Today's Robotics Pulse
Anduril lands $5B financing, the largest private defense investment ever
U.S. defense‑tech startup Anduril secured a $5 billion financing round, marking the biggest private investment in defense to date. The funding will be used to scale autonomous drones and edge‑AI systems. In 2025, private‑equity and venture capital poured $10.63 billion into AI‑driven defense while global public defense budgets hit a record $2.89 trillion.
Also developing:
Alibaba Eyes Physical World with Its First Suite of AI Models for Robots
Alibaba Group unveiled the Qwen Robot Suite, its first suite of AI models designed for robots, marking a shift from chat‑based AI to embodied intelligence. Developed by Tongyi Lab, the suite combines navigation, world‑modeling and manipulation capabilities and is already in pilot testing with Alibaba Cloud enterprise clients. The manipulation model, Qwen‑RobotManip, topped the RoboChallenge benchmark with a 59.83 process score and 45% task‑success rate. Alibaba’s move underscores China’s push to pair its hardware strengths with advanced AI software for robotics.
Diffusion Policies Enable Fast, Precise, Safe Robot Assembly
Faster, cheaper robot deployment in factories? A post-training framework for diffusion policies that uses self-rollouts and physical constraints to achieve safety alignment in robotics without extra demos, rewards, or human interventions... The ICML 2026 Spotlight paper from Tsinghua PhD student Lingxuan...
Wing-Shape Tests Could Unlock Smoother Water-to-Air Drone Launches
Researchers at the University of Central Florida are experimenting with different wing shapes to smooth the water‑to‑air transition, known as egress, for unmanned aerial vehicles. Using a water tank and 3‑D‑printed wings, they observed lift overshoot followed by a sharp...
Taiwan Excellence Pavilion Brings Edge AI, Robotics and Smart Manufacturing Technology to Automate 2026
The Taiwan Excellence Pavilion will showcase 23 Taiwanese companies at Automate 2026 in Chicago, highlighting edge AI, robotics, and smart manufacturing technologies. Organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and TAITRA, the pavilion aims to position Taiwan as a trusted partner...
Research: Warehouse Workers Do Best when They Switch Between Co-Bots
A new study from Erasmus University shows warehouse workers achieve higher productivity when they rotate among multiple autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) rather than staying paired with a single robot. Analyzing over 12,000 simulated scenarios, the research found that a flexible...
Red Cat Introduces Hellcat™, a Global Small UAS Configuration Built on the Proven Black Widow™ Platform
Red Cat Holdings unveiled Hellcat™, a dual‑use small unmanned aircraft system built on its Black Widow platform, at Eurosatory 2026. The system incorporates warfighter feedback, especially from Ukraine, and follows a Modular Open Systems Architecture for rapid configuration and software...
South Korea Embraces AI From Caregiving Robots to Monk Replicas
From eldercare robots to humanoid monks, South Koreans just can’t get enough of AI. https://trib.al/j4y6em1
Colorado Drone Chargers Unveils the Ultimate Power Solution for the Skydio X10: Featuring New OMNI FLUX Technology
Colorado Drone Chargers (CDC) launched a portable rapid‑charging system tailored for the Skydio X10 drone. The new Skydio X10 charger can replenish four batteries in roughly one hour, thanks to CDC’s proprietary OMNI FLUX board. OMNI FLUX delivers 90% power efficiency, intelligent...
Flexiv to Unveil Next-Generation Adaptive Robots at Automate 2026
Flexiv announced the international launch of two new robots, Enlight and MICO, at Automate 2026. Enlight is a seven‑axis arm with whole‑body touch sensitivity, while MICO pairs two Enlight arms into a modular dual‑arm humanoid system. Both platforms feature force‑controlled AI,...
From Public Works to Public Safety: How to Structure Your Agency’s Drone Program
The Oregon Public Agency UAS Operations and Policy Manual offers a customizable framework for state and local governments to launch drone programs safely and legally. It outlines governance structures, safety management systems, and required federal and state compliance, including FAA...
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Backflipping Robot Dog Joins California Fire Department for Rescue Missions
The San Bernardino County Fire Department has added a backflipping quadruped robot from HawkRobo to its emergency‑response fleet. The compact robot will be deployed for interior mapping, situational awareness, and transporting air‑monitoring equipment in hazardous or collapsed structures. Its ability to...
AI Robots Can Go Rogue – a Researcher on How Easily It Happens
A humanoid robot recently shattered the half‑marathon world record by running a pre‑mapped course in 50 minutes, 26 seconds, showcasing the rapid progress of AI‑driven robotics. Researchers, however, demonstrated that the same flexibility that powers these feats also creates a...
Romark Logistics Improves Warehouse Visibility with DexoryView
Romark Logistics has deployed DexoryView, Dexory Inc.'s full‑stack platform that blends autonomous mobile robots, AI and digital‑twin technology, to achieve real‑time inventory visibility at its Hazelton, Pa., warehouse. The system conducts cycle counts between shifts, eliminating the need to pause...
