
World-First Living ‘Robots’ Develop Functional Nervous Systems
Researchers at the Wyss Institute have created the first living robots, called neurobots, that develop functional nervous systems from implanted neuronal precursor cells. The neurobots, built from frog embryonic cells, self‑organize neural networks that reshape their morphology, boost motility, and generate more complex movement patterns than earlier biobots. Gene‑expression analysis shows activation of nervous‑system and even visual‑system genes, suggesting sensory capabilities may emerge. The breakthrough opens a new frontier for programmable bio‑machines and regenerative‑medicine applications.

So Robot Is Really Taking over Complex Job...
Figure 03, an autonomous robot developed by Figure AI, can sort a package every four seconds with 95 % barcode‑scan accuracy, handling soft bags, padded envelopes and rigid boxes without human guidance. Backed by OpenAI, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Jeff Bezos, the system—named Helix—combines...

Attabotics Launches Metal ASRS Bin to Mitigate Fire Risk
Attabotics introduced the Guardian bin, a metal‑based storage container designed to lower fire risk in automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). The bin replaces combustible plastic with galvanized steel, contains leaked liquids, and improves fire‑suppression fluid distribution. Its flat‑pack design...
![Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 25, 2026] Machina Labs Ed Mehr on Intelligent Factories](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/articles/2c623cf2ce18f35a309c1989ad450e2a.webp)
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 25, 2026] Machina Labs Ed Mehr on Intelligent Factories
Machina Labs, an AI‑driven intelligent‑factory startup in Chatsworth, California, secured a $124 million Series C round led by Lockheed Martin Ventures and Toyota. The funding will finance a new 200,000‑square‑foot campus built to scale commercial and defense production through advanced AI, robotics,...

A Day In Seattle Trying To Find The U.S.'s Drone Industry
Brinc, a Seattle‑based drone startup founded in 2017 by Blake Resnick, showcased its tactical Lemur 2 drone in a live demo that highlighted glass‑breaching, LiDAR mapping, and two‑way communication capabilities. The demonstration featured the drone navigating obstacles, colliding with a wall...

From Segment Anything (Virtual AI) to Autonomous Trucks (Physical AI)
Bot Auto’s VP of Engineering and AI, Tete Xiao—co‑author of the seminal Segment Anything paper—explains how the company is shifting from virtual AI models to physical AI for autonomous trucking. By leveraging foundation models that generalize across data, Bot Auto...

British Warship ‘Fights Off’ Attack Drones in Serials
Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan successfully tracked and neutralised multiple unmanned threats during Exercise Sharpshooter off the Welsh coast. The four‑day QinetiQ‑led drill blended live Banshee Whirlwind drones and Hammerhead surface vessels with synthetic cruise missiles, anti‑ship ballistic missiles and hostile aircraft....

ROBOTAXI WAR – TESLA VS NVIDIA. ELON VS JENSEN
Nvidia reports 19 automotive partners working on robotaxi technology, though most currently only field driver‑assist systems. The partners lack sufficient robotaxi‑grade Lidar units and the billions of miles of driving data needed to train the new AI chips. Consequently, they...

RIKON Delivers Final A-RMG Cranes to Madrid Intermodal Terminal
JSC RIKON has delivered the final two A‑RMG automated rail‑mounted gantry cranes to the Madrid‑Vicálvaro Intermodal Terminal, completing the fleet slated for the $327 million project. The terminal, a €300 million investment, will handle roughly 150,000 intermodal units each year, linking Atlantic...

ABB Adds Symphony PLus to Automation Extended
ABB has released SPR2025, the latest Symphony Plus distributed control system (DCS) package, integrating its Automation Extended platform. The update adds system‑wide OPC UA, an Ethernet backbone, and support for modern Microsoft operating systems and virtualization platforms, enabling secure, interoperable...

