Dyze Design Patents Modular Motion Control For AM
Dyze Design has filed a patent proposing a modular motion‑control architecture that separates command streams into priority queues and splits telemetry into real‑time and archival channels. The design adds edge‑processing modules for sensors, stepper and BLDC drives, and even a tool‑head with local compute, enabling a per‑build digital twin of position, temperature, torque and flow data. By mirroring industrial CNC control concepts, the system aims to improve emergency‑stop response, reduce latency, and provide richer diagnostics for desktop FFF printers. If realized, it could reposition low‑cost printers toward high‑throughput, unattended production environments.
DHL Supply Chain Completes 1B Picks with Locus Robotics
Logistics giant DHL Supply Chain announced it has completed one billion picks using Locus Robotics’ autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) across more than 40 global sites. The deployment, which began in 2017, has delivered 30%‑180% higher pick rates and an 80%...
Robodock: Autonomous Depots For Robotaxis
Robodock, a startup founded by two Stanford graduates, is automating robotaxi depot operations with mobile charging robots and AI‑driven visual inspections. The system docks with vehicles to manage power transfer and scans exteriors for damage, aiming to cut manual labor...
AMD VEK385 Versal AI Edge Gen 2 FPGA Evaluation Kit Plugs Directly Into a PCIe Gen5/Gen4 Slot
AMD unveiled the VEK385 evaluation kit built around the Versal AI Edge Gen 2 XC2VE3858 SoC FPGA. The board combines eight Cortex‑A78AE cores, ten Cortex‑R52 cores, a Mali‑G78AE GPU, 144 AI Engine‑ML v2 tiles delivering up to 184 INT8 TOPS, and 20 GB...
Shark-Inspired Electronic Skin Gives Robotic Hands the Ability to Sense Objects without Touching Them
Researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology have created a shark‑inspired electronic skin that combines electrostatic non‑contact scanning with tactile triboelectric sensing. By embedding a pre‑charged ePTFE electret within a stretchable Ecoflex matrix, the e‑skin amplifies the electric field, achieving detectable...
Flickstop
NVIDIA has introduced the SimReady Medical Assets library, a collection of high‑fidelity virtual models designed to train surgical robots across a range of procedures. The assets simulate realistic tissue behavior, instrument interaction, and operating‑room environments, allowing AI algorithms to practice...
Digital Twins and the New Warehouse Reality
Digital twins are emerging as a practical solution for warehouse managers to test automation, layout changes, and staffing scenarios without disrupting live operations. By integrating CAD drawings, inventory data, and historical performance, these virtual replicas provide a 360‑degree view of...
EnVista Launches enMotion WES for Automated Warehouses
enVista unveiled enMotion WES+, a cloud‑based warehouse execution system designed for highly automated distribution centers. The platform integrates third‑party WMS, WCS and robotic assets, using a visual Material Flow Graph to model every process from inbound to outbound. Machine‑learning analytics...
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...
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...
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...
ABB Automation Extended
ABB announced its Automation Extended program, a strategic evolution of its distributed control systems that lets customers modernize without interrupting operations. The initiative builds on the long‑standing ABB Ability System 800xA platform, now released as version 7.0 with a separation‑of‑concerns...
Video Wednesday
On November 20, 2020, Verb and Johnson & Johnson unveiled OTTAVA, a six‑armed robotic platform designed for minimally invasive surgery. The system integrates AI‑driven vision, haptic feedback, and modular tooling to automate complex suturing and tissue manipulation. Early trials report a 30%...
Geek+ Unveils Gino 1 Mobile Manipulator for Warehouses
Geek+ introduced Gino 1, a dual‑armed mobile manipulator designed for warehouse environments and powered by the company’s AI‑driven Geek+ Brain. The robot combines two seven‑degree‑of‑freedom force‑controlled arms, each equipped with a three‑finger gripper, tactile sensors and an RGB‑D camera, on...
Delivery Robot Asks Human to Press Traffic Signal Button
Serve Robotics unveiled a sidewalk delivery robot that pauses at a traffic signal and asks a passerby to press the crossing button on its screen. The robot displays a "Thank you" message and a brief light show after the human...
The Economic Impact of Robotaxis on Ridesharing
The 2026 Gridwise Analytics report finds robotaxis are eroding ridesharing volume and driver earnings in markets where they operate. Trips per hour and average ride duration have dropped in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, leading to lower...
An Inside Look Into DARPA’s RACER Program
DARPA’s RACER program is advancing high‑speed autonomous vehicles that operate in unstructured off‑road terrain without relying on maps or GPS. The initiative has field‑tested modified Polaris RZR and Textron M5 platforms across the Mojave Desert, Camp Roberts, and Fort Hood....
