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
Nauticus Robotics, Inc. Announces Major Leadership Enhancements, Aquanaut Manufacturing Expansion, and Accelerated Growth Strategy
Nauticus Robotics announced a suite of senior appointments, including Dr. Kjerstin Easton as Vice President of Software, Chuck Claunch as Chief Software Architect, and Jason Close as Vice President of Growth & Go‑to‑Market. The leadership overhaul coincides with Master Investment Group’s commitment to fund additional Aquanaut subsea vehicles, expanding manufacturing capacity. These moves aim to accelerate the deployment of the Nauticus ToolKITT autonomy platform and broaden sales across energy and defense sectors. The company positions itself for a commercial‑scale growth phase after years of technology development.
PTZOptics Aims to Make Video More ‘Actionable’ with Visual Reasoning Initiative
PTZOptics announced a Visual Reasoning initiative that fuses its robotic PTZ camera systems with Moondream’s open‑source vision‑language models. The partnership enables real‑time video interpretation, powering features such as auto‑tracking, smarter search, automated indexing, and event‑driven triggers. By offering an open...
Altomaxx RPAS Specialist – UAS/RPAS Pilot (Calgary AB)
Altomaxx Technologies, a Canadian drone‑service leader, is hiring experienced UAS/RPAS pilots for its Calgary field‑operations team. The role supports oil‑and‑gas inspections, ground‑penetrating radar, bathymetry, and confined‑space surveys across domestic and international projects. Candidates must hold a Transport Canada RPAS Pilot...
Arduino‑Powered Acoustic Levitator Suspends Objects in Midair
A student built a real anti-gravity machine… using an Arduino. How to Make an Acoustic Levitator: Arduino Nano + motor driver + about 60 ultrasonic transducers. They all emit ~40 kHz sound. The sound waves meet and form fixed pockets...
Dosenbach-Ochsner Installs More than 100 Exotec Skypod Robots to Modernize Swiss Warehouse
Dosenbach‑Ochsner, part of the Deichmann Group, has gone live with Exotec’s Skypod robotic system at its Luterbach warehouse, deploying over 100 autonomous picking robots. The robots now service roughly 174,000 storage locations, handling both picking and packing operations. Flexibility and...
Kodiak AI Adds Haas Alert’s ‘Safety Cloud’ to Its Autonomous Trucking Solution
Kodiak AI has integrated Haas Alert’s Safety Cloud digital‑alert platform into its autonomous trucking solution, enabling real‑time safety notifications to nearby drivers via cellular networks. The alerts, displayed on infotainment screens, Waze, Apple Maps and OEM‑compatible systems, have been shown...
Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Anzu Robotics Over Alleged DJI Rebranding Scheme
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Anzu Robotics, alleging the company sells rebranded DJI drones while concealing their Chinese origin and data‑security risks. The complaint claims Anzu acts as a passthrough to bypass federal and state bans...
Should Utilities Invest in Larger Scale, Larger UAS Operations? ….maybe
Utilities are moving beyond pilot‑scale drone programs to enterprise‑level unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that can inspect transmission lines, manage vegetation, and support emergency response. The core question now is whether to invest in larger UAS—platforms over 55 lb that operate outside...
Defence Drone and Robotics Startup Breaker Pilots $9 Million Seed Round
Australian defence tech startup Breaker has secured a $9 million seed round, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from existing backer Main Sequence. The funding will accelerate its AI‑driven voice interface that lets a single operator command up to 100...
Governor Kelly Announces $3M to Develop Unmanned Aerial Systems Technology for Agricultural Research
Governor Laura Kelly announced a $3 million state grant to Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems for developing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial systems aimed at Kansas agriculture. The funding, approved during the 2025 legislative session, builds on the state’s...
AI Agents Automate Tasks but Hide Safety Risks
Most AI agents now automate tasks from web browsing to workplace reporting, yet the majority lack basic safety disclosures, with significant transparency gaps in risk evaluation and real-world safeguards. aisafety
Festo Introduces GripperAI for Mixed-Product Robot Picking
Festo unveiled GripperAI, software that lets robots pick mixed‑SKU orders without custom programming or template loading. The system runs on a standard industrial PC paired with an affordable 3D camera, automatically calculating grip points and selecting the appropriate tool. It...