MoD’s In-Principle Approval for ₹500 Cr National Military Drone Technology Hub at IIT Kanpur
The Ministry of Defence has given in‑principle approval for a ₹500 crore (≈ $60 million) National Military Drone Technology Hub at IIT Kanpur. The hub will provide end‑to‑end capabilities—including design, testing, certification, data links, ground stations and counter‑drone systems—under a civil‑military fusion model....
AI, Robotics and Automated Mining: The Future of Excavators and Mining Machinery Parts
The mining industry is rapidly adopting AI‑driven excavators and driverless trucks, turning automation into a mainstream operational model. Major OEMs such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi and Terex now offer intelligent haul trucks and excavators equipped with autonomous navigation and real‑time...
Watch: Korean Humanoid Robot Performs Viral K-POP Dance, Learns By Watching Videos
South Korean robotics firm ROBOTIS demonstrated its AI Sapiens humanoid robot learning a complex K‑POP dance solely from a smartphone video. The system combines video‑based motion capture, motion retargeting, reinforcement‑learning simulation, and Sim2Real transfer, eliminating the need for expensive motion‑capture...
NVIDIA MotionBricks Delivers Real-Time Humanoid Motion
NVIDIA’s MotionBricks is a glimpse of where humanoid robotics is heading. 15,000 FPS motion generation, 2ms latency, and 350K motion skills from a single neural model. No animation graphs. No task-specific fine-tuning. Just real-time movement generated from high-level goals. This is now...
Entangled Robotic Matter with Cohesive Motion
Cornell engineers unveiled the Cross‑Link Collective, a swarm of dozens of 20 cm‑by‑2 cm modules that physically entangle and reshape to move as a cohesive material. Each unit oscillates between “I” and “U” shapes and latches via Velcro, allowing the group to...
Interview: Parallel Systems CEO Matt Soule on Building ‘the World’s First Autonomous Freight Rail System’
Parallel Systems, led by former SpaceX engineer Matt Soule, is building the world’s first autonomous battery‑electric freight rail system. The Los Angeles startup has raised more than $100 million and is conducting commercial tests with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad in Georgia under FRA...
Unified Multimodal Rig Enables Precise Physical AI Training
A multimodal data capture rig built for Physical AI training: Synchronizing RGB video, stereo IR depth, real-time 3D hand reconstruction, and 23x20 tactile pressure grids from sensor gloves during a cucumber-slicing task. The video from Grace Zhang visualizes aligned streams: Top-left RGB...
Humanoid Robot R1 Guides Turin Art Visitors
Meet R1: The Humanoid #Robot Guiding Visitors Through Historic Art in Turin by @CyberRobooo #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/BcAGUuxVVQ
ARK Electronics Unveils ARKV6S NDAA-Compliant Flight Controller for UAV & Robotics Applications
ARK Electronics has launched the ARKV6S flight controller, a compact, US‑made, NDAA‑compliant autopilot for UAV and robotics. Built around the Pixhawk Autopilot Bus and supporting PX4 and ArduPilot, it offers a 480 MHz STM32H743IIK6 processor, 2 MB flash, 1 MB RAM, and industrial‑grade...
Eggie: A Robot Designed for Human‑Centered Futures
Eggie: The #Robot Built for a Human-Centered World by @tangiblerobots #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #DeepLearning https://t.co/z9gVofLexs
Albion: What Today’s UGVs Look Like Under The Hood
Ukrainian firm IMLA showcased the Albion unmanned ground vehicle, a 4×4 platform weighing about 320 kg that can transport up to 400 kg of payload (600 kg peak). The robot features a modular, IP55‑rated enclosure, quick‑swap 11 kWh lithium‑ion batteries, and a LiDAR‑driven autonomous...
From Digital Twins to Industrial AI: Building the Machine Information System
Industrial digital twins are moving beyond static 3‑D visualizations toward fully integrated Machine Information Systems (MIS) that combine live sensor data, MES context, structured documentation, and spatial awareness. This shift is driven by the need for faster fault diagnosis, better...
CEO Interview with Mike Horton CEO of HYFIX
HYFIX designs American‑made, integrated chips that combine flight control, positioning, communications, and onboard intelligence for drones and autonomous robots. The company aims to replace fragmented, multi‑vendor hardware stacks with a single platform that is lighter, more power‑efficient, and easier to...
Capra Robotics Launches Versatile Mobile Robot Platform
Capra #Robotics Unveils Advanced Mobile #Robot Platform for Industrial and Urban Operations via @WevolverApp #Robots #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/MwDGxGWqBd
Can This $125K Robot Be My Friend?
Business Insider examined 1X and Unitree, two firms pouring millions into $125,000‑price‑point robot companions. Both aim to create machines that converse and move naturally, yet they wrestle with technical hurdles such as fluid motion, realistic speech, and the uncanny‑valley effect....
XPeng Is Getting Serious About Physical AI as Its CEO Takes Over the Robotics Division
XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng is assuming direct control of the company’s robotics division as it prepares to mass‑produce its IRON humanoid robot. The IRON robot is slated for production this year with commercial sales targeted for China and overseas next...
