
Siemens announced Digital Twin Composer, a platform that creates large‑scale, photorealistic industrial metaverse environments by merging 2D/3D digital‑twin data with real‑time physical information via Nvidia Omniverse. The solution, part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, lets manufacturers simulate products, processes and factories in a secure, managed 3D scene throughout the entire lifecycle. Early adopters such as PepsiCo have used the tool to model warehouses and production lines, achieving a 20 % increase in throughput and 10‑15 % reductions in capital expenditure. The offering entered early‑access after its CES 2026 debut.

Italian robotics firm Oversonic Robotics introduced its latest cognitive humanoid, RoBee, to the United States this month, aiming to broaden its footprint in healthcare and advanced manufacturing. The launch coincided with a strategic North American partnership targeting medical and aerospace...

Segway Navimow unveiled five new robotic mower series for 2026, targeting both residential and commercial markets. The X4, i2, H2 and Terranox lines replace perimeter wires with network RTK, vision and solid‑state LiDAR navigation. New models boast enhanced terrain handling, steep‑slope...

Tesollo announced the DG‑5F‑S, a compact humanoid robotic hand that weighs under 1 kg and retains the five‑finger, 20‑degree‑of‑freedom architecture of its DG‑5F predecessor. The new model costs roughly 60% of the original, making it more accessible to startups, research labs,...

XGSynBot showcased an AI‑powered dual‑arm mobile robot at a private CES event in Las Vegas. The platform merges force‑controlled manipulators, an omni‑directional chassis and a multi‑sensor vision system to serve industrial and commercial tasks. Marketed as a universal, cross‑scenario solution, it...

Code Ninjas, the nation’s fastest‑growing kids‑coding franchise, opened a new centre in Woodbridge, Vaughan at 6175 Highway 7. The dojo serves children aged 5‑14, teaching coding, robotics, and game development through a martial‑arts‑inspired belt system. In addition to weekly drop‑in sessions,...

EV‑grade brushless DC (BLDC) motors, originally designed for automotive use, are now powering heavy‑duty automated industrial vehicles such as forklifts, AGVs, and mobile robots. These drives run continuously at 60‑80% load for up to 16 hours daily, delivering 3‑20 kW and up...

Anduril has launched the AI Grand Prix, an autonomous drone‑racing contest that tests participants' software‑writing skills rather than piloting ability. The event, held in Ohio, offers a $500,000 prize pool and direct hiring opportunities that bypass the company’s normal recruiting...
Researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have unveiled a hydrogel‑based actuator that mimics biological muscle by embedding microgel units within a microfluidic circulatory network. The system delivers rapid chemical or thermal stimuli, allowing actuation in non‑aqueous environments and achieving faster...
Police drones controlled from Birmingham are now operating over Coventry as part of the "Drone as First Responder" initiative, a five‑year national project funded by the Home Office via the NPCC. The drones launch from automated charging stations on a...
Quantum Systems’ Vector UAV secured third place in the Army of Drones 2025 ISR competition, a ranking driven by Ukrainian frontline units through the BRAVE1 Marketplace. The award follows the company’s August 2025 entry into the marketplace and reflects direct procurement of...
A team at Peking University built a soft robotic fish that can reconfigure between eel‑like (anguilliform) and tuna‑like (carangiform) swimming styles. By adjusting body stiffness, the platform directly measured how wave propagation and stiffness affect thrust, speed, and maneuverability. In...
ABB Robotics is leading a global initiative to create the first standardized method for measuring energy consumption and efficiency of industrial robots. Working with the Swedish Institute for Standardization and other manufacturers, the group aims to publish an ISO technical...
A new study by Binghamton University researchers challenges the prevailing push to replace human workers with robots, arguing that a collaborative, complementary approach yields greater economic value. The research contrasts a "substitute" view with a "complementary" view, finding that firms...
Agri Spray Drones and WinField United have signed a co‑marketing agreement to promote drone‑based crop application across the United States. The deal makes each company a preferred vendor in the other’s network, linking ASD’s spray‑drone systems with WinField’s adjuvant portfolio....
LightIC Technologies has partnered with indie to embed the iND83301 system‑on‑chip into its silicon‑photonic FMCW LiDAR, replacing traditional FPGA processing. The integration slashes power consumption by 80% and reduces overall module size by 40%, delivering a far more cost‑effective solution....
Innoviz Technologies announced the general availability of InnovizSMART, an off‑the‑shelf, automotive‑grade LiDAR now ready for order with short lead times. The sensor delivers up to 450 meters of range, low power consumption, PoE connectivity, and resilience to dust and extreme temperatures....