Kollmorgen Introduces AKME Series Servo Motors for Hazardous Locations
Electromate has launched the Kollmorgen AKME Series Servo Motors, specifically engineered for hazardous environments with Zone 2 and Zone 22 certification. The new line spans IEC frame sizes 2 through 7, operates from 48 Vdc to 400 Vac, and reaches speeds up to 5,000 rpm...
GXO Closes Out Record-Setting Revenue Year
GXO Logistics reported record revenue of $13.2 billion for 2025, a 13% increase year‑over‑year, with Q4 sales climbing 7.9% to $3.51 billion. Net income fell to $36 million for the full year, while quarterly profit was $43 million, reflecting higher investment in growth initiatives....
BAE Systems Signs Framework Deal for Logistics Drone Expansion
BAE Systems FalconWorks and SURVICE Engineering have signed a framework agreement to co‑develop uncrewed air system technologies, extending the partnership that began with the T‑150 logistics drone (fielded as the TRV‑150). The deal broadens collaboration into small and tactical UAS...
Yokogawa, ANYbotics Integrate OpreXTM Robot Management Core Software Into ANYmal Inspection Robots
Yokogawa Electric and Swiss robot maker ANYbotics announced that Yokogawa’s OpreX™ Robot Management Core software will be embedded in ANYbotics’ ANYmal inspection robot family, including the upcoming explosion‑proof ANYmal X slated for a 2026 launch. The integration links robot fleets...
Humanoid Robot Performs Real-Time Parkour via Perception
Not a preplanned motion sequence. A robot deciding mid-jump what to do next. [📍 paper + demo] Researchers just showed a humanoid doing real parkour using only onboard perception. No motion script, no fixed obstacle layout. The system is called...
From Software to Robots: Making Automation Affordable and Deployable
🎙️ Evan Beard is the co-founder and CEO of Standard Bots , building AI-trained industrial robot arms designed to automate real factory work, not demos: In this episode, Evan shares a founder path that started in software startups and Y...
Lockheed Martin Rapidly Developed Lamprey Drone, New Variants on the Way
Lockheed Martin unveiled the Lamprey multi‑mission autonomous undersea vehicle, a UUV developed in just 14 months and showcased at WEST 2026. The drone can attach to submarines, ships, or the seabed using suction cups, allowing it to hitch rides and...
Empowering STEM: Professor Redefines Robotics for All
#Noire #AI #Avatar #Robotics #Engineering #Professor teaches Robotics as part of her STEM for the streets. Changing the face of STEM one robot at a time. Support her books, robots, apparel and more at NoireSTEMinist.com
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada to Deploy Agility Robotics’ Digit Humanoids
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) has signed an agreement with Agility Robotics to deploy its Digit humanoid robots across its Ontario assembly plants after a successful year‑long pilot. The rollout will add seven additional Digits to load and unload totes...
From Rocks to Row Crops, TerraClear Broadens Its Capabilities with Launch of Fully Autonomous Robot
TerraClear has launched TerraScout, a fully autonomous robot that captures high‑resolution field imagery for rock‑mapping and weed identification across broad‑acre row crops. The machine can map over 1,000 acres per day at speeds up to 15 mph, collecting more than 4 billion...
Epson Robots to Exhibit at DesignCon, APEX and MAX in Early 2026
Epson Robots announced it will exhibit at three major trade shows—DesignCon, APEX Expo, and Manufacturing & Automation eXchange (MAX)—in early 2026. The company will showcase its new T‑Series All‑in‑One SCARA robot, marketed as a cost‑efficient, plug‑and‑play solution, alongside the RC+®...
How Automation Addresses Industry’s Worker Shortage While Improving Safety and Job Satisfaction
Manufacturers are turning to collaborative robots and machine‑tending automation to combat a persistent labor shortage. By moving workers from repetitive, ergonomically‑dangerous tasks—such as single‑cell welding or CNC loading—to supervisory roles across multiple cells, firms boost productivity and job satisfaction. Safety‑driven...