America’s Drone Future
The FAA forecasts that nearly two million drones will operate in U.S. airspace within a few years, yet state and local governments lack affordable, real‑time monitoring solutions. Federal proposals such as Part 108 and expanded JIATF‑401 authority aim to tighten counter‑UAS...

This Train Drives Itself and It’s Already on U.S. Tracks
Parallel Systems, an LA‑based startup, is piloting autonomous freight rail cars that operate without a traditional locomotive. The driverless units rely on a suite of cameras, lidar sensors and remote operators to navigate existing U.S. tracks. If the trials prove...
Flickstop
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, showcased AI‑driven robots at Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in March 2026. The demonstration, called “Flickstop,” highlighted the integration of Nvidia H100 GPUs into Foxconn’s production lines to enable real‑time vision and decision‑making....
Iran’s Drones: Small, Cheap, Lethal
Iran has accelerated the development of ultra‑light unmanned aerial vehicles that cost a fraction of traditional drones yet can deliver lethal payloads. These UAVs, often under 5 kg and priced below $50,000, are being fielded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and supplied...

Is NVIDIA Full Stack or Full Hype in Uber’s Robotaxi Narrative?
Nvidia clarified at GTC that it will not build self‑driving cars but will supply the compute, simulation and operating system needed for a full‑stack autonomous vehicle solution. Uber announced a $1.25 billion partnership with Rivian, front‑loading $300 million and tying the rest...

FlexQube Announces $13M Mobile Robot Deal with Potential for Expansion
FlexQube has landed a $13 million contract for its Navigator autonomous mobile robots and tugger trains with a leading U.S. e‑commerce and logistics provider, with deliveries scheduled for Q3 2026. The deal is expected to swell by roughly $4 million as final negotiations...
SCSP Announces Launch of National Security Commission on Robotics for Advanced Manufacturing
The Special Competitive Studies Project announced the National Security Commission on Robotics for Advanced Manufacturing, co‑chaired by SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari, Sen. Ted Budd and Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The commission will craft a unified strategy to scale next‑generation robotics and...

Allient to Show Drive Systems for Mobile Robots at LogiMAT 2026
Allient Inc. will showcase its newest generation of drive solutions for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at LogiMAT 2026 in Stuttgart from March 24‑26. The exhibit features the KinetiMax high‑power‑density brushless DC motor series, integrated wheel‑hub...

Free Robotic Learning Event in Northern Nevada
OnRobot is hosting a free, in‑person “Build Your Automation Roadmap” event in Reno on April 9, 2026, showcasing FANUC robots and end‑of‑arm tooling for manufacturers. The session targets metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment firms...

Yale Lift Truck to Share Automation Experience at MODEX
Yale Lift Truck Technologies will showcase a suite of automated lift trucks and operator‑assist solutions at the MODEX supply‑chain exhibition in Atlanta. The booth features an interactive Automated Lift Truck Portal that lets visitors map routes without coding, the Reliant...
Video Wednesday
On November 20, 2020 Johnson & Johnson’s Verb division unveiled OTTAVA, a six‑armed robotic platform designed for minimally invasive surgery. The system combines modular hardware with AI‑driven control to perform simultaneous tasks, promising greater precision and efficiency. Early trials indicate up to...

ZenaTech Develops Low-Cost, Single-Use Autonomous Interceptor Drone for ZenaDrone’s Counter-UAS System for US Defense, Middle East, and Ukraine Use
ZenaTech announced that its ZenaDrone unit is developing Interceptor‑P1, a low‑cost, single‑use autonomous VTOL drone designed to physically intercept hostile UAVs. The expendable interceptor targets the cost asymmetry in modern warfare, offering a cheaper alternative to missiles and laser systems....

Brightpick Launches Gridpicker for High-Throughput Fulfillment
Brightpick unveiled Gridpicker, a high‑throughput fulfillment system that merges a dense grid storage framework with AI‑driven mobile manipulators built on its Autopicker platform. The solution promises up to twice the throughput per square meter of traditional shuttle ASRS and claims...