Starship Technologies surveyed 5,000 students across 65 U.S. campuses and found a 97% approval rating for its autonomous delivery robots. The company reports over 9 million total deliveries and 1.5 million miles traveled on U.S. campuses in 2025 alone. Funding of $50 million...
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Liverpool introduced an adaptive jerk control (AJC) method built on a biased sliding surface to achieve low‑damping, high‑stiffness impedance control for collaborative robots. The biased sliding surface continuously characterizes...
Kollmorgen released SafeMotion™ Monitor firmware version 3.0, extending functional‑safety support to linear motors and axes. The upgrade adds EnDat 2.2 safe feedback compatibility to AKD2G drives, AKM2G and AKMA servo motors, enabling dual‑channel positioning and faster data cycles. SMM 3.0 also secures...
Nord Modules announced a collaboration with KUKA, adding the robotics giant to its Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) ecosystem. The partnership launches the Nord Pallet Mover top module for KUKA KMP1500P, offered in three variants—PM800, PM1000 and PM1200—tailored to Euro, US...

Fauna unveiled Sprout, a $50,000 child‑sized humanoid robot designed for hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues. The robot combines lightweight mechanics, expressive eyebrows and built‑in large language model capabilities to understand natural‑language requests, such as fetching a toothbrush. Sprout ships with...

Vention Inc., a Montreal‑based industrial automation firm, announced a $110 million Series D round to accelerate its “physical AI” strategy. The funding will expand its Zero‑Shot Automation platform, add AI‑driven tools, and support a four‑playbook growth plan focused on enterprise customers, AI...

At the Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show, Blue Sky Robotics CEO Steven King outlined nine AI‑driven self‑service trends reshaping retail and hospitality. While fully autonomous robots remain years away, computer vision, digital agents, edge computing, cobots, biometrics, predictive modeling,...
Flexiv introduced its Rizon series, a line of adaptive industrial robots that blend AI-driven decision‑making with industrial‑grade force control. The robots can sense forces as low as 0.03 N, allowing delicate handling of unpredictable objects. Their Elements graphical interface lets users...

Maker Survy transformed a shoe‑box prototype into an autonomous outdoor robot, showcasing a step‑by‑step journey from concept to functional device. He began with a simple motorized box, then added sensors, a Raspberry Pi, and a smartphone for GPS and vision through...
Lucid Vision Labs has launched the Helios2 Wide Chroma, a compact, factory‑calibrated RGB‑D camera that merges a 12.2 MP Triton RGB sensor with its Helios2 Wide Time‑of‑Flight 3D imager. The IP67‑rated unit offers a 108° × 78° field of view and delivers perfectly...

AAA20 Group will unveil the CP-66-WD wash‑down collaborative palletizer at the International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. The IP69K‑rated cobot is built for food and protein processors, especially beef plants, and can be power‑washed like standard equipment. Offered through...

Researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology discovered that autonomous robots moving unpredictably trigger sustained human discomfort, as measured by elevated arousal and skin‑conductance responses in a VR passing scenario. Predictable straight‑line motion caused initial arousal that habituated over repeated encounters,...

The Robot Report’s State of Robotics Industry Report 2026 marks an inflection point as the sector moves from speculative demos to reliable, real‑world deployments. It surveys the full robotics ecosystem—industrial automation, mobile units, humanoids, and autonomous vehicles—while highlighting advances in...
Researchers at Southern University of Science and Technology unveiled GrowHR, a soft humanoid robot that can inflate its limbs to more than triple their length and deflate to shrink to 36% of its original height. The robot’s bone‑mimetic, air‑filled chambers...

Industrial robots are shifting from pre‑programmed, 2D‑guided motions to dynamic 3D vision systems that provide six degrees of freedom tracking. This depth perception eliminates costly mechanical fixtures, allowing robots to adapt to random part placement and receive software‑driven updates in...

Electric vehicles and robots have shifted from niche concepts to everyday fixtures as battery costs, AI capabilities, and sensor technology converged with stricter emissions rules and labor shortages. Automakers now treat software as a core vehicle feature, while logistics firms...

A new soft robotic probe designed for fetal monitoring offers a flexible, skin‑like interface that conforms to the maternal abdomen, delivering continuous, high‑fidelity heart‑rate data. The device incorporates stretchable piezoelectric sensors and wireless telemetry, achieving up to 30% better signal...