US Navy to Deploy UAVs with Standard Munitions in Long-Range Strikes
The U.S. Navy’s Runway Independent Maritime & Expeditionary Strike (RIMES) program is seeking unmanned aerial vehicles capable of launching standard 1,000‑lb class munitions from ships or austere shore sites. The Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit has issued a solicitation,...
Autotech Ventures Bets Big on Hard-to-Copy Logistics Startups
Autotech Ventures, a $600 million industrial‑focused VC, is targeting logistics startups that are hard to replicate, leveraging its deep network of global manufacturers and carriers. The firm highlighted investments in GenLogs, a data‑rich freight intelligence platform, and Augment, an end‑to‑end AI...
NVIDIA Adds Cosmos Policy to Its World Foundation Models
NVIDIA introduced Cosmos Policy, a post‑trained robot control policy built on its Cosmos Predict‑2 world foundation model. By encoding actions, future states and reward signals as latent video frames, the single diffusion‑based model achieves state‑of‑the‑art results on the LIBERO and...
Turkey Targets Italian Market with Strategic Partnership on USVs and Hybrid Platforms
Turkey’s defence firms Havelsan and VN Maritime have signed a strategic MoU with Italy’s Piloda Defence to develop uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and hybrid naval platforms. The partnership targets a first procurement contract in Italy by the first half of...
Introducing Automation in One of the World's Most Demanding Mining Environments
PAMA has become the first open‑pit coal mine in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region to deploy full‑scale automation, integrating autonomous haul trucks, drill rigs and a remote‑operations centre. The rollout targets the mine’s most challenging terrain, from water‑logged tailings to steep embankments,...
Fly at Your Own Peril: The “Zombie” App Leading UK Pilots Into a National Security Trap
Altitude Angel’s Drone Assist, once the UK’s go‑to flight‑planning app, has become effectively abandoned after the company entered administration in late 2025 and its assets were sold to Spain’s Indra Group. The app’s maps no longer reflect the Ministry of...
Additive Screen Printing: Scalable Production Meets Micro Precision
Additive Screen Printing (ASP) merges industrial screen printing with additive manufacturing to produce metal and ceramic components with micro‑precision at high volume. The process deposits material paste through precision screens layer‑by‑layer, cures each layer, then sinters the green parts to...
Swarm Aero Opens Large Drone Production Hub in Arkansas
Swarm Aero inaugurated an 80,000‑square‑foot Advanced Manufacturing Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, dedicated to large‑UAV production. The facility is designed to mass‑produce the Group 5 swarming UAV, which the company claims will cost less than the MQ‑9 Reaper while delivering comparable capability....
High-Precision Local Positioning System for GPS-Denied Drones & Robotics
Agilica has introduced its Agilica Geolocation (AGL) system, a high‑precision local positioning solution for UAVs that operates without GPS. Leveraging ultra‑wideband radio and a mesh of anchor nodes, the system delivers centimeter‑level accuracy even in RF‑rich, jammed or spoofed environments....
3D‑Printed Lattice Tires Eliminate Air and Suspension
3D printed tires Pure 3D-printed lattice magic in TPU that flexes, absorbs insane weight, and keeps rolling. No air or suspension needed. @robotsailor is building next-level robot wheels… fully custom, printed fast on Bambu Lab printers. If you don’t follow...
Soft Robotics and Assistive Tech: Merging for Societal Benefit
A new Science #Robotics Focus article discusses how soft robotics and assistive technologies are intertwined and explores how innovations in these fields could benefit society at large. https://t.co/2CVjJj480Z https://t.co/xaUpYivsJg
AI Breakthrough Could Replace Rare Earth Magnets in Electric Vehicles
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire used artificial intelligence to compile a searchable database of 67,573 magnetic compounds, uncovering 25 previously unknown high‑temperature magnets. The AI system extracts experimental data from literature, predicts magnetic behavior, and records temperature thresholds....
China’s Rapid AI‑robot Loops Outpace Demo‑heavy Rivals
Humanoid robotics has split into two timelines: China → deploys, iterates, scales Others → demo, debate, delay The advantage isn’t better robots. It’s tighter AI + manufacturing + deployment loops. Real-world reps beat stage demos.
