Patent Suggests Low Cost Automated Part Removal
A German patent application (DE102024135536A1) filed by Dominic Jason Ring and Christian Tausch proposes using a 3D printer’s existing motion axes to drive a removable blade for automated part removal. The system couples a blade to the printer’s carriage, allowing push, lift, tip, or shake motions to eject finished prints without adding dedicated motors. Optional optical sensors or AI vision can confirm a cleared build plate, enabling a fully unattended print‑remove‑print cycle. The concept targets low‑cost, space‑efficient automation for batch‑producing simple parts such as custom shoe insoles.
Prediction 4 Revisited: I Said Humanoids Would Be Form-Factor Progress and Niche Labor, Not Conscious Robots. Figure Now Bills BMW...
In early 2025 the author warned that humanoid robots would remain niche, form‑factor focused tools rather than conscious assistants. By January 2026 Figure AI’s Figure 03 units are billing BMW roughly $25 per robot‑operating‑hour on the Spartanburg line, while Tesla’s Optimus...
Raymond to Preview Updated Courier Automated Tow Tractor at Automate 2026
Raymond Corp. will unveil an updated Courier automated tow tractor and stacker at Automate 2026 in Chicago. The new Courier integrates telematics, virtual‑reality interfaces, and advanced energy systems to boost warehouse efficiency. Raymond also highlights its 4260 stand‑up counterbalanced truck...
Artificial Eyes Could Bring Human-Like Sight to Self-Driving Cars, Robots
Researchers at Penn State have unveiled a photomemristor that mimics the human eye’s ability to adjust rapidly between bright and dark conditions. The device, built from a gel‑like PEDOT:PSS layer and titanium‑oxide, swells or desorbs water to self‑regulate sensitivity, delivering...
Why Defense Drones Need Rare Earths to Stay Mission-Ready
Defense drones have become central to modern military operations, relying on rare‑earth elements (REEs) to deliver compact, high‑performance motors, advanced optics, and efficient displays. Neodymium‑iron‑boron magnets, bolstered by dysprosium and terbium, enable the lightweight propulsion and actuator systems that give...
CIS News
The CIS news roundup spotlights a surge of activity in medical robotics, from Johnson & Johnson’s OTTAVA system posting positive clinical trial results to Sentante earning a CE mark for its endovascular platform. Ezmedibot was chosen for the 2026 Innovative...
QinetiQ Boosts UK Mine-Hunting Drone Testing at Portland
QinetiQ has installed a new six‑metre water tank at the MOD Portland Bill site to test and tune the magnetic signatures of uncrewed mine‑hunting vessels slated for Royal Navy service. The tank lets engineers capture magnetic data from each drone...
STARK Debuts Cascade and Gambit Drones with UK Partner
STARK, a European defence‑tech firm, unveiled two new unmanned systems targeting NATO forces: the Cascade tube‑launched loitering munition with up to 100 km range and a six‑cell launcher, and the Gambit lightweight quadcopter for ISR and short‑range strike up to 25 km....
Humanoid Robots Are Not Your Next Employee—They’re the End of Mass Employment as We Know It
By 2026 humanoid robots have moved from prototype to commercial lease programs, with unit prices dropping below $50,000. Companies such as Tesla, Figure and Agility Robotics are deploying them in warehouses, factories and retail, leveraging foundation‑model AI that lets the...
Edge Computing Brings AI Closer to Material Handling, Explains Toyota Automated Logistics
Toyota Automated Logistics highlighted at the Robotics Summit & Expo how edge computing is moving AI processing from the cloud to the warehouse floor. By placing vision and analytics on edge devices, companies can detect pallet damage, track high‑value inventory,...
Fish-Scale Sensor Gives Robots a Better Sense of Touch
Researchers have unveiled a fish‑scale‑inspired giant piezocapacitive sensor that dramatically boosts tactile sensitivity for soft robotic grippers. The rigid PZT “scales” on a silicone substrate create air‑gap‑driven electric‑field gating, delivering a 177‑fold capacitance increase during bending. The device resolves 0.005°...
Paper Proposes Multifunctional 3D Robot For Kitchen Waste
A new research paper details a multifunctional 3D‑printed robot that processes kitchen waste through sorting, shredding, drying and compacting. The prototype relies on fused‑filament‑fabrication parts to keep material costs low and enable rapid design iteration. Researchers propose releasing the CAD...
Xpeng Loses Robotics Product Head as 2026 Mass Production Target Looms
Xpeng’s veteran robotics product chief Shi Xiaoxin resigned after more than four years, just as the company accelerates toward mass‑producing its Iron humanoid robot by the end of 2026. Shi was instrumental in building the Iron platform from early prototypes...
Uber’s Europe Strategy, FedEx Freight Flips the Script, Undersea Autonomy Accelerates
Uber announced a partnership with Autobrains and NVIDIA to launch a Level‑4 robotaxi pilot in Munich, keeping the venture asset‑light by relying on its demand platform while off‑loading vehicle capital costs. FedEx Freight, now a standalone public company, said its...
Robotiq Introduces IQ Platform to Automate Robotic Workcell Integration
Robotiq, a Quebec‑based automation firm, launched the IQ platform – an AI‑enabled solution that automates robotic workcell integration. IQ captures unstructured project data, coordinates engineering workflows, and generates validated workcell designs using digital twins and historical deployment insights. The platform...