High‑resolution drone LiDAR surveys are reshaping railway infrastructure planning for mining projects. In the Northern Cape manganese mine, the dense point‑cloud enabled engineers to pinpoint track positions, elevations, and surrounding obstacles with centimeter accuracy. The rapid, safe data capture reduced...
Skylift UAV completed the United Kingdom’s first coordinated BVLOS drone operations across the congested Solent waterway, operating under a CAA‑approved Airspace Change Proposal. The June‑July 2025 trials, run from Fort Cumberland, involved multiple aircraft delivering medical supplies to the Isle...
FORT Robotics unveiled the Wireless E‑Stop Pro, a safety‑certified wearable that lets operators trigger an emergency stop from up to 200 m away. The device uses long‑range Bluetooth to maintain reliable connections in radio‑dense warehouses and plants, and it meets SIL 3...
Lianhe Sowell International Group (Nasdaq:LHSW) announced a $200 million plan to build a specialized industry robotics headquarters in the United Arab Emirates. The facility will combine R&D, manufacturing and global sales, targeting applications such as automotive spray‑painting, hazardous environments, underwater operations...
Pickit 3D unveiled its Pickit 4.0 platform, a major upgrade to its 3D robot vision solution. The release introduces four modular licensing options, up to 61 % faster detection, native multi‑camera support, and new high‑definition cameras delivering 0.1 mm accuracy. A refreshed software...

SEB analysts forecast that 2026 will mark a decisive shift from purely virtual AI to AI embedded in physical capital goods such as autonomous vehicles, drones and humanoid robots. The steep drop in AI usage costs in 2025 has broadened...
XTI Aerospace (Nasdaq:XTIA) will hold an investor town hall on February 5, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST to outline its post‑acquisition strategy after buying Drone Nerds in November 2025. Management will detail how Drone Nerds’ UAS platform and customer base give XTI clearer revenue visibility...
Scanifly has launched a direct API integration with IronRidge, linking its drone‑derived PV layout data to IronRidge’s Design Assistant. The connection automatically transfers panel placements into the racking and bill‑of‑materials (BOM) workflow, removing the need for manual data entry. Contractors...

Retail margins are tightening, making supply‑chain efficiency a make‑or‑break factor. Supply‑chain specialist Peter Jones splits the sector into "haves" – retailers that have invested in automated, next‑generation warehouse technology – and "have‑nots" still reliant on manual pick‑and‑pack processes. The COVID‑driven...

On January 25, 2004 NASA’s Opportunity rover touched down on Mars after a dramatic “six minutes of terror” descent involving parachutes, retrorockets, and an airbag‑cushioned landing. The rover bounced 26 times before settling inside Eagle Crater, an ideal scientific site that allowed...

Hadrian, an AI‑powered factory builder for aerospace and defense, announced a new funding round that lifts its valuation to $1.6 billion. The capital, led by T. Rowe Price and backed by a16z, Founders Fund and other investors, will fund rapid factory expansion,...

XELA Robotics showcased its uSkin 3D tactile‑sensing system at CES 2026, demonstrating how full‑hand touch perception can boost manipulation for humanoid and industrial robots. The elastomer‑based sensors capture contact force, object shape, and motion across fingertips, phalanges, and palms, surpassing traditional...

Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind unveiled a research partnership at CES 2026 to embed DeepMind's Gemini Robotics foundation models into the Atlas humanoid platform. The collaboration aims to equip Atlas with advanced visual‑language‑action capabilities, enabling it to tackle a broader set...

Neura Robotics used CES 2026 to unveil its next‑generation humanoid 4NE1, a smaller 4NE1 Mini, and a new quadruped robot, all running on the Neuraverse AI platform. The Neuraverse is positioned as a shared operating layer that lets robots exchange learned skills...

SmartRay showcased its AI‑powered JOSY weld inspection system at the EY Innovation Hub in Stuttgart. The system integrates hardware with Tool Path Generation software from Wandelbots and Grid Dynamics, creating a closed‑loop workflow that generates inspection paths directly from CAD...

Nowaste Logistics, a Swedish third‑party logistics provider, has placed a second order for Cognibotics' robot picking cell after a successful pilot. The cell integrates with Nowaste’s AutoStore system from Swisslog and uses Sics.AI’s vision alongside Cognibotics’ Juliet & Romeo software‑defined motion platform....