AI Racing Drone Beats Human Controlled FPV Racing Drones on Aerial Racetrack: An Overlooked ‘AlphaGo Moment’ with Future War Implications
In April 2025, an autonomous racing drone equipped with a neural‑network AI outperformed three human FPV champions at the A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi. The AI‑controlled craft completed the complex aerial course faster than the pilots, marking the first...
🦾 Robotics Funding Rounds by Month - December 2025
The episode reviews December 2025 robotics funding, highlighting 127 rounds that raised $2.74 billion, bringing the year’s total to roughly $35 billion. It notes a healthy volume of deals despite lower individual round sizes, with notable activity among humanoid, biotech‑robotics, construction, and...
3D‑Printed Robot Girl
I'm definitely a 3d printed wheeled mobile robot girlie but I will step outside of my box to make robot arms for my colleagues image processing course. Now just to get these puppies to pick up colored blocks. #Engineering #STEM...
Amazon Terminates Blue Jay Robot Project to Pivot Toward Orbital System
Amazon has discontinued its Blue Jay robotic warehouse system only months after its debut, citing prohibitive costs and technical hurdles. The e‑commerce leader is redirecting resources to a new modular architecture called Orbital, aimed at smaller fulfillment centers and grocery...
Cutting-Edge Technologies Are Poised to Transform Orthopedics
Orthopedic surgery is rapidly adopting AI, robotic assistance, VR/AR and wearable digital tools, shifting from experimental concepts to routine practice. AI now supports imaging interpretation, predictive risk modeling, personalized surgical planning, training simulations and remote postoperative monitoring. Robotic platforms improve...
Niqo Robotics Showcases 3-in-1 Precision AI Robot at Southwest Ag Summit 2026
Niqo Robotics unveiled its 3‑in‑1 AI robot at the Southwest Ag Summit, demonstrating a single‑pass solution for precision weeding, crop thinning, and targeted spraying. The showcase followed a successful pilot that generated the company’s first commercial order in the region....
AllPIXA Neo 6k Line-Scan Camera Delivers Unmatched Speed and Precision for Automated Sorting Systems
Allied Vision introduced the allPIXA neo 6k 10GigE line‑scan camera, engineered for high‑speed automated sorting. It features a 6144 × 4 pixel CMOS multispectral sensor, 5 µm pixel size, and can capture up to 105 kHz in color or 300 kHz in monochrome. The camera delivers...
Open‑Source Motion Capture Using Cheap Webcams
A fully open source mocap system that works with cheap webcams: The FreeMoCap Project A free-and-open-source, hardware-and-software-agnostic, minimal-cost, research-grade, motion capture system and platform for decentralized scientific research, education, and training: https://lnkd.in/dEzJdTBK —- Weekly robotics and AI insights. Subscribe free:...
Low‑Voltage Artificial Muscles Power Untethered Soft Robotic Fish
Scientists have developed #dielectric elastomer actuators, or artificial “muscles”, that can operate at low voltages while still producing high output to drive #untethered, soft robotic fish movements. Learn more in Science #Robotics: https://t.co/zAb0uHec2c https://t.co/NbGduWdDoh
Amazon Halts Blue Jay Robotics Project After Less than 6 Months
Amazon has halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project less than six months after its public debut. The multi‑armed robot, unveiled in October to speed same‑day delivery, was built in roughly a year—significantly faster than Amazon’s prior robot programs. Amazon says...
2‑Year Postdoc in Uncrewed Systems at Swedish Defence University
Great opportunity for a 2-year post doctoral position at the Swedish Defence University here for those working on uncrewed systems: https://t.co/CYy5Wnh91N
National Robotics Week 2026 Underscores Robotics as a Critical U.S. Industry and Workforce Engine
National Robotics Week runs April 4‑12, 2026, spotlighting robotics as a strategic U.S. industry. Organized by MassRobotics, the week aggregates over a hundred events nationwide, linking manufacturers, startups, and research labs. Partnerships such as Microsoft’s sponsorship of STEM sessions and...
NORD Launches Digital Twin Technology to Accelerate System Development
NORD Drivesystems has introduced a digital‑twin solution through its myNORD online portal, leveraging the Functional Mock‑up Interface (FMI) standard to generate simulation models of fully configured drive systems. Engineers can now perform virtual commissioning, testing drive concepts early and adjusting...