Hai Robotics Files for Hong Kong IPO as Revenue Hits $189 Million
Hai Robotics, the Shenzhen‑based developer of automated case‑handling robots, announced its filing for a primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company posted 1.36 billion yuan (approximately $188.9 million) in revenue for 2024, underscoring rapid growth. It now commands more...
Mapping Weaponized Drone Attacks Attributed to Mexican Drug Cartels
The NCITE research center documented 221 weaponized drone incidents in Mexico between 2021 and 2025, with 27 attacks killing 77 people. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) accounted for the largest share, linked to 42 attacks, while La Nueva Familia...
Article Intro - Console-Free Control for the Da Vinci
Researchers at Politecnico di Milano have demonstrated a console‑free mixed‑reality teleoperation system for the da Vinci Research Kit, leveraging Microsoft HoloLens 2 to control the robot via hand gestures, head tracking, and speech. The prototype was tested on camera navigation and...
Flickstop
On February 15, 2026, a blog post announced the first deployment of the Toumai robotic surgery system at Orsi Academy. The post features an image of a surgeon in blue scrubs operating the robot from a console, underscoring the hands‑on...
Has Waymo Finally Solved Robotaxi Supply?
Waymo has reportedly struck a $2.5 billion agreement with Hyundai to purchase 50,000 vehicles by 2028, pricing the cars at roughly $50,000 each including sensor packages. The deal promises to slash autonomous‑vehicle costs and address the chronic supply bottleneck that has...
A Suddenly Unavoidable Podcast
The episode examines recent Waymo incidents, including a school‑child collision and repeated passes of stopped school buses, to illustrate how “unavoidable” crashes are often a product of flawed risk models rather than true inevitability. It reviews The Autonomous’s safety‑architecture report...
World’s Largest Drone Fleet Deployed to Deter Russia
NATO has moved to operationalize its Task Force X Baltic, signing a letter of intent with eight member states to launch the second phase of the programme. The initiative demonstrated the rapid fielding of a fleet of over 50 commercially‑available...
SlipLift Automates Trailer Unloading for More Sites, Says Slip Robotics
Slip Robotics unveiled SlipLift, a new autonomous platform that separates the mobile robot from its payload, allowing it to load or unload any trailer in roughly five minutes. The system supports freight up to 20,000 lb and requires no Wi‑Fi or...
Next Tech Bubble? China Warns of Robot Overcapacity
The episode examines China's rapid expansion of the humanoid robotics industry, driven by government subsidies and venture capital, and the resulting overcapacity warning from the National Development and Reform Commission. It highlights the high costs, limited real-world demand, and technical...
Cangaroo Open-Source CAN Bus Analyzer Supports SocketCAN and CAN-FD on Linux
Cangaroo is an open‑source CAN bus analyzer built for Linux, offering native integration with the SocketCAN stack and support for CAN‑FD. The desktop application captures, decodes, and visualizes traffic in real time, leveraging DBC databases and providing trace, graph, and...
Scaling Robotaxis, Hybrid Networks and Fleet Management Globally with Lyft
Lyft’s Executive Vice President Jeremy Bird outlined the company’s strategic partnership with Waymo to launch robotaxis in Nashville, anchored by the FlexDrive platform that handles depot operations, charging, and maintenance. FlexDrive also underpins Lyft’s European expansion, where a partnership with...
Scaling Intelligence: How New Dexory Tools Drive Data Visibility
Dexory unveiled a next‑generation autonomous robot and a new Storage Health software feature, both aimed at boosting real‑time warehouse visibility. The robot’s scanning range expands to 60 feet, delivering richer data across complex rack configurations, while Storage Health uses AI‑driven computer...
CIS News
The CIS region’s medical robotics landscape is heating up, highlighted by Kazakhstan’s launch of the MISSO robot for orthopedic care and Intuitive Surgical’s Da Vinci 5 receiving FDA clearance for cardiac procedures. Robocath announced its first‑in‑human study of a next‑generation coronary robot,...
Flipping the Script: How AutoPallet Robot Palletizing ‘Upside Down’
AutoPallet Robotics unveiled its upside‑down, ceiling‑mounted palletizing system at Manifest 2026, showcasing small autonomous mobile robots that magnetically cling to overhead steel panels and lower vacuum grippers to pick and place cases. The self‑contained units are battery‑powered, communicate via a...