Tetsuwan
Tetsuwan Scientific, an AI‑driven robotics firm, has unveiled autonomous scientific agents that can independently design, execute, and interpret wet‑lab experiments. By integrating large‑language‑model reasoning with precision robotic hardware, the platform automates complex protocols traditionally performed by human technicians. The company’s...

DHL Supply Chain Deploys SVT Robotics’ SOFTBOT Across Global Network
DHL Supply Chain has rolled out SVT Robotics’ SOFTBOT platform across its global warehouse network, now live in 30 sites with a target of over 100 within three years. The middleware replaces custom‑coded integrations that once took six to eight...

A 2016 Warning About Weaponized Drones: The Army’s Early sUAS Threat Experiment
In August 2016 the U.S. Army Systems Adaptive Red Team ran the UAS Threat Experiment 2‑16, using off‑the‑shelf drones to simulate attacks on convoys and urban targets. The trials examined improvised explosive payloads, autonomous targeting of moving vehicles, and command‑and‑control...
The Clementine Churchill Hospital First Private Hospital in the UK to Install Da Vinci 5
Circle Health Group’s Clementine Churchill Hospital in London has become the UK’s first private facility to install Intuitive’s da Vinci 5 surgical system. The fifth‑generation robot, featuring AI analytics and ten‑thousand‑fold computing power, supports minimally invasive procedures in general surgery,...

Royal Navy Squadron Deploys New Gibraltar Drones
Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron has introduced ANAFI Parrot quadcopter drones for maritime surveillance, supporting patrols and high‑profile ship visits. A streamlined approval process now reduces drone clearance from weeks to days, enabling launches from HMS Cutlass and HMS Dagger. The...

Drone Boat Targets Used in Major Indo-Pacific Drill
QinetiQ Target Systems Canada deployed its Hammerhead uncrewed surface vehicle (USV‑T) targets during the Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand, simulating fast‑in‑shore attack craft and explosive drone boats. Ten Hammerhead units were used across three scenarios, including beach‑assault and coordinated swarm...

Royal Navy Warship ‘Fights Off’ Drone Swarms
The Royal Navy’s Type‑45 destroyer HMS Duncan completed Exercise Sharpshooter, a four‑day live‑firing drill off Wales that simulated coordinated drone and missile attacks. The scenario, delivered by QinetiQ, blended real Banshee aerial drones and Hammerhead surface vessels with synthetic cruise‑missile and...

The Giant Vending Machine Company Compounding at 15% With Zero Debt
A European maker of vertical storage units—often called giant vending machines—has been compounding earnings at roughly 15 % while carrying zero interest‑bearing debt. The firm boasts a sustained 35 %+ ROIC over three years, over 140 000 machines installed worldwide, and a near‑€1 billion...
Number of the Day - 1500 Miles
Professor Prokar Dasgupta, a leading robotic urological surgeon, performed the UK’s first long‑distance robotic prostate removal from London on a 62‑year‑old patient in Gibraltar, 1,500 miles away. The operation was conducted via a remote robotic platform that gave the surgeon...

Army Explores New Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support has issued a market engagement notice for a specialist counter‑UAS system mounted on an armoured vehicle under the Land‑GBAD programme. The capability is intended to provide short‑range drone defence for both...

Dallas, Texas Is a Drone and 3D Printing Place to Be
North Texas, particularly the Dallas suburbs, has quietly become a national hotspot where drone manufacturing and 3D printing intersect. Companies such as Eagle NXT, Shield AI, and Delta Black Aerospace are scaling operations in Allen, Frisco and McKinney, using additive manufacturing for rapid...

Dermalogica Deploys Corvus Robotics Inventory System
Dermalogica, the professional skincare brand, has installed Corvus Robotics’ Corvus One aerial inventory drones at its Carson, California distribution center. The AI‑driven system autonomously scans the warehouse 52 times a year, a 600 % rise over the previous manual cycle‑count process...

