Today's Robotics Pulse
Humanoid robot Lightning shatters half‑marathon record in Beijing
Lightning, a 5‑foot‑5 humanoid robot built by Honor, completed a half‑marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, outpacing the human world record of 57:20. The robot raced alongside more than 300 autonomous competitors and, after crashing into a barricade, was assisted by humans to finish the course.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires UK underwater sensing firm for $442M
Anduril’s Fury Drone Completes Contested‑Ops Test, Air Force Takes Lead
Anduril Industries’ autonomous YFQ-44 Fury fighter drone finished a contested‑operations test at Edwards Air Force Base, where Air Force Experimental Operations Unit personnel conducted launch, recovery, weapons handling and flight tasks without Anduril staff. The exercise, part of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 1 program, could speed fielding of unmanned fighters and intensify competition with General Atomics’ Dark Merlin.
108‑Arm Robot Harvests Cotton 120× Faster Than Humans
108-Armed Cotton Picking #Robot Harvests 120× Faster Than Humans via @ZappyZappy7 #AgriTech #Robotics #Innovation #Technology #TechForGood https://t.co/dtBjyXkefI
LiDAR Vision and Kinematics Power Obstacle‑Crushing Robot
LiDAR Vision Meets Advanced Kinematics in Obstacle-Conquering #Robot via @WevolverApp #Innovation #EmergingTech #Tech #Technology #Robotics https://t.co/p2tUJNTXaE
U.S. Army Arms Hunter Wolf UGV with .50‑Caliber Machine Gun, Expanding Combat Role
The U.S. Army has fitted its Hunter Wolf unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with a .50‑caliber machine gun during a 101st Airborne Division exercise, shifting the platform from pure logistics to a security‑focused combat configuration. The move signals a broader push...
Wall‑climbing Robot Mimics Spider Locomotion
Meet the #Robot That Runs on Walls Like a Spider via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology https://t.co/9raQGG6Z51
Large AI Models Control Robots to Act Physically
a humanoid robot is kind of like computer use, but for the physical world you could have a large model running on the server that gives instructions to the smaller model on the robot to manipulate whatever physical objects are required...
Cadence Commits $65 M to Deepen AI and Robotics Ties with Nvidia and Google Cloud
Cadence Design Systems announced a $65 million investment to broaden AI and robotics partnerships with Nvidia and Google Cloud. The funding will fuel joint design initiatives, integrate Nvidia’s Omniverse and CUDA‑X libraries, and launch a cloud‑based AI agent for chip layout,...
Ulysses Secures $46 Million to Accelerate Ocean‑Tech Fleet, Led by A16z’s American Dynamism
Ulysses announced a $38 million Series A, led by Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism fund, pushing total capital raised to $46 million including an earlier $8 million seed round. The funding will fund production of its Mako underwater vehicle, Leviathan surface craft, and Kraken...
Human Helpers Rescue Finnish Delivery Robots After Curb Mishap, Fueling Safety Debate
Two autonomous food‑delivery robots in Turku, Finland, failed to clear a curb on April 15, 2026, and were manually lifted by nearby pedestrians. The incident has reignited debate over the safety and regulatory framework for sidewalk robots, echoing bans in...
AI-Powered Prosthetic Hand Adapts Through Daily Use
A Smarter Prosthetic: Esper Bionics’ #AI Hand Learns from Everyday Use by @EsperBionics #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/K70lFhcy74
Antioch Raises $8.5M to Become the ‘Cursor’ for Physical AI Simulations
Antioch, a New‑York‑based robotics simulation startup, announced an $8.5 million seed round that values the company at $60 million. Backed by A* and Category Ventures, the firm says its platform will let developers train autonomous robots in high‑fidelity virtual warehouses, cutting the...
Instawork Launches Robotics Data Lab as Physical Intelligence Unveils General‑purpose Robot Brain
Instawork announced its Instawork Robotics Lab and a certification program that has already enrolled more than 20,000 gig workers, projecting 20 million hours of robot‑training data in 2026. At the same time, Physical Intelligence published research on its new π0.7 model,...
