U.S. Rushes 10,000 Ukraine-Proven Merops AI Drones to Middle East to Counter Iranian Shahed Swarms
The U.S. Army has shipped 10,000 AI‑enabled Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East as part of Operation Epic Fury, aiming to blunt Iranian Shahed‑type drone swarms. Merops, proven in Ukraine, costs roughly $14‑15 k per unit—far cheaper than Patriot missiles and even the $20‑30 k Shahed drones they target. The system uses onboard AI for autonomous detection and kinetic interception, allowing a “swarm‑vs‑swarm” defense without heavy reliance on missiles or satellite links. Ukrainian experts are assisting the U.S., highlighting a rare defense‑technology transfer between allies.
How China's AI-Powered Robots Could Reshape the Global Order
China is accelerating a transition from cloud‑based AI to “embodied intelligence,” deploying physical robots that can operate autonomously in real‑world environments. State‑backed programs and private venture capital are funding massive production lines for AI‑driven manufacturing, logistics and defense platforms. The...
FEATURE: Japan Opens "Sky Paths" For Drones to Inspect Power Lines
Japan is establishing government‑approved "sky paths" for drones to patrol and inspect power‑line networks, targeting a 40,000 km corridor by fiscal 2035. Early routes already cut inspection time from over eight hours with two workers to about three hours with a...
Tesla's 'Fleet' Of Unsupervised Robotaxis In Texas Appears To Have Been Cut From 8 Cars To Only 4
Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi fleet in Austin has shrunk from eight vehicles to roughly four, according to the Robotaxi Tracker. The reduction follows a series of safety incidents, including repeated failures to stop at active railroad crossings and a crash rate...
Travis Kalanick Debuts Plan for ‘Gainfully Employed Robots’
Travis Kalanick, Uber co‑founder, has unveiled Atoms, a rebranded version of his real‑estate firm City Storage Systems. Atoms will develop “gainfully employed robots” for the food, mining and transport sectors, leveraging CloudKitchens’ ghost‑kitchen platform. The venture expands beyond culinary automation...
AMC Robotics and HIVE Announce Collaboration to Advance AI-Driven Robotics Compute Infrastructure
AMC Robotics (NASDAQ: AMCI) announced a strategic collaboration with HIVE Digital Technologies (TSXV: HIVE) to use HIVE’s GPU‑accelerated AI compute infrastructure for its expanding robotics development. The partnership already powers the Kyro™ quadruped robot, demonstrated at the Tokyo Security Show...
After Ukraine, FPV Drones Could Take on Arctic Warfare
First‑person‑view (FPV) drones that proved decisive in Ukraine are now being field‑tested in the Arctic by Norway and the United States during NATO’s Cold Response 2026 exercise. Norway awarded a $9.4 million contract for the American‑made Skydio X10D, equipping its long‑range...
UAS Operator Camcopter® S-100
Schiebel Group, a global leader in unmanned helicopters, is recruiting EU‑based UAS operators for its Camcopter® S‑100 platform. Candidates will undergo a two‑week training program in Austria before being deployed on short‑term (3‑6 months) or longer‑term (12 months) contracts worldwide, including land and...
New Chip Lets Robots See in 4D by Tracking Distance and Speed Simultaneously
Researchers have created a silicon chip that integrates a 61,952‑pixel focal‑plane array capable of both emitting and receiving FMCW LiDAR signals, delivering 4D imaging that captures distance and speed simultaneously. The prototype generated detailed 3D point clouds at ranges from...
Medical Logistics Drone Delivery Test for Rotunda Hospital with Manna
Manna Air Delivery partnered with Rotunda Hospital to simulate a drone‑based transfer of blood and critical supplies to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, showcasing the feasibility of rapid aerial logistics in Dublin. The test mirrors UK NHS trials where drone delivery...
This 300-Mile Cargo Drone Is Moving Closer to Deployment
Elroy Air has been chosen for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, becoming the sole cargo‑focused participant among air‑taxi developers. Its Chaparral autonomous VTOL drone can transport up to 300 pounds over roughly 300 miles using a hybrid‑electric powertrain...
Why Physical AI Is Becoming Manufacturing’s Next Advantage
Manufacturers are moving beyond traditional automation toward physical AI—systems that can sense, reason, and act in real‑world factory settings. The shift emphasizes intelligence and trust rather than mere cost‑cutting, positioning AI as a collaborative teammate for human operators. Microsoft and...
U.S. Army Tests Polaris Autonomous Ground Vehicles in Germany
The U.S. Army’s xTech|Edge Strike: Ground competition in Germany showcased autonomous variants of Polaris’s MRZR D4, RANGER XD 1500 and RZR XP 1000, integrated by Dataspeed, Forterra and Overland AI. The demonstrations focused on logistics, reconnaissance and casualty‑evacuation missions, proving that commercial off‑road platforms can be...
Robotic Arms in Modern Industry: How Automated Gripping Systems Are Changing Production
Robotic gripping arms are becoming standard fixtures on modern production lines, delivering repeatable precision for tasks such as milling, drilling, and component placement. Sensors and encoders monitor every movement, eliminating the variability of manual handling. The technology now spans automotive...
