Today's Robotics Pulse
Spirit AI tops global robot AI leaderboard, secures $222M funding
Chinese robotics startup Spirit AI’s embodied intelligence model, Spirit v1.6, achieved the highest score of 1,924 on the RoboArena benchmark, overtaking Nvidia’s Cosmos3‑Nano‑Policy. The company also announced ¥1.5 billion (≈$222 million) of funding to accelerate its technology.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Shifters raises $10.2M seed round
The Drone Market Is About to Go Parabolic because of AI and War. How to Play It
The global drone market has accelerated from roughly $20 bn in 2020 to over $40 bn in 2025, driven by soaring defense budgets and rapid AI integration. Analysts project the sector could reach $250 bn by 2035, with patents up 45‑fold since 2012. Companies such as AeroVironment and Kratos are poised to benefit from heightened demand for tactical, one‑way and counter‑UAS systems amid the Iran conflict and Ukraine’s production surge. Civilian uses—particularly precision agriculture and logistics—are expected to dominate 65% of the market by 2035.
EFT Partners with BSPL to Produce E610P Agriculture Drone
EFT has teamed with Bharat Skytech Pvt Ltd (BSPL) to launch the EFT BHARAT brand, localising production of its E610P agricultural drone in India. The partnership includes the transfer of production moulds for key components, enabling ‘Make in India’ manufacturing, distribution,...
Syncore and Sereact Plan to Roll Out More than 100 AI-Powered Robotic Systems
Syncore and AI‑robotics specialist Sereact announced a letter of intent at LogiMat to roll out more than 100 AI‑powered robotic systems across Europe in the coming years. The collaboration builds on existing pick‑and‑place units and inventory‑monitoring vision, and now adds...
UiPath Announces New Agentic Solution to Accelerate Procurement Cycles
UiPath unveiled its new Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) solution, an agentic AI platform that overlays existing ERP and CRM systems to automate procurement and accounts‑payable workflows. The tool leverages Intelligent Xtraction and Processing, AI‑driven approval routing, and UiPath Maestro orchestration to capture...
Russia Deploys Near 1,000 Drones in Largest Daytime Assault on Ukraine
Russia unleashed nearly 1,000 drones in a coordinated daytime offensive, the biggest of its kind in the war, killing at least eight civilians and striking historic sites. Ukraine's air force and President Zelenskyy warned the assault exposes critical gaps in...
Cellula Robotics Wins Contract to Deliver AUV Prototype for US
Cellula Robotics US secured a Defence Innovation Unit contract under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform initiative to build a fuel‑cell‑powered Guardian autonomous underwater vehicle prototype for the United States. The prototype is designed for long‑endurance missions and will carry and...
Chinese Startup's On‑Orbit Refueling Test Lacks Public Details
A Chinese startup reportedly demonstrated a flexible robotic arm prototype for on‑orbit fuel transfer, but the available sources contain no disclosed details, leaving the scope and impact of the test uncertain.
Basler AG and Orbbec Launch Technology Partnership for Industrial 3D Vision in Logistics and Factory Automation
Basler AG and Chinese robotics specialist Orbbec have formed a strategic partnership to develop industrial 3D vision solutions for logistics and factory automation. Their first joint product, the Basler Stereo mini camera, will debut at LogiMAT 2026 and targets autonomous mobile...
Affordable €2000 Robot Offers Elderly Care and Home Automation
This robot was designed for elderly care. It can have conversations with the user, measure blood pressure and heart rate, operate the smart elements of the house from heat to lights and do simpler tasks. It's quite the accomplishment (or claims) for...
Drone-Based Lidar Is Continuing to Evolve, and Surveyors Are Taking Notice
Drone‑mounted lidar has moved from experimental demos to routine use, especially for topographic mapping that once required crewed aircraft. Surveyors of all sizes now expect centimeter‑level accuracy without cumbersome base stations, thanks to solutions like Applanix’s APX RTX. Yet the industry...
Robots Install 100 MW of Solar Panels on 1-GW AES Project
Maximo, an AES‑incubated solar‑robotics firm, installed 100 MW of panels at the 1‑GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, using a coordinated fleet of four robots. The robotic system achieved peak installation rates of 474 modules per day, boosting human installer...
Russia Showcases Lys-2 Counter-Drone Interceptor
Russia unveiled the Lys‑2 (Fox‑2) counter‑drone interceptor, a fixed‑wing UAV launched by catapult and capable of autonomous target acquisition in the terminal phase. Open‑source footage shows the system engaging aerial threats without continuous operator input. Reported specifications suggest a 15 km...
Zoox Expands Robotaxi Service to Austin and Miami, Boosting U.S. Footprint
Amazon-owned Zoox announced the rollout of its purpose‑built robotaxi service for employees, families and friends in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida later this year. The move expands Zoox’s early‑rider program to four U.S. cities and follows a cumulative 1.98 million autonomous...