Flickstop
A recent BMJ article outlines a comprehensive telesurgery architecture comprising robot, telecommunication, and teleconference subsystems. The design employs a dedicated line with a backup path to link the surgeon console and patient cart, while a secondary console resides in the...
Amazon Plans $200B Capex for 2026, up From $131.8B in 2025
Amazon disclosed a $200 billion capital‑expenditure plan for 2026, up sharply from $131.8 billion in 2025. The budget targets AI compute, custom chips, advanced robotics and its Project Kuiper satellite internet service. While the announcement nudged the stock lower, Amazon’s cloud arm,...
Waymo Builds Fancy AI-Based Simulator Tool To Improve Robotaxi Tests
Waymo announced an AI‑driven simulation platform built on Google Gemini that automatically generates diverse driving scenarios for its robotaxi fleet. The tool accelerates testing cycles by creating thousands of edge‑case situations without manual scripting, feeding directly into Waymo’s existing simulation...
Friday Fun
Researchers at Samsung Medical Center, led by Namkee Oh, announced a breakthrough in surgical robotics by integrating a bimanual mobile robot into minimally invasive procedures. In partnership with Minho Hwang and Rainbow Robotics, the team successfully implemented a virtual remote...
Stacked Carbon Nanotube Films Turn a Touch Sensor Into a Self-Computing Skin
Researchers at Xiamen University have created a flexible electronic skin that uses vertically stacked carbon‑nanotube films to sense both touch location and pressure simultaneously. The multilayer design produces a single analog signal for position and uses the number of activated...
Intelcom to Open Automated Sorting Center in Québec
Intelcom Courrier Canada announced a 190,000‑sq‑ft automated sorting center in Candiac, Quebec, slated to open after construction begins in May 2026. The $45 million Rosefellow‑built facility will employ over 170 staff and uses Bastian Solutions’ conveyor and sortation technology. It consolidates...
Video Wednesday
Johnson & Johnson’s Verb Surgical unveiled OTTAVA, a six‑armed robotic platform designed for minimally invasive procedures. The system integrates advanced imaging, AI‑driven guidance, and modular instrument arms to enhance surgeon precision. OTTAVA targets complex abdominal and thoracic surgeries, promising reduced...
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems Evolve
Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) are shifting toward modular, AI‑driven designs to meet rising demands for throughput, flexibility, and smaller footprints. New cube‑based galleries and scalable tote/pallet solutions replace static racks, while cloud‑native controls and digital twins enable real‑time...
Article Intro - JHU Eye Robot
A team from Johns Hopkins has demonstrated an autonomous retinal vein cannulation (RVC) system that combines two Steady‑Hand Eye Robots with deep‑learning vision models. The workflow uses three convolutional neural networks to guide a 100‑µm needle and a medical spatula...
Number of the Day - 13-15% Growth
Intuitive Surgical projects worldwide da Vinci surgical system procedures to grow 13‑15% in 2026, a slowdown from the 18% growth recorded in 2025. The forecast was disclosed in the company’s fourth‑quarter earnings release and outlines the full‑year outlook. Despite the...
FlexLink Launches Online Store to Simplify Conveyor Purchases
FlexLink unveiled an Online Store that lets customers select, configure, and purchase conveyor systems in a few clicks. The platform guides users through industry‑specific criteria, material characteristics, and environmental factors before presenting a tailored solution. Integrated with a real‑time 3‑D...
P8S Introduces X380 Mobile Robot for In-Aisle Picking
Pick8ship Technology AG unveiled the X380, a container‑based mobile robot that performs in‑aisle order picking. The robot can handle 350‑600 picks per hour and process up to 20 orders in a single run, reducing the need for traditional bin shuttling....
Unbox Robotics Raises $28M to Scale Modular Warehouse Robots
Unbox Robotics announced a $28 million Series B round led by ICICI Venture, with participation from F‑Prime and other investors. The funding will fuel expansion of its engineering and leadership teams, accelerate development of its modular, swarm‑intelligence warehouse robots, and...
Beyond Polymers: New State-of-the-Art 3D Micro and Nanofabrication Technique Overcomes Material Limitations
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and NUS have unveiled an optofluidic laser technique that assembles micro‑ and nanoparticles in liquid to create 3D structures without relying on polymers. By focusing a femtosecond laser inside a particle suspension, a localized thermal...
XYZ Robotics Automates Inbound Receiving From Loose Loads to Organized Pallets
XYZ Robotics introduced an end‑to‑end automation system that unloads, sorts, and palletizes loose cartons using two Rocky mobile manipulation robots, a five‑sided barcode scanner, and a conveyor line. The robots handle payloads up to 66 lb, generate optimized pallet patterns, and...
