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
DIU, Navy Tap Anduril to Prototype Dive-XL Autonomous Submarine
Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Navy have awarded Anduril a contract to prototype the Dive-XL autonomous submarine under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) program. Anduril must conduct a long‑range, operationally representative demonstration within four months, using a vehicle similar to its Ghost Shark XL‑AUV delivered to the Royal Australian Navy. The effort aligns with the White House Maritime Action Plan and the Navy’s new “hedge force” strategy that emphasizes unmanned system interoperability with allies. Contract value and any industry partners were not disclosed.
A Bicycle Robot that Can Drive Fast and Jump over Obstacles
Researchers at the Robotics and AI Institute unveiled the Ultra Mobility Vehicle (UMV), a bicycle‑based robot that can drive at 8 m/s, hop over 1‑meter obstacles, and perform flips using only five actuated degrees of freedom. The platform uses a heavy...
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UL Solutions granted its first UL 3300 safety certification to Simbe’s Tally autonomous shelf‑scanning robot. The certification, covering fire, electric‑shock and autonomous mobility hazards, confirms Tally can operate safely in busy public retail aisles. Simbe becomes the inaugural company to receive...
Coding for Underwater Robotics
Ivy Mahncke, an Olin College robotics undergraduate, spent her MIT Lincoln Laboratory summer internship developing a collaborative navigation algorithm for divers and underwater vehicles. The algorithm addresses the lack of GPS by fusing acoustic and sensor data, and was field‑tested...
Celebrating 10 Years of the Open Process Automation™ Forum
The Open Group marks a decade since launching the Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) on January 31, 2017. Over ten years the Forum has delivered the Open Process Automation Standard, a vendor‑neutral, modular and secure framework for industrial control systems. By replacing...
Why Platform Consolidation Pays Off
Manufacturers increasingly recognize that juggling multiple best‑of‑breed automation platforms drives hidden costs far beyond initial equipment spend. Training a single technician on five disparate systems can exceed $50,000, inflating a plant’s training budget to a million dollars. Consolidating onto a...
DRM to Showcase Integrated Automation Systems at MAX 2026
DRM, LLC will exhibit at the MAX Manufacturing and Automation Exchange in Nashville from March 24‑26, showcasing its end‑to‑end automation solutions at Booth #515. The company will run a live robotic demonstration cell that highlights precision motion control for dispensing, material...
Quantum Solutions Partners With Delmar Aerospace to Bring Drone-Based Water Intelligence to North America
Quantum Solutions, a UK imaging firm, has entered a three‑way partnership with Delmar Aerospace and its Canadian unit Perspectum Drone Inspection Services to launch the Q.Fly Water drone system across the U.S. West Coast and Canada. The platform uses quantum‑dot...
Govt Data Sharing Unites Effort as Wuhan Trains Robots
“Government support means the data is shared, benefiting everyone. It pushes everyone to work in the same direction,” he said. In Wuhan, Zhang helps oversee 70 young instructors who work eight-hour shifts training their 46 robots. They use remote controls...
MassRobotics, AWS, and NVIDIA Announce Second Cohort of Physical AI Fellowship
MassRobotics, together with AWS and NVIDIA, launched the second Physical AI Fellowship cohort for 2026. The virtual program supports nine high‑potential robotics startups across sectors such as agriculture, construction, renewable energy, logistics and humanoid robotics. Fellows receive up to $200,000...
Exotec and Komar Launch ‘Next-Generation’ Automated Fulfilment Centre in Savannah
Exotec is deploying its Skypod robotic system at Komar Distribution Services' 760,000‑square‑foot Savannah fulfillment centre. The modular solution promises up to 50% higher throughput and 30% greater storage density while handling both case and single‑item picking. Full automation is slated...
New Drone Tech Triggers Avalanches From the Sky (Video)
Drone Amplified has unveiled MONTIS, a drone system designed to deliver avalanche explosives from the air, minimizing human exposure on dangerous slopes. Developed over four years with explosive maker CIL and the Alaska Department of Transportation, the platform can drop...
Serve Robotics and White Castle Launch Autonomous Delivery via Uber Eats
Serve Robotics and White Castle have teamed up to ship the chain’s sliders and other menu items using autonomous sidewalk robots through Uber Eats. The rollout adds Serve’s third‑generation delivery bots to the existing Uber Eats network, which already operates in major...
Congatec Expands Ryzen AI Embedded COM Express Modules
congatec announced six new variants of its Ryzen AI Embedded P100 Series COM Express 3.1 Type 6 Compact modules, expanding core counts from four to twelve and graphics units from two to sixteen. The modules leverage 4‑nm Zen 5/5c CPUs, RDNA 3.5 GPUs...
Dürr Unveils Robotic System that Prints Custom Designs on Vehicle Bodies
Dürr introduced EcoNextJet, a robotic drop‑on‑demand printing system that applies custom graphics directly onto vehicle bodies during the paint process. The system uses a 2,000‑nozzle printhead capable of two‑color, 720 dpi resolution and five‑micron paint thickness, replacing traditional film decals. Developed...