Women in Robotics 2026 Awarded by International Federation of Robotics
The International Federation of Robotics announced the 2026 Women in Robotics award, honoring 11 women from Asia, Europe and the Americas for pioneering work in robotics and AI. The award comes as global industrial robot installations are forecast to exceed...
Zephyr Drone Simulator Integrates NIST Payload Delivery Test Method for Public Safety Training
Zephyr Drone Simulator (ZDS) has incorporated a NIST‑validated payload‑delivery and retrieval test method into its platform, offering public‑safety drone pilots a standardized training and evaluation tool. The methodology, co‑developed by DRONERESPONDERS, NIST, OMADA Group, and CERRA, provides data‑driven performance benchmarks...
Intercepting Shahed and Other Strike UAVs — a New Stage in the Evolution of Air Defense Technologies
Drone Fight Group, Bat Drones and Ukrainian maker PG Robotics have begun serial production of the Angel Spire interceptor drone, aimed at neutralising Shahed‑type loitering munitions and other hostile UAVs. The platform can cruise between 150 and 290 km/h and reach targets up...
SEALSQ and Parrot Expand Partnership to Secure Drones with PQC
SEALSQ Corp and Parrot SA are expanding their partnership to embed post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) into Parrot’s next‑generation professional drones. The collaboration will integrate NIST‑approved CRYSTALS‑Kyber and CRYSTALS‑Dilithium algorithms at the semiconductor level, building on existing SEALSQ secure elements in the...
AI Robotics Unicorn Sharpa and NVIDIA Bridge the Simulation Gap for Dexterous Robot Training
Sharpa, a unicorn AI robotics firm, announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to close the simulation gap for training dexterous robots. The joint effort produced Tacmap, a high‑fidelity yet fast simulation framework that uses a shared geometric representation and will be...
Reply at NVIDIA GTC: Digital Twins and Physical AI Driving the Next Stage of Industrial Value Creation
Reply showcased at NVIDIA GTC how digital twins and physical AI can unlock new industrial value. The company demonstrated a self‑learning edge AI platform that validates and retrains models on connected robots, leveraging NVIDIA Omniverse and Isaac Sim. Joint presentations...
Sitma Introduces PackHub, a Compact Automated Bagging System for Faster Order Fulfillment
Sitma unveiled PackHub, a compact automated bagging system that streamlines order fulfillment by automating bag feeding, orientation, and labeling. The unit’s 500‑bag hopper and precision friction feeder can cut packaging time by up to 50% per order while preserving a...
NASA Begins Building Nuclear-Powered Dragonfly Drone for 2028 Launch to Saturn Moon Titan
NASA’s Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has started building and testing the Dragonfly rotorcraft, a nuclear‑powered drone destined for a 2028 launch to Saturn’s moon Titan. The car‑sized craft will use a radioisotope power system, marking a shift from solar‑driven...
Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Public Safety Partnership, Updates to Blue UAS List, and GrubHub Drone Delivery
DRONERESPONDERS signed a national operations agreement with the National Real‑Time Crime Center Association to fast‑track Drone‑as‑First‑Responder (DFR) programs across U.S. emergency agencies. The Defense Contract Management Agency took over the Blue UAS Cleared List from the Defense Innovation Unit, aiming...
The Rise of Frameless Motors in Collaborative Robots: Enhancing Dexterity and Safety
Frameless motors are reshaping collaborative robots by eliminating bulky housings and integrating directly into joints, delivering lighter, more compact cobots. Their direct‑drive architecture provides superior torque‑to‑weight ratios and enhanced thermal management, which translates into higher precision and longer service life....
Drone Companies Find Common Ground in Jaipur While Waiting on Part 108
At NestGen in Jaipur, drone innovators from across the globe gathered to showcase advances in automation, AI‑driven operations and UTM platforms, while acknowledging a shared anxiety over the pending FAA Part 108 rule for BVLOS flights. Attendees described the industry as...
RyderVentures Bets on ‘Physical AI’ to Break Warehouse Automation’s Biggest Barriers
RyderVentures is championing "physical AI," a blend of artificial‑intelligence models with warehouse hardware that lets equipment perform multiple tasks instead of a single, fixed function. The approach tackles the biggest hurdle to warehouse automation—high upfront capital outlays and the risk...
Robbyant Open-Sources LingBot-VLA Model as a ‘Universal Brain’ for Robots
Robbyant, an Alibaba‑affiliated embodied AI firm, has open‑sourced LingBot‑VLA, a vision‑language‑action model positioned as a universal brain for robots. The model, pre‑trained on over 20,000 hours of real‑world data, demonstrated superior task success on the GM‑100 benchmark and the RoboTwin 2.0...
HighRes and Opentrons Showcase ‘Industry’s First’ AI Agent-to-Agent Lab Automation Workflow
HighRes and Opentrons have formed a strategic partnership to co‑develop the industry’s first AI agent‑to‑agent laboratory automation workflow. The solution links Opentrons’ Flex robotic platforms and OpentronsAI with HighRes’ Cellario orchestration software, allowing natural‑language inputs to generate and execute qPCR...