FORTNA Offers OptiSweep to Automate Sortation
FORTNA introduced OptiSweep, an automated sorter close‑out solution that pairs its proprietary software with Geek+ autonomous mobile robots. The system retrieves orders from sorter divert points and delivers them to goods‑to‑person stations, handling 4,000‑34,000 units per hour. By replacing manual...

Skyrover S1: 4K, 3-Axis Gimbal, Forward Obstacle Avoidance, and Still Under 249g
The Skyrover S1 is a sub‑249 g drone that packs a 1/2‑inch Sony sensor capable of 4K 60 fps video and 8K photos, a true 3‑axis mechanical gimbal, and forward obstacle avoidance. It offers up to 40 minutes of flight per battery and a 39‑km...
Turkey’s Air-to-Air Drone Test and the Logic of Middle-Power Alliance Stress
In late 2025 Turkey successfully launched an air‑to‑air missile from its Bayraktar Kızıl Elma UCAV. The test marks the first indigenous unmanned platform capable of contesting sovereign airspace, shifting Turkey’s role from ground‑attack drone user to air combat actor. By building...

OM in the News: The Robotics Supply Chain
Industry Week highlights that the next two decades of robotics will be defined less by software breakthroughs than by the physical components that power machines. Cost analysis shows actuators and gearboxes consume 35‑40% of a robot’s bill of materials, followed...
Robots as Autonomous Systems: Which IT Powers the “Brain” Of Modern Machines?
Robots are evolving into fully autonomous systems that require on‑device AI processing rather than cloud reliance. Edge computing platforms place the computational "brain" directly on the robot, cutting latency to fractions of a second. Traditional rack‑mounted servers cannot meet the...

Oxa Raises $103M to Automate Industrial Driving Tasks
UK‑based Oxa raised $103 million in a Series D round led by the National Wealth Fund, with participation from NVIDIA Ventures and other investors. The capital will fast‑track development of its Oxa Driver autonomous‑driving software and the Oxa Hub cloud platform, which...

The Future of War Is Now: What Washington Needs to Hear From the Battlefield
Ukrainian drone operators have demonstrated that low‑cost autonomous systems can outpace NATO battalions, as shown in the Hedgehog wargame. Experts warn that current U.S. doctrine and training are obsolete in the face of rapid drone innovation and mass production in...
Search Robot Thinks for Itself
Researchers at TUM have built a broom‑shaped robot that fuses 3‑D image recognition with large language models to understand and search real‑world spaces. By constructing centimeter‑accurate spatial maps and translating internet knowledge into robot‑specific cues, it can locate misplaced items...
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...
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,...
Ambi Robotics Introduces AmbiVision for AI Vision in Distribution Centers
Ambi Robotics unveiled AmbiVision, an AI‑powered vision module that extends its AI Skill Suite for distribution centers. The software adds cognitive OCR, item identification, pose estimation and defect detection, working with any compatible camera system. Leveraging 250,000 hours of production...

Finally, A Solution to the Driver Shortage: Humanoid Robots
Autonomous vehicle adoption has lagged behind the growing driver shortage in logistics. Osmosis.AI unveiled a proof‑of‑concept where its AI platform, trained on proprietary data, was transferred to a humanoid robot that successfully navigated a company parking lot. The demonstration suggests...

Robotic Arm 3D Food Printing Targets Kitchen Automation
Researchers propose using six‑axis robotic arms for 3D food printing to bring true kitchen automation. Unlike traditional gantry printers that lay flat planes, a robot arm can plate directly, trace non‑planar paths, and navigate obstacles. The study highlights major hurdles...
Upgraded HaiPick Climb Aims to Make the Aisle Obsolete
Hai Robotics has upgraded its HaiPick Climb system to support double‑deep storage and sub‑120‑second delivery cycles, enabling up to 4,000 tote deliveries per hour. The compact design can hold 45,000 totes within 10,764 sq ft, boosting inventory density without expanding warehouse footprints....