Uber, Nissan, Wayve Launch Scalable Robotaxis in Tokyo
Big news from Tokyo 🇯🇵 @Uber and @NissanMotor and @wayve_ai have signed an agreement to deploy supervised robotaxis in Tokyo from late 2026, bringing the Nissan Leaf powered by the Wayve AI Driver to riders through Uber. This is what scalable autonomy...
CES 2026: Connected Vehicles Accelerate the Pace of AI
At CES 2026 the spotlight shifted from prototype showcases to production‑ready connected vehicles, underscoring the convergence of robotics, AI and automotive electronics. Qualcomm announced a partnership with Chinese startup Leapmotor to equip the D19 with a dual Snapdragon Elite platform, marking the...
Aerowash Selected by IAG to Supply Aircraft Washing Robots to British Airways at Heathrow
Aerowash has been awarded a multi‑year leasing contract by International Airlines Group to provide aircraft‑washing robots for British Airways at London Heathrow. The deal follows a competitive tender and will see several automated washers deployed across BA’s Heathrow operations. CEO...
Embention Integrates Veronte Autopilot with Gotonomi SATCOM for Enhanced BVLOS Operations
Embention has integrated its Veronte Autopilot 1x with Gotonomi SATCOM terminals, creating a plug‑and‑play BVLOS solution that leverages Viasat’s L‑Band satellite network. The new hardware version 4.12 adds a native Ethernet port, removing RS485‑to‑Ethernet converters and reducing UAV weight. VeronteLink...
Dreame-Backed NXMind Enters Commercialization with Tianqiong Chips, Targets Orbital Computing
NXMind, backed by Dreame, announced that its Tianqiong chip series has entered mass production and will be integrated across Dreame’s home‑robot lineup. The heterogeneous system‑on‑chip combines a multi‑core CPU, dedicated NPU and microcontroller to enable real‑time LiDAR, vision fusion and...
Gremsy & Sierra BASE Unveil Integrated UAV Solution for South Korean Bridge Inspection
Gremsy and Sierra BASE demonstrated an integrated UAV solution for bridge inspection in South Korea, pairing Gremsy's Pixy LR gimbal with a Sony LR1 camera on Sierra BASE's SIRIUS UAV. The system delivers stable, high‑resolution imagery in windy, GPS‑challenged environments,...
AI Still Needs Human Bodies to Act Physically
A new platform claims to let AI “rent” human bodies. The idea sounds futuristic, but it highlights a deeper challenge: robots and AI still depend heavily on humans to interact with the physical world. Until machines achieve full autonomy, human bodies...
UiPath Posts 111% EPS Surge, 17% Margin
$PATH earnings: profitability inflection with operating margin at 17%, EPS +111% YoY UiPath delivered a strong quarter. Revenue reached $481M (+13.6% YoY) and exceeded expectations, while adjusted EPS also came in ahead of estimates. Investing
What ChatGPT Has to Do with Robots
Robotics is entering a new era as artificial intelligence, especially large neural networks, merges with physical machines to create embodied AI capable of handling novelty. Traditional robots excel at repetitive, well‑defined tasks, but recent breakthroughs allow them to perceive, decide,...
Global Map Reveals Rapid Growth of Medical Drone Projects
The Global Map of Medical Drone Projects And Trials We analyzed the state of medical drones worldwide. To achieve that, we had to dive into the global literature and announcements to find all of these exciting projects that involved the use...
HP SitePrint Robot Prints Floor Blueprints for Construction
HP SitePrint: The #Robot That Prints Blueprints on the Floor by @lukas_m_ziegler #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology #Tech https://t.co/ipCaLAq5sv
MQ-9s Over Iran: Striking and Finding Targets—But Taking Some Losses
U.S. MQ‑9 Reaper drones are conducting persistent ISR and precision strikes against Iranian missile and drone launchers as part of Operation Epic Fury, having hit more than 5,500 targets since the conflict began. Iran’s air defenses have managed to down...
Humanoid Robot Reads Emotions, Reacts Like Human
AI Q: The Emotion-Reading Humanoid #Robot That Reacts Like a Real Being via @XRoboHub #Robots #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech https://t.co/DWNy7dlRFv
Robotics Transform Warehouse Automation for Faster Operations
How to #Automate your Warehouse with #Robotics by @antgrasso #Robots #RPA #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/6qIjYCkUJ1
Technology Agenda Sealed by Letter of Intent
IDS Imaging Development Systems and Prophesee have signed a Letter of Intent at Embedded World to deepen their partnership and create next‑generation industrial vision systems that fuse conventional imaging with Prophesee’s Metavision® event‑based technology. The expanded collaboration builds on the...
Uber Launches Global Robotaxi Platform for Street Deployment
Uber Technologies Launches Uber #Autonomous Solutions to Scale Global Robotaxi Services from Lab to Street by @IntEngineering #SelfDrivingCars #AutonomousVehicles #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Automation #Automotive #Transport https://t.co/4uUQgbfSGz
Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Radars, Ammo Depots
Videos from Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, SSO, and GUR’s Prymary unit of FP-2 and other UAS middle strikes on 64N6E, 48a6-K1 Podlet, Sopka-2, P-18 Terek, RSP-6 M2, and Kasta-2 radar; Geran ground relay; Tor-M2, S-300V, ammunition depots, and other targets....