Decathlon Doubles Order Capacity with Exotec Autonomous Sorting Robots
Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting‑goods retailer, reported that its Portugal warehouse doubled orders from 57,000 to 114,000 after installing Exotec’s Skypod autonomous sorting robots. The rollout across seven European sites also slashed picker walking distances and halved order‑picking incidents, underscoring...
Uber Eats and Starship Expand Robotic Deliveries to New UK City
Uber Eats and Starship Technologies are extending their autonomous food‑delivery robots from Leeds to Sheffield, targeting roughly 50,000 residents. The rollout follows a successful pilot that demonstrated operational reliability and customer acceptance. Industry analysts cite Prysm Global’s study, which estimates...
TerraClear Launches Autonomous TerraScout Robot for Field Scouting
TerraClear unveiled TerraScout, a fully autonomous robot that captures ultra‑high‑resolution field imagery for precision farming. The robot records 1 mm ground sampling distance, generating over 4 billion data points per acre while covering up to 1,000 acres per day at 15 mph. Integrated...
Sandvik Receives AutoMine Orders From Byrnecut for Five Underground Mine Sites
Sandvik announced five new AutoMine orders from Byrnecut, covering four Australian mines and Namibia's Navachab site. The contracts include AutoMine Multi‑Lite systems, allowing a single operator to remotely control up to three loaders. Byrnecut now runs AutoMine on the majority...
Denvr Signs Two Defence Deals to Deepen Sovereign AI Push in Canada
Denvr, a Calgary AI‑infrastructure firm, signed two defence deals with Ottawa‑based Dominion Dynamics and Sapper Labs to embed its sovereign Canada AI Platform (CAIP) into drone simulation and AI‑enabled intelligence/cyber‑defence for the Canadian Armed Forces. Dominion will use CAIP to...
ChatGPT Moment for Humanoid Robots 2 to 10 Years Away, Say Chinese Tech Leaders
Chinese tech leaders at the Boao Forum warned that a "ChatGPT moment" for humanoid robots—where they become as ubiquitous as smartphones—could arrive anywhere from two years to a decade. They cited reliability, affordable training data, and physical durability as the...
Hybrid
Mobility in robotics is becoming hybrid. “Roadrunner” combines wheels and legs in a single system - switching between side-by-side rolling, inline movement, and stepping when needed. At just 15 kg, it’s lightweight, but the concept is bigger than the form factor. Real-world environments...
Robot Dog Gathers Data in U.S. Chip Factories
Robot Dog Deployed for #Data Collection in U.S. Semiconductor Production by @TXInstruments #AI #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #Innovation https://t.co/sZ6drs9A4a
ALTUS-LSA Strengthened Partnerships at BATTLEFIELD ReDEFiNED 2026
ALTUS-LSA showcased its unmanned aerial platforms at the BATTLEFIELD ReDEFiNED 2026 forum in Nicosia, attracting more than 500 delegates and high‑level Cypriot officials. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cyprus‑based AmaDema Composites to produce composite components locally, bolstering...
Taiwan Targets Drone Hub with $1.38B Non‑red Supply Push
Can Taiwan fulfil Asia-Pacific drone hub goal with ‘non-red’ supply chain push? Plan is to invest US$1.38 billion between 2025 and 2030 for uncrewed systems industry, but questions linger over scale, politics and timing https://t.co/jb0kr8jdVY via @scmpnews
KimoLab Merges Kimodo and Mjlab For
Introducing KimoLab: Kimodo + mjlab for prompt to physics-based motion matching for the unitree g1. I accidentally had claude make this and it's actually pretty cool. https://t.co/TIOFHFnZLi
America’s New 911 Drone Is Always Ready
Police departments across the United States are scaling Drone‑as‑First‑Responder (DFR) programs, but many current drones suffer from short flight times, limited range, and connectivity gaps. BRINC’s new Guardian drone tackles these issues with an automated battery‑swap dock that delivers up...
China Rolls Out Thousands of Service Robots Nationwide
China Deploys Thousands of Service #Robots Across Its Cities by @ShangguanJiewen #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/wKaKjk98mY
Bending Both Ways: Robot Hand Achieves Superhuman Dexterity
This #Robot Hand Bends Both Ways — Unlocking Superhuman Dexterity via @ZappyZappy7 #AI #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #MI https://t.co/hjiYhdanj6
$41 Billion in Physical AI: What Investors Need to Know About Robotaxis & Humanoid Robots
In this episode of Autonomy Insiders, Marcin Briggs of Bank of America Global Research explains the rise of "physical AI"—AI that perceives, reasons, and acts in the real world—and why autonomous vehicles are the first large‑scale proving ground. He highlights...