Industrial Automation Embraces Wireless Over Wired Systems
The Shift From Wired to #Wireless in Industrial #Automation by @MouserElec #Engineering #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology #Tech https://t.co/N98PUSCHd0
Drone Use Could Skyrocket After the FAA Changes This Rule
The FAA is set to adopt Part 108, a rule that will allow drones to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for aircraft under 55 pounds. This regulatory shift removes the current visual‑line‑of‑sight requirement that limits range and endurance, opening the...
T1: Low‑Cost Wheeled Humanoid Handles Delicate Tasks
Meet T1: Astribot’s Affordable Wheeled Humanoid #Robot Built for Delicate Tasks by @IntEngineering #AI #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/7Ea7nz549p
Negative Pressure Powers Logic in Soft Silicone Clock
This 4-digit silicone clock driven by just 11 solenoid valves using microfluidics illustrates how negative pressure can serve as both the power source and the logic layer for soft machines. See how it was made: https://spectrum.ieee.org/soft-robotics-2676960499
Romania Asks Ukraine To Add Self-Destruct Function To Stray Drones, After One Exploded At Its Port
Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta has asked Ukraine to program its maritime drones with a self‑destruct feature that activates if a drone drifts into Romanian territorial waters. The request follows a Magura‑type kamikaze sea drone that exploded in the Black...
Skydio Introduces Robotic Arm for Automated Drone Launch
Skydio Unveils #Robotic Arm System for #Automated #Drone Launch and Mid-Air Recovery by @spaceandtech_ #SpaceTech #Tech #Technology #EmergingTech #Space https://t.co/4Vaq3Al37N
Mind‑controlled Robots via New Brain‑computer Interface
This Brain-Computer Interface Lets Humans Control #Robots With Their Minds by @FourierRobots #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology https://t.co/QPg471vhms
Soft Robots Get a Tiny Soft Pump to Move Their Bodies
Researchers at the University of Bristol unveiled the Liquid Metal Magnetohydrodynamic Actuator (LIMA) pump, a pea‑sized, 0.2‑gram soft pump that creates hydraulic pressure using a liquid‑metal droplet and a tiny magnet. Operating at less than 0.1 volts, the pump replaces bulky...
"Flying Beer Cooler": Pentagon's Next Kamikaze Drone Ushers In Era Of Cheap Mass-Produced Airpower
Defense startup DZYNE Technologies unveiled the Blitz drone, a fixed‑wing, foam‑molded aircraft that costs about $1,000 and can travel 80‑150 km. The company also introduced BlitzBox, a standard shipping container capable of autonomously launching up to 100 Blitz drones for swarm...
NASA’s Most Important Robot Arm Broke – Can Astronauts Repair Canadarm2?
NASA’s Canadian‑built Canadarm2 suffered a joint malfunction on May 27, triggering an elevated motor current and abnormal motion. The arm, which has been operating on the International Space Station for more than 25 years, is essential for capturing cargo, moving hardware, and...
Diehl Defence and Destinus Team up to Add a New Interceptor Class to GARMR
Diehl Defence and Destinus announced a teaming agreement at ILA Berlin 2026 to integrate Destinus’s Hornet interceptor into Diehl’s GARMR counter‑UAV system. The Hornet adds a new interceptor class designed for fast, low‑cost drones and glide‑bombs, filling the gap between...
New Framework Guides Quadrotor Through Tight, Moving Gaps
A new framework enables a quadrotor to fly through a series of narrow windows, moving targets, and gaps of different shapes. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/GV2efgnq5q https://t.co/qRsj0PatJW
Automate 2026: Bosch Rexroth to Showcase Conveyance, Linear Technology and Control Systems
Bosch Rexroth will exhibit at Automate 2026 in Chicago, showcasing its TS conveyor line—including the TS 7plus capable of lifting 3,000 kg payloads—its ctrlX Automation suite with cabinet‑free drive, core controller, OS and AI‑ready edge acceleration, and an interactive hologram of its...
BayCare Hospital Pilots “First-of-Its-Kind” Robotic Patient Transport System by Rovex
BayCare Health System has launched a pilot of Rovex’s Rovi robotic patient transport system at its Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida. The robot, which can attach to existing stretchers, is being tested to assess workflow integration, transport patterns, and...
Automate 2026: Kassow Robots to Exhibit Extensive Cobot Capabilities
Copenhagen‑based Kassow Robots is unveiling its latest 7‑axis cobots, the KR 1824 and KR 1240, at Automate 2026 in Chicago. The new models deliver 50% higher joint torque, 20% faster wrist speeds and up to 40% greater mechanical stiffness, expanding payload capability. All...
Europe's Largest Drone Testing Centre Opens in Swindon to Boost Defence Innovation
Britain’s Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis inaugurated Europe’s biggest drone testing and development hub at the DroneTEX facility in Swindon. The 545,000‑square‑foot Uncrewed Systems Centre will serve as the UK’s focal point for testing, integrating AI and autonomy, and accelerating fielding...