Autonomous Mobile Robots Mature in the Warehouse
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are moving from pilot projects to full‑scale warehouse deployments as labor shortages and falling hardware costs drive demand. Integration of fleet management with warehouse management systems and the addition of AI capabilities are enhancing robot navigation,...
Slim Robotic Hand Replicates Human Motion Precisely
This Slim #Robotic Hand Perfectly Mimics Human Motion via @ZappyZappy7 #TechForGood #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation #Tech https://t.co/JgjSIkdjMH
Ukraine Achieves China-Free Drone Production Milestone
NYT: Ukraine Reaches a Milestone: Making ‘China-Free’ Drones—The country has prioritized self-sufficiency in producing a crucial battlefield weapon, though weaning itself fully off cheaper Chinese components is difficult. https://t.co/1VEbDkSJyw
Ukrainian Defense Companies Moving To All Domestic Production Of Components
Ukrainian drone and defense firms are rapidly localizing component production, now achieving 80‑90% domestic content for first‑level parts and aiming for 100% on‑shoring of critical systems. Companies such as The Fourth Law and Unwave are building a semiconductor fab to...
Smart Hotels Blend General and Specialized Robots
Hospitality Reimagined: Smart Hotels Powered by Collaborative General-Purpose and Specialized #Robots via @ZappyZappy7 #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation #Tech https://t.co/MQi0r9qqiE
Humanoid Robot Takes On Heavy Load‑Bearing Work
Industrial Humanoid #Robot Tackles Physically Demanding Load-Bearing Tasks via @ZappyZappy7 #RPA #Robotics #Innovation #Technology #EmergingTech https://t.co/dXfsxuxqcV
Figure’s Humanoid Robot Picks Up Toys, Wipes Surfaces in New Demo
Figure AI unveiled a new demo where its humanoid robot, powered by the Helix 02 AI system, tidied a cluttered living room. The robot integrated walking, tool use, and object handling without task‑specific programming, relying on a single neural model. Helix 02...
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
Tiny Bipedal Robot Achieves 10 Steps‑per‑Second Walk
World’s Smallest #Autonomous Bipedal #Robot Walks at 10 Steps per Second via @ZappyZappy7 #AI #Robotics #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/kcsTLXIfqI
Experts Develop First-of-Its-Kind Fully Robotic MRI-Compatible System for Neurosurgery
Researchers at Children’s National Hospital have unveiled BrainBot, the first fully MRI‑compatible robotic system designed for neurosurgery. The air‑powered platform delivers millimetric accuracy while allowing surgeons to image and intervene simultaneously inside the scanner. Backed by a $2 million NIH grant,...
Walker S2 Battles Human in Live Tennis Rally
UBTECH’s Walker S2 Takes on a Human in a Live Tennis Rally by @XRoboHub #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/WdieaboxVa
Brain-Inspired AI Enables Adaptive, Stable Soft Robot Arms
Brain-inspired #AI helps soft #Robot arms switch tasks and stay stable by Gaby Clark @TechXplore_com Learn more: https://t.co/BTbdJm8aSU #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML #DL https://t.co/3b9qFibgPW
SYOS Autonomous Uncrewed Heavy-Lift Helicopter Aces Trials, Now Ready for Serial Production
SYOS Aerospace announced its SA200 heavy‑lift uncrewed helicopter has successfully completed fully autonomous take‑off and landing trials from moving platforms, clearing it for serial production. The aircraft can lift up to 200 kg, fly 180 km (extendable to 300 km) and uses the...
Robots Run Fully Automated Lunar Vegetable Factory
Lunar Vegetable Factory Powered Entirely by #Robot Workers by @Fabriziobustama #AgriTech #Robotics #Innovation #Technology #TechForGood https://t.co/XF1FATDxtI
Retina Scans Could Differentiate Real Humans From Humanoid Robots
How will we distinguish between humanoid robots that look as real as people from actual humans? Eye-retina scans are one place to start. https://t.co/pqhbcBX8TN
Zhibao Technology Launches Drone Insurance Solution for Individual Operators, Strengthening Position in China’s Low-Altitude Economy
Zhibao Technology Inc. has partnered with Sichuan Fanmo Technology to launch China’s first online insurance product aimed at individual drone operators. The policy, priced at CNY 395 (USD 57) per year, offers full‑value coverage and can be activated within 15 minutes via...
FAA Steps Up Drone Enforcement in 2025
The FAA intensified drone enforcement in 2025, issuing fines and suspending or revoking licenses for unsafe and unauthorized flights near sporting events, emergency response operations, and restricted airspace. Penalties ranged from $1,771 to $36,770 across 18 violations, with the agency...
FBI Warns Iran Could Launch Short‑range Drones on West Coast
Not the news I like to read, but don't these drones have a much shorter range?