity Up to 14%
Blue Light Machines introduced a retrofit autonomy kit for existing rollers and haul trucks, priced between $40,000 and $50,000 and installable in roughly two hours with four‑minute training. The AI‑powered system claims up to a 14% boost in site‑wide production...
How Advanced Collision Repair Technology Is Transforming Vehicle Restoration
Advanced collision repair is evolving from manual labor to a high‑tech process driven by robotics, AI, and precise diagnostic tools. Automation and digital shop‑management platforms streamline estimates, parts ordering, and workflow, reducing human error and turnaround time. Integrated ADAS sensor...
Patients Become Beta Testers and Co‑Engineers of Bionics
"These users aren’t just patients—they’re the beta testers and co-engineers of the bionic age." https://spectrum.ieee.org/assistive-technology?share_id=9387900
Roomba Creator Reveals Cuddly Robot Built to Read Human Emotions
iRobot co‑founder Colin Angle introduced Familiar, a fluffy prototype robot designed to sense human emotions through tone, body language, and facial cues. Unlike the Roomba vacuum, Familiar aims to build a relational bond, adjusting its behavior to individual users. The...
Bionic Tech Must Prove Itself Beyond the Lab
IEEE Spectrum’s special report examines bionic assistive tech through the eyes of users, not just lab demos. It follows exoskeleton pioneer Robert Woo, who after 15 years of testing highlights real‑world glitches such as safety sensors stopping on a slight...
RBA Webinar to Explain the Value of Cookie Automation
On May 6, the Retail Bakers of America hosted a webinar titled “Automating Your Cookie Production: Make Equipment Decisions with Confidence.” Dan DaRochá, president of Erika Baking Equipment, walked participants through automation options for various cookie types and matched them to...
Robin Radar Accelerates Delivery of IRIS Drone Detection Radars to the Gulf Region
Robin Radar Systems has rapidly delivered its IRIS 3D drone‑detection radars to Gulf states, meeting urgent security needs. The compact, mobile units provide 360° coverage and can detect small drones up to 12 km, integrating seamlessly with existing counter‑UAS architectures. The...
Call for Counter-Drone Tech to Protect Infrastructure Receives High Volume of Proposals
UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has opened a competition for counter‑UAS solutions to protect critical national infrastructure, receiving a high volume of proposals that delayed its assessment timeline. The feedback release has been pushed to 24 June 2026, with contracts expected to...
DARPA Wants Robots that Compute with Their Bodies' Material
DARPA has issued a request for information on a program called “Rethinking robotics with physical intelligence,” seeking materials that embed sensing, computation and actuation directly into a robot’s structure. The aim is to collapse processing loops so robots can react...
Kuka Launches Automation Management Platform
Kuka Group introduced its Automation Management Platform (AMP) at Nvidia’s GTC conference, positioning it as the core of the company’s AI‑first robotics strategy. The platform creates a unified layer between AI agents and physical hardware, translating high‑level intent into safe,...
Ukraine Could Lift Arms-Exports Ban This Year as Would-Be Buyers Line Up
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov are drafting regulations to lift the country's ban on arms exports. The government aims to sign its first export contracts by the end of 2026, focusing on drones,...
MERLIC 26.03: From Machine Vision Software to a Scalable Vision Framework
MVTec released MERLIC 26.03 on March 26 2026, turning its flagship machine‑vision product into a full‑stack framework. The update blends rule‑based and AI‑driven methods with a drag‑and‑drop UI, unified acquisition‑processing‑visualisation environment, and plug‑ins for major PLC brands. New error‑detection, image‑source management, and Frontend...
Factory Realities Clash with Idealized Robotics Narratives
Met a production manager last week from a factory of southeast Germany. Third generation running the place…. 340 employees. They stamp precision parts for Tier 1 automotive suppliers. He knows automation is coming. He’d done his research. Read the articles,...
Beihang Unveils 2 Cm Microbot Achieving Ultrafast Untethered Speed
Beihang University Unveils 2 cm Microbot with Ultrafast Untethered Speed via @WevolverApp #AI #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence https://t.co/BN6RijA61e
Schaeffler Forecasts Huge Orders for Humanoid Robotics by 2030
German parts supplier Schaeffler said its humanoid robotics division expects to build an order book worth hundreds of millions of euros (roughly $215 million) by 2030. The company is already working with about 45 robotics players worldwide and has five customer...