Airbus Prepares Valkyrie Combat Drone for German Air Force
Airbus is preparing flight tests of a Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie‑based uncrewed combat aircraft equipped with its European‑developed MARS mission system for the German Air Force. The two Valkyrie prototypes, being readied at Airbus’ Manching facility, are slated for maiden flights...
CIO Chris Ortega Automates Lake Michigan Credit Union
Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU) has leveraged robotic process automation (RPA) and generative AI to overhaul its mortgage processing, slashing cycle time from 55 hours to 10 hours while handling a 15% surge in applications. CIO Chris Ortega partnered with...
Leonardo Plans to Fly Uncrewed Fighters Alongside M-346 Aircraft by Mid-2026
Leonardo announced that its M‑346 light‑attack trainer will act as a crewed "mother" aircraft to control two uncrewed fighter prototypes, with the first flight demonstrations slated for May 2024 and a public rollout by mid‑2026. The program, dubbed crewed‑uncrewed teaming...
Amazon to Build £400m Robotics Fulfilment Centre in Australia
Amazon Australia disclosed a A$750 million investment to build a four‑level, 150,000 m² robotics fulfilment centre in Brisbane, slated for completion in 2028. The warehouse will handle more than 125 million parcels per year and store up to 15 million small‑item SKUs across categories...
Uber and Motional Launch Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas
Uber and autonomous‑driving firm Motional have launched a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas, deploying all‑electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles that can be summoned through the Uber app at no additional charge. The service is initially available at several designated zones...
Automated Inspection and Packaging of 36,000 Syringes per Hour
Ward Automation delivered a compact robotic cell that inspects, labels, and palletizes 36,000 syringes per hour for a multinational pharma maker. The system uses three Stäubli robots, dual machine‑vision stations, and a dedicated lid‑sealing module, all built to meet 21 CFR...
FET Launches Remote ROV Control Station for Subsea Operations
Forum Energy Technologies (FET) unveiled a remote control station that lets operators run ROVs from virtually any location using its ICE® Unity platform. The solution bundles advanced control chairs, a Remote‑Connect gateway and VisualSoft streaming software, and can be added...
Iran Strikes Showcase American AI, Drone and Cyber Advances
U.S. strikes against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, showcased the Pentagon’s push toward an AI‑first warfighting posture. AI‑enabled planning tools allowed 900 attacks to be planned and executed within a 12‑hour window, while the low‑cost LUCAS one‑way attack drones provided...
Modular Yard Robot Mows Lawns, Plows Snow, Gathers Leaves and Trims Grass
The Yarbo M is a modular yard robot that can mow, trim, collect leaves, and plow snow using interchangeable modules. Available on Kickstarter in three versions (M10, M20, M20i), the top‑end M20i adds LiDAR and AI‑powered vision for obstacle detection...
Robots that Learn Everyday Tasks Can Free Humans From Repetitive Work
Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) unveiled the RoGeTA robot task AI, a system that learns everyday activities from human demonstrations and executes them through a hierarchical task‑execution framework. The platform combines task‑extraction, virtualized training environments, and step‑by‑step reasoning,...
HDT Robotics Deploys Hunter WOLF UGVs for Operational Testing
HDT Robotics has field‑tested its Hunter WOLF unmanned ground vehicle in a series of military training exercises, showcasing the platform’s ability to perform logistics transport, communications relay, casualty evacuation, and mobile power generation. The deployment involved several vehicles equipped with...
Introducing Robot-to-Robot Communication: How Chef Robots Coordinate to Maximize Throughput
Chef Robotics unveiled robot‑to‑robot (R2R) communication, allowing its Chef robots to exchange real‑time tray position data over built‑in wireless radios. The technology synchronizes multiple robots on a shared conveyor, letting downstream units know exactly when and where to deposit ingredients....
Humanoid Robotics Maker Sunday Reaches $1.15B Valuation to Build Household Robots
Sunday, a stealth‑launched humanoid robotics startup, announced a $165 million Series B round that lifts its valuation to $1.15 billion, granting it unicorn status. The round was led by Coatue Management with participation from Tiger Global, Benchmark, and Bain Capital Ventures. Sunday’s flagship...
Study Demonstrates Reliability of Real-Time Imaging Guidance in Robotic Bronchoscopy
Noah Medical’s MATCH 2 study, published in Respiratory Medicine, evaluated robotic‑assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) with embedded digital tomosynthesis (DT) and augmented fluoroscopy (AF) in 31 patients with peripheral lung nodules. The trial reported a 96.7% overall diagnostic yield and identical 96.7%...
Coming Soon: Capstan Medical’s Next-Gen Structural Heart Robotics System
Capstan Medical announced that its second‑generation robotic catheter delivery system will debut in 2026, following successful first‑in‑human mitral valve implants in Chile, New Zealand and Brazil. The company has expanded its