Teach Robots Complex Tasks Without Hours of Training
Teaching #Robots to do complex tasks WITHOUT spending hours training them via @IlirAliu_ #Robotics #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #MI #Tech https://t.co/g1J2I9LOQ4
Oceaneering Launches 30‑day Autonomous Electric ROV
Oceaneering Unveils Momentum Electric ROV for 30-Day #Autonomous Subsea Missions by @IntEngineering #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology https://t.co/E3egLmufVf
SMW Autoblok Mechatronic Grippers Feature High Gripping Forces
SMW Autoblok has expanded its MOTIACT line with the MX‑L 335 and MX‑L 520 long‑stroke mechatronic grippers, delivering up to 40 kN of gripping force and jaw strokes of 55 mm and 99 mm respectively. The grippers feature aluminium housings, integrated absolute position sensors, and...
Integrated Metrology Solution Powers Lights-Out Aerospace Production
Acutec Precision Aerospace equipped three DMG MORI NZX 2000 nine‑axis mill‑turn centers with an inline metrology cell that combines a Mitutoyo MiSTAR 555 CMM and a FANUC robotic arm. The system moves parts directly from machining to measurement, delivering inspection results...
Slime Robots Poised to Transform MedTech and Manufacturing
#WhatsNext? Slime #Robots. Could be responsible for advances in #MedTech #Healthcare and #Manufacturing and more. #Robotics https://t.co/kuuATvv0Bo
Human‑Wearable Robot Suit Turns Users Into Quadruped Load‑Carriers
Centaur #Robot Suit Turns Humans into High-Tech Quadrupeds for Heavy Load Carrying by @XRoboHub #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/UaFev7w0Pv
Drone‑Attack Drill Uncovers Critical Gap in U.S. Power Grid Defense
A North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) simulation revealed that unmanned aircraft systems can breach critical power‑grid assets, prompting utilities and regulators to demand new detection and interdiction tools. The exercise underscores the urgency of aligning federal guidance with industry...
Remote Robotic Stroke Surgery Triumphs in Panama, Paving Way for Global Tele‑Neurointervention
A neurosurgeon in Santiago performed a remote robotic thrombectomy on a stroke patient at The Panama Clinic, restoring cerebral blood flow within minutes. The breakthrough, part of XCath’s Operation Robo Angel study, demonstrates how AI‑enabled robotics can overcome geographic barriers...
HII's Eric Chewning Charts AI‑Driven Turnaround in Century‑Old Shipyards
Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at Huntington Ingalls Industries, says the shipbuilder’s AI pilots with C3 AI and Path Robotics are delivering schedule gains and cultural change, offering a playbook for consultants tackling legacy‑heavy...
Zoox Expands Robotaxi Service to Austin, Miami and Grows in SF, Vegas
Amazon-owned Zoox announced that its purpose‑built robotaxi fleet will begin rides in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida later this year, adding to expanded service zones in San Francisco and Las Vegas. The move follows nearly two million autonomous miles driven...
Amazon Acquires Fauna Robotics, Adding $50,000 Sprout Humanoid to Its Portfolio
Amazon has completed the acquisition of Fauna Robotics, the New York startup behind the $50,000 Sprout humanoid robot. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, brings a consumer‑focused robot into Amazon’s already massive warehouse‑robot fleet of over one million...
Industrial Remote‑Controlled Mower Tackles Weeds, Trees, Rodents
#WhatsNext? You've all seen the 'garden' variety of robotic lawnmowers before right. But have you seen the more industrial remote controlled variety that takes out big weeds, small trees and lazy rodents? (Industrial Engineering) #Robotics #CoolGadgets https://t.co/y25Hb6gz9f
Japanese Drone Rolls on Ground, Takes Flight
HAGAMOSphere: The Japanese #Drone That Rolls on Ground and Soars in Air by @tweetciiiim #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/OhJQAQIya3
Amazon Acquires 'Approachable' Humanoid Maker Fauna Robotics
Amazon confirmed the acquisition of Fauna Robotics, a startup that builds approachable humanoid robots, though financial terms were undisclosed. Fauna’s flagship Sprout robot sells for about $50,000, stands 3 ft 6 in tall, and targets developers and enterprise customers such as Disney and...
Robot “Bear” Boosts Solar Farm Safety and Efficiency
How a robot named Bear is making solar farm maintenance safer and more efficient #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/5z48f9XCz1 https://t.co/wNTefJNvMl
Passive Hand Exoskeleton Enables Multimodal Sensory Data
Smart Grip Tech: A Passive Hand Exoskeleton for Multimodal Sensory Data Collection by @TheHumanoidHub #AI #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML #MI https://t.co/9GpiC8xCgt
Cobb County, Ga., Eyes Federal Grant for World Cup Security
The Cobb County Police Department is set to receive a $10.68 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to purchase counter‑unmanned aircraft systems (C‑UAS) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The funding will equip the department with radar‑camera...
Exotec Rolls Out Skyfleet Program to Scale Decathlon Warehouse Automation Across Europe
Exotec has launched the Skyfleet program, rolling out standardized robotic warehouse solutions to seven Decathlon logistics sites across five European countries. Each site features 150‑200 Skypod robots, up to 200,000 items processed daily, and full automation of inbound and outbound...