Japan's Drone Push Could Redefine Global Warfare
As Japan leans into defense exports, it could very well reshape modern warfare and emerge as a leading global drone power. #japan #militarytechnology #geopolitics https://t.co/t874Q096CX
China’s Hyper‑Automated Factories Build a Car Every 30 Seconds
China’s Hyper-#Automated Auto Plants: One Car Every 30 Seconds Rolls Off the Line by @Eng_china5 #Robotics #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/LWot8ymHwq
Volkswagen Launches Fully Automated 'Gamechanger' Production Line at Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Group has begun testing a fully automated production system, code‑named Gamechanger, at its Wolfsburg headquarters. The initiative combines AI‑driven robotics, megacasting and “unboxed” manufacturing to slash costs and help the automaker meet its goal of producing affordable electric vehicles...
Today's AI Robots Hint at 2030's Possibilities
This is what AI powered robots can do today, imagine their capabilities by 2030. https://t.co/VJVnZvYBPq
Hyper-Realistic Robots Powered by AI Redefine Innovation
The Rise of Hyper-Realistic #Robots Powered by #AI by @Khulood_Almani #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/hoXRe7WoPh
Protesters Push Portland to Investigate Firm that Appears to Supply Drone Tech to Israel
Portland anti‑war activists are urging city officials to investigate local AI firm Sightline Intelligence after cargo records showed its video‑processing boards shipped to Israel’s Elbit Systems, a major drone supplier to the Israeli military. The activists argue the technology violates...
CSAIL Revives 80s Three‑s
In the '80s, future MIT prof. Bill Freeman envisioned a three-sided zipper that could switch items between soft & rigid states. Last year, CSAIL revived his idea w/an automated design tool. It 3D prints "Y-zippers" that snap gear, robots, & art...
Large AI Models Gain Spatial Intelligence for Complex Robot Manipulation
A new Science #Robotics study endows large AI models with spatial intelligence, enabling them to guide robots through complex manipulation tasks such as orienting objects towards a camera or rearranging spoons to align them perfectly. https://t.co/HtYuOHGgTd https://t.co/5pEPLQOHeM
AI100 Finalist Interview: AMESA
AMESA, a provider of industrial AI, argues it belongs on the AI 100 because it delivers physical AI for autonomy. Unlike typical AI that offers generic insights, AMESA uses machine teaching where experts train AI on edge cases via simulation, digital...
Low‑cost Propeller Counter‑drone Systems Losing Appeal
„The entire concept of low-cost, counter-drone defense based on propeller-driven systems no longer looks as promising as it did two to three years ago.“ https://t.co/GLf73lHc5a
AI100 Finalist Interview: Humanoid
Humanoid, an AI-driven humanoid robotics startup, aims to become the top general‑purpose robot provider for industrial use within two years. The company boasts rapid hardware cycles, delivering an alpha robot in seven months and a bipedal version in five months—speeds...
Plaid Technologies Provides Update on Graphene Coating Initiative for Drone Systems
Plaid Technologies announced that it has supplied a batch of high‑purity graphene material to Dr. Ian Flint for testing as part of its collaboration with Graphene Nano Works. The partnership is evaluating graphene‑based coatings to improve thermal management, durability, radar...
Drone Business Owners to Share Insights on the Roadmap to Success
Commercial UAV News is hosting a free 60‑minute webinar on May 12, 2026, titled “Operator to Operator: The Honest Guide to Running an Independent Drone Business.” The panel features Robert Hart of Lidar Drone Services, Dan Tartaglia of DroneAbility LLC, and...
WaiV Robotics Emerges From Stealth with €6.4 Million to Develop Autonomous UAV Landing Infrastructure
British startup WaiV Robotics raised €6.4 million ($7.5 million) in seed funding as it emerges from stealth to commercialise an autonomous landing and take‑off platform for VTOL drones on moving vessels. The gyro‑stabilised, AI‑driven system can recover drones up to 15 kg on...