Podcast: Editors Recap MODEX 2026
Episode 240 of The Robot Report podcast recapped MODEX 2026, the Atlanta‑based supply‑chain expo that drew more than 1,000 exhibitors and roughly 50,000 attendees. Editors Gene Demaitre and Sarah Wynn highlighted rising AI‑driven automation, new partnerships, and standout robots from...
MODEX 2026 Recap
In this episode of the Robot Report, hosts Mike Oitzman, Gene Dimitri, and guest Sarah Wynn recap MODEX 2026, highlighting its record attendance of 50,000 visitors, over a thousand exhibitors, and the growing prominence of robotics across supply‑chain, warehousing, and...
These Tiny Hunter-Killers Ram Shahed Drones Right From the Sky. America Wants Them, Too.
The Bumblebee family of quadcopter drones—Ukraine’s AI‑assisted interceptor and the U.S.‑bound Bumblebee V2—use artificial‑intelligence‑guided visual tracking to collide with and destroy hostile Shahed drones. Both systems are inexpensive, lightweight and rely on a “hard‑kill” kinetic strike rather than missiles. The Pentagon’s...
All-Robot Assault in Ukraine Boosts Drone Investing Case
Ukrainian forces announced they seized a Russian position using only ground and air robots, marking a milestone in fully autonomous combat. The claim, made by President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscores the rapid evolution of drone and robotics technology on the battlefield....
Medline to Implement Symbotic AI Robots in Healthcare Initiative
Medline Industries announced a strategic agreement to deploy Symbotic’s AI‑enabled robotics across its distribution network, becoming the first healthcare supplier to adopt the technology. The autonomous system will manage inbound and outbound pallets, storage, and order assembly, targeting faster, more...
Deep Rover Enables 1km Underwater Exploration in Acrylic Bubble
With Deep Rover, you could dive a kilometer underwater, gaze into the abyss from an acrylic bubble, and unravel the ocean's mysteries. https://spectrum.ieee.org/deep-sea-submersible
Byrnecut Deploys AutoMine to Five Mines
Sandvik announced that Byrnecut has ordered AutoMine Multi‑Lite systems for five mines – four in Australia (Gwalia, Ulysses, Youanmi, Gossan Valley) and one in Namibia (Navachab). The technology enables a single operator to control up to three loaders remotely, cutting...
Tesseract & ROS-I Developer Monthly Meeting Revisit
The second‑quarter ROS‑Industrial (ROS‑I) developer meeting, led by Matt Robinson, unveiled new documentation for the Scan and Plan Workshop and Noether repositories, complete with updated architecture diagrams. Michael highlighted a shift from Swig to NanoBind for Tesseract’s Python bindings and...
Chinese Humanoid Robots Dominate Opening Day of Canton Fair 2026
The 2026 Canton Fair opened with a strong focus on AI, automation and robotics, showcasing a wave of Chinese humanoid machines ready for real‑world deployment. Companies such as Ti5 Robot, ChangingTek Robotics and PHYBOT demonstrated robots capable of heavy lifting,...
Why This Sub-$300 Drone Might Be Enough for Most Creators
Skyrover introduced the S1, a sub‑$300 drone that matches the DJI Mini 4 Pro’s 4K/60 fps specs while adding a 48 MP sensor, 40‑minute flight time, and stronger AI‑assisted vertical tracking. The Mini 4 Pro, priced at $815, retains its premium edge...
Madison Dearborn’s Aevex Drone Play Takes Off in IPO
Aevex, the Madison Dearborn Partners‑backed drone manufacturer, launched an initial public offering on April 17, 2026 that valued the company at more than $2 billion. The Chicago firm bought Aevex in 2020 for $450 million, including debt, and still holds a controlling...
Chef Robotics Escaped the Robot Cooking Graveyard and Says It’s Thriving — Here’s Why
Chef Robotics announced it has processed 100 million robot‑deposited servings, marking a key milestone in its pivot from fast‑casual restaurant automation to large‑scale food manufacturing. The company now serves enterprise clients such as Amy’s Kitchen, Chef Bombay, and a major school‑lunch...
