Today's Robotics Pulse
Chinese startup Spirit AI tops global AI robot leaderboard, beating Nvidia
Spirit AI’s embodied intelligence model, Spirit v1.6, achieved a score of 1,924 on the RoboArena benchmark, surpassing Nvidia’s Cosmos3‑Nano‑Policy. The company also disclosed a ¥1.5 billion (≈$222 million) funding round to accelerate its robotics AI platform.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OneRobotics acquires Nanoleaf for $40M
Combat Drones Are Pivoting Into Green Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Combat drones and emerging ground robots are increasingly being powered by green hydrogen fuel cells, a shift driven by Ukraine’s rapid adoption and U.S. defense interest. Startups such as Sesame Solar have created mobile nanogrid refueling stations that can be set up in 15 minutes, enabling instant hydrogen replenishment for Heven AeroTech’s Z‑1 UAVs. First Hydrogen is pairing solid‑state storage with solar, batteries, and even small modular nuclear reactors to produce continuous hydrogen on the battlefield. The convergence of these technologies promises longer endurance, larger payloads, and a dual‑use pathway for civilian logistics and agriculture.
Quadruped Robots Have Potential as Astronaut Surface Assistants, New Research Finds
Researchers at Oregon State University and NASA tested a battery‑powered quadruped robot in White Sands’ Mars‑like dunes, showing it can collaborate with astronaut scientists to collect soil data. The robot’s leg motors generate current that doubles as a terrain sensor,...
This Firmware Update Makes Avata 360 Ready for Real Flying
DJI has launched a day‑one firmware update (v01.00.0100) for the Avata 360, extending support to the new FPV Remote Controller 3 and enhancing the entire ecosystem, including RC 2, Goggles 3, and the Fly app. The update raises Sport mode’s top speed to 18 m/s,...
Frontier Robotics Are Arriving—Invest Now, Timing Irrelevant
Melania Trump walking the red carpet with Figure 03 was the third step forward for bots this week. We also saw $UBER commit $1.25B to robotaxis and Google DeepMind sign its third robotics hardware partnership in six months. Bottom line: We...
Uber, Pony.ai and Verne Launch Europe's First Robotaxi Pilot in Zagreb
Uber, Chinese autonomous‑driving company Pony.ai and Croatian robotaxi startup Verne announced a joint pilot in Zagreb, Croatia, using Pony.ai’s Gen‑7 system and Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicles. The partnership targets a fleet of thousands of driverless taxis across Europe within the next...
Omakase Robotics Completes Japan’s First Humanoid PoC at University of Tsukuba Hospital
ZEALS, together with venture Quick, completed Japan’s first hospital‑based humanoid robot proof‑of‑concept using the Unitree G1 equipped with the Omakase OS. Over three days at the University of Tsukuba Hospital, the robot demonstrated autonomous walking, obstacle avoidance, voice‑guided navigation and...
VR‑controlled Robot Swarms Expose Military AI Governance Gap
Drones disrupted modern warfare. Now, a vision of a single operator with a VR helmet directing a swarm of robots ready for combat. This isn’t an episode of Black Mirror. It’s the near-future. Tech is outpacing doctrine, law, and ethics. That gap is where...
A Day in Class With Plato, the Melania Trump–Mandated Robot Teacher
Melania Trump’s 2026 "Be Best" initiative installed AI‑driven humanoid teachers called Plato in public classrooms, but only premium Be Best Platinum subscriptions unlock full instruction. Most districts are stuck on the low‑cost Basic plan, which delivers ads, occasional razor promotions,...
CNES Publishes Call for Drone Swarm to Monitor Launch Operations
CNES has launched a call for proposals to create an autonomous drone swarm that will monitor perimeter security and support launch‑operation activities at the Guiana Space Centre. The initiative is funded under the Flexible, Digital and Sustainable (FDS) programme, a...
Energy, Chemicals Industries Race to Fully Automate
Schneider Electric’s Global Autonomous Maturity Report surveyed 400 energy and chemical executives across 12 nations, finding that 31.5% view advancing autonomy as a top priority for the next five years and 44% see it as critical over the next decade....
Democratizing Access: How Community Hospitals Can Drive the Next Wave of Robotic Bronchoscopy
Second‑generation robotic bronchoscopy platforms now embed advanced imaging, delivering higher diagnostic accuracy for peripheral lung lesions while simplifying workflow. Community hospitals can adopt these systems using single‑use bronchoscopes, eliminating reprocessing costs and reducing procedure time. Relocating the service to endoscopy...
Iona Takes Flight: Drone Deliveries Set to Transform Ireland's Logistics Landscape
Iona, founded by French entrepreneur Etienne Louvet, is set to launch Ireland’s first commercial drone delivery service by the end of 2026. The startup has raised nearly €4.5 million (about $4.9 million) and is classified as a high‑potential venture by Enterprise Ireland....
Insufficient Source Data to Verify Navy Submarine Automation Funding
The claim that the U.S. Navy allocated nearly $1 billion to automate submarine production cannot be substantiated from the provided source material. Consequently, specifics about the program, its participants, and its impact remain undisclosed.
Chinese and Italian Universities Launch Joint Drone Vocational Training Program
Chinese and Italian higher‑education institutions have signed a partnership to roll out a joint drone‑based vocational training program. The initiative blends curriculum design, certification pathways and industry placement, aiming to boost technical skills for emerging drone markets.
Amazon's Project Kobe Aims to Build Walmart‑Style Supercenters with Robots
Amazon announced its internal Project Kobe, a blueprint for 225,000‑sq‑ft supercenters that blend grocery, general merchandise and a warehouse‑scale fulfillment hub. The pilot stores in Illinois and New Jersey will rely on AI‑driven assortment planning and warehouse robots, a move...
Netherlands Orders 12 V-BAT Drones as Arctic NATO Tests Prove Performance
The Dutch Ministry of Defence has ordered 12 Shield AI V‑BAT (MQ‑35A) unmanned aerial systems for deployment across eight Royal Netherlands Navy vessels. The vertical‑takeoff drones, which can operate for more than 12 hours on JP‑5 fuel, have already demonstrated...
96 Drones, One Operator — China Demonstrates Massive Drone AI Swarm in Precision Strike Test
China’s state media showcased the Atlas drone swarm system, a fully AI‑driven architecture that can launch and coordinate up to 96 fixed‑wing drones from a single operator. The Swarm‑2 ground combat vehicle carries 48 drones, while the command vehicle manages...
Episode 150: House Building Robots - Vikas Enti
In this episode, Claire Asher talks with Vikas Enti, co‑founder and CEO of Reframe Systems, about how their robotic micro‑factory platform enables mass‑customized, climate‑resilient homes. Enti explains the end‑to‑end workflow—from site analysis and automated design to robot‑guided panel fabrication and...
China Deploys Fighter Drones Near Taiwan Strait
China has positioned roughly 200 aging J‑6 fighter jets, retrofitted as strike drones, at six airbases in Fujian and Guangdong, directly overlooking the Taiwan Strait. Satellite imagery confirmed the deployments, which Reuters and the Mitchell Institute reported. The unmanned aircraft...
Antofagasta PLC – Copper Growth Delivery Going Hand in Hand with Innovation
Antofagasta PLC highlighted how its 2025 innovation program is driving copper growth and operational efficiency. Deployments include autonomous truck fleets at Centinela, AI‑powered SIRO platforms boosting SAG mill availability to 94.4% and recoveries, and a trolley‑assist trial with Komatsu and...
Heavy Equipment Manufacturers Are Using Robotics to Change Crane Trucks
Heavy equipment makers are embedding robotics‑driven assistance into truck‑mounted crane systems, shifting operators from direct control to supervisory roles. Integrated control units now fuse sensor data to monitor boom position, load weight, and vehicle stability in real time, delivering safety...
From Standards to the Shop Floor: Practical Robot Safety Steps Operators Can Apply
Robotic cells boost productivity but create safety hazards during non‑production moments such as setup, jams, or adjustments. The article outlines five practical steps operators can take: selecting appropriate tools, using controlled motion modes, performing thorough lockout/tagout with verification, keeping the...
EACON’s Autonomy Deployed on 120 Battery-Electric Trucks at Zhundong Mine
EACON’s ORCASTRA® autonomous haulage system is now running on 120 Tonly TLE138 battery‑electric trucks at China’s Zhundong open‑pit coal mine, creating one of the world’s largest single‑site electric fleets. The trucks, each with a 90‑ton payload, have collectively logged more...
Amazon Acquires Fauna Robotics, Enters Humanoid Robot Market
Amazon has bought Fauna Robotics, the maker of the $50,000 Sprout humanoid robot, adding a kid‑size, developer‑friendly bot to its growing robotics lineup. The deal, announced on March 24, positions Amazon against Tesla and expands its reach beyond warehouse automation...
JFB Announces XTEND’s Strategic Partnership with ParaZero Technologies to Revolutionize Drone Interception Capabilities
JFB Construction Holdings and XTEND have formed a strategic partnership with ParaZero Technologies to integrate ParaZero's DefendAir net‑launch system with XTEND's Scorpio 1000 drone platform. The combined solution enables fully autonomous detection, tracking, and physical capture of hostile drones across air,...
China’s New Trend: Renting Bionic Robots for Events
🇨🇳 In China, people are renting these #bionic robots for shops/events. This is Xiaomei, built on Unitree body by Embodydeep. She blinks, talks & dances at Shanghai's Iizhizu robot rental launch. #humanoidtech #humanoid #robot #Robotics #AI #TechRevolution #TechInnovation #ArtificialInteligence #PhysicalAI @sonu_monika @enilev...
TEKEVER Successfully Integrates Quadsat Electronic Warfare Payload SpectraLoc Onto AR3 EVO Drone Platform
TEKEVER and Denmark’s Quadsat have completed flight integration tests of Quadsat’s SpectraLoc electronic‑warfare payload on the TEKEVER AR3 EVO tactical drone. The trial demonstrated the platform‑agnostic payload’s ability to detect and geolocate hostile RF emitters while airborne, cutting reliance on traditional...
BlueBotics Bridges the Gap Between AGVs and AMRs With SmartPass
BlueBotics unveiled SmartPass, a new feature in its ANT software suite that equips ANT‑driven AGVs and AMRs with configurable obstacle‑avoidance while preserving virtual‑path efficiency. The technology lets robots detour around blockages using the shortest permitted route, then instantly rejoin their...
Robots Leaving Labs, Clearing Snow in Real World
This wasn’t a lab test. A humanoid robot just went to work in a snowstorm. In New York, while most systems would struggle in these conditions, this robot was out clearing snow. Cold. Unpredictable. Physically demanding. And yet, it operates with control and stability. What stands...
Self‑Cleaning Solar Panels Powered by Autonomous Robots
#Autonomous Solar Panel Cleaning #Robots Work Without Human Workers by @XueJia24682 #Robotics #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood #Technology https://t.co/CMoSpuWiQu
Decathlon Doubles Order Throughput with Exotec Skypod Robots in Europe
Decathlon reported that its seven European distribution centers using Exotec's Skypod robots have doubled order preparation capacity at its Portugal site, rising from 57,000 to 114,000 orders. The automation cut picker walking distance by 80% and halved order‑picking injuries, underscoring...
Deep Robotics Debuts Hyper-Realistic, Life‑Like Robot Horse
DEEP #Robotics Unveils a Hyper-Realistic #Robot Horse That Moves Like the Real Thing via @XRoboHub #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/VsMesNxtMC
Expressive Robot Faces Enhance Human-Machine Interaction
Robots with expressive faces could improve human-machine interaction. What do you think? 😕😠😅 https://t.co/XUfFCrkEBV @IntEngineering https://t.co/YoSy5a2mQ2
Pony AI Says 85% of Chinese Drivers Ready for Robotaxis as Europe Launch Looms
Pony AI announced that 85% of Chinese drivers are comfortable riding robotaxis, its fleet has grown to 1,200 vehicles with a goal of 3,000 by year‑end, and it is preparing Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb with Uber and...
Microsoft AI Teaches Robots Task and Location Awareness
New Microsoft AI trains robots to know what to do and where to act https://t.co/xDWNqP1UtG https://t.co/CC0vV6fSVf
Ball‑shaped Hexapod Robot Rolls Any Direction
Ball-Shaped Transforming Hexapod #Robot That Rolls in Any Direction via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/9sQ6ljVeto
HDR Completes Manufacturing-Focused Factory of the Future at Western Sydney University
HDR has delivered a two‑level, manufacturing‑focused "Factory of the Future" at Western Sydney University’s Bankstown City Campus. The facility integrates advanced manufacturing, robotics, and digital processes, with a lower‑level Discovery Space teaching Industry 5.0 principles and an upper‑level Immersive Training Hub...
Ionic Arm Powers Drones From Repair to Recon
Ionic Arm: Enabling a Leap from Appliance Repair to Advanced Reconnaissance #Drones by @EsperBionics #Innovation #EmergingTech #Tech #Technology #TechForGood https://t.co/DNsGb7RCJB
Human‑Inspired Gripper Moves Multiple Items Simultaneously
MOGrip: Human-Inspired Gripper That Moves Multiple Objects in One Motion via @WevolverApp #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/DRV8sbsdn2
US Deploys Uncrewed Drone Boats in Conflict with Iran
The Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. Navy has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats—specifically the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC)—as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The vessels have already logged more than 450 patrol hours and covered over 2,200 nautical...
China Unveils Autonomous Air‑sea Hybrid Drone
TJ-FlyingFish: China’s #Autonomous Air-Sea Hybrid #Drone That Flies and Dives via @WevolverApp #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology https://t.co/8ZCuWs0Gil
EngineAI Unveils T800, a Full-Size Humanoid Robot
Meet T800 — EngineAI’s Next-Generation Full-Size Humanoid #Robot by @XRoboHub #Robots #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/W2zA53UDQZ
Physical AI and Robotics Spark Next Industrial Revolution
Physical #AI and #Robotics will bring about the next industrial revolution by @nvidiaomniverse #Innovation #EmergingTech #Tech #Technology https://t.co/k57mXQkVkE
Modular Wheeled Biped Robot Combines and Splits On‑Demand
Wheeled Bipedal #Robot That Can Combine and Separate on Demand via @ZappyZappy7 #ArtificialIntelligence #Robotics #MachineLearning #MI #ML https://t.co/7ipHwkNPsU
XPlanar System Transforms Food Processing Plant Handling
XPlanar System Revolutionizes Food Product Handling in Processing Plants by @lukas_m_ziegler #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #Innovation #FoodTech https://t.co/5IYYwovZgY
Industrial KUKA Robot Reimagined as Immersive Gaming Hub
KUKA Industrial #Robot Transformed into an Immersive Gaming Station by @JeroenBartelse #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation #Tech #TechForGood https://t.co/FQBVX9ivdq
Soft Electrofluidic Fiber Muscles Bundle to Lift Heavy Loads
Scientists have developed soft artificial electrofluidic fiber muscles that can be bundled together like skeletal muscles to lift heavy weights or launch objects in the blink of an eye. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/QigPsEJDBc https://t.co/46eSTl1Y53