Netherlands Commits €248 Million ($293 M) to Build Drones for Ukraine
The Netherlands announced a €248 million ($293 million) program to manufacture combat drones for Ukraine, with production split between Dutch and Ukrainian facilities. The move underscores the growing reliance on unmanned systems in the war and signals deeper European industrial involvement.
FAA Scraps Civil and Criminal Penalties for Flying Drones Near ICE Vehicles
The Federal Aviation Administration withdrew a temporary flight restriction that had banned drones within 3,000 feet of ICE vehicles and threatened civil or criminal penalties. The revised advisory softens the language, removes the penalty threat, and expands the list of...
Pushing the Limits
E‑commerce growth is spurring demand for flexible conveyor sortation systems. The global market is projected to grow 4.5% CAGR through 2035, reaching $7.5 billion. Regal Rexnord’s ModSort module offers all‑electric, omnidirectional diverting for packages up to 30×30 in and 50 lb at 35‑50 ppm,...
AI Wristband Reads Muscles, Directs Robots Like Hands
MIT engineers built an AI wristband that controls robots by reading your hand muscles. It works by using an ultrasound to capture images of the muscles and tendons in your wrist. An AI algorithm then translates those images into the exact position...
Engel Develops Automated High-Rate Process for TPC Drone Blades
ENGEL of Austria unveiled a fully automated, high‑rate production line that places unidirectional carbon‑fiber tapes along load paths and over‑molds them in a single injection‑molding cycle, creating lightweight, recyclable drone propeller blades ready for mass production. In parallel, Italy’s Wemech...
Robotic Security Dogs Now on the Job to Protect Crops
Bayer has rolled out Asylon’s DroneDog robotic security dogs across its 8,000‑acre Hawaiian operations, supplementing human patrols with AI‑driven surveillance. The autonomous units carry thermal and electro‑optical cameras with 20× zoom, cloud‑linked AI classifiers, and a rapid‑recharge DogHouse. Real‑time video...
Humanoid Robot Funding Soars as Interaction Learning Revolutionizes
The money is flowing. Companies and investors put $6.1 billion into humanoid robots in 2025 alone, four times what was invested in 2024. What happened? A revolution in how machines have learned to interact with the world.
MODEX 2026: Kardex Launches PortScale for Enhanced AutoStore Inventory Accuracy
At MODEX 2026, Kardex unveiled PortScale, a weight‑sensor add‑on for AutoStore ports that provides real‑time verification of picking and putaway operations. The solution integrates with Kardex’s Intuitive Picking Assistant, barcode scanning and computer‑vision tools to instantly detect errors, support cycle...
Revo 3 Bridges Demo‑to‑Real Gap with 21‑DOF Dexterous Hand
Most robotic systems perform well in demos but struggle in real-world deployment. BrainCo Revo 3 is designed to close that gap. With 21 active degrees of freedom supporting complex manipulation, it also offers 12-80V wide voltage compatibilityt, multiple communication protocols, and seamless integration...
Germany Fields Kamikaze Drone Batteries in Army Artillery Battalions
Germany announced a multi‑year rollout of loitering‑munition batteries across its army, starting with short‑range LMS units for Panzerbrigade 45 and 21 and expanding to corps‑level drones capable of 200‑300 km strikes. Deliveries of the RCH 155 wheeled howitzer and EuroPULS rocket system are slated...
RATP and Karsan Wrap up Autonomous Bus Trial in Paris
RATP and Turkish vehicle maker Karsan completed a six‑month autonomous electric bus pilot on Paris’s busy line 393, covering roughly 3,000 km of mixed‑traffic operation. The Karsan e‑ATAK, equipped with Adastec’s lidar, radar and infrared suite, ran five hours daily with a...
Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Pest Solutions, Rail Safety, Dog Rescue
Commercial drones are now tackling three disparate challenges: eradicating invasive mice on Australia’s Browse Island, preventing rail‑side trespassing and fires across England’s North East, and locating missing dogs on the Isle of Man. In Western Australia, custom‑built drones distribute bait...
Designing Robust Sorting for Heavy, Noisy Wire Production
🌀💯 How sorting and grading equipment for a metal wire production line developed by TJK works. The presence of contamination, the potential for noise, the heaviness and weight and shape of the parts create limitations for any design. Do you...
U.S. Progress on Drone Spraying Offers a Roadmap for Canada
In this episode, Amber Bell interviews Dr. Steve Lee of Auburn University about recent U.S. research on drone pesticide application. Key findings include that flying drones just five feet higher and using 200‑micron droplets instead of 300‑micron can cut downwind...
Simple Robots Inspired by Ants Collectively Build and Excavate
Harvard researchers have created a swarm of simple robots, called RAnts, that coordinate using light‑based “photormones” to emulate ant pheromone communication. By following a few local rules—gradient following, material transport, and threshold‑based deposition—the robots can spontaneously build or excavate structures...
Ukraine Exports Autonomy as Combat Data Fuels Growth of Physical AI
Ukraine’s combat data‑sharing initiative has become the largest real‑world stress test for autonomous systems, logging over 22,000 ground and aerial missions in the first quarter. AUTNMY AI’s OMEGA algorithm rates the battlefield data as the most underpriced asset in the...
CSIS Report | How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven Autonomy
The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report detailing how Russia is constructing a sovereign drone ecosystem that embeds artificial intelligence into unmanned systems. By aligning presidential‑level policy, a civilian innovation network, and battlefield feedback, Moscow accelerates the...
Untitled
The Advanced Technology Exploration Community (ATEC) launched ATEC2026, a global competition that treats real‑world robot performance as a “Turing Test” for embodied AI. Teams will field arm‑equipped legged robots to complete long‑horizon tasks across open, dynamic environments, moving from simulation...
Ningbo Port Embraces Smart Manufacturing with Advanced Robotics
Xinhua reported that the Ningbo port region is transitioning from traditional production to smart manufacturing, emphasizing the deployment of advanced robotics. The move reflects China's broader push to modernize its industrial base and enhance global competitiveness.
Free Stanford Robotics Course Covers Kinematics to Control
Stanford CS223A — Introduction to Robotics (Oussama Khatib) Kinematics, dynamics, force control; the mathematical foundations of robotics. Students go through modeling, planning, control, and trajectory generation. A full lecture series covering the core of robot systems. Everything is freely available....
Robotics Streamline Warehouse Automation for Faster Operations
How to #Automate Your #Warehouse with #Robotics by @antgrasso #Robots #RPA #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/LYCHsW7agp
Weekly ROS Update: New Solver, NVIDIA, LEGO Packages
Here is your #ROS and open source #robotics news for the week of April 13th, 2026: 🌷ROSCon Global talk's due 4/26 🌷New ROS 2 Jazzy SO-101 IK Solver 🌷ROS Package for @nvidia Fast Foundation Stereo 🌷Jazzy Package for @LEGO_Group Mindstorms 🌷OSRA Technology Strategy for 2026 ⬇️...
China's Robotic Beasts Blend Engineering with Imagination
Engineering Meets Imagination: China’s #Robotic Beasts Take Shape by @China_Fact #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/wgddqXvbDj
Omnidirectional Drone Glides Effortlessly in All Directions
This #Drone Can Glide Effortlessly in Any Direction via @ZappyZappy7 #Technology #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/CCWWw0uqyY
Medical-Grade Silicone Skin Gives Humanoid Robot Real-World Touch
Soft Yet Strong: Humanoid #Robot with Medical-Grade Silicone Skin Built for Real-World Interaction via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/H0COV6saHx
Multitask Behavior Models Boost Robot Manipulation Efficiency
Robots can learn complex #manipulation tasks, like assembling a breakfast tray, more efficiently using large behavior models and multitask datasets, when compared with single-task policies. @RussTedrake @RaresAmbrus Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/T6OugH8W0f https://t.co/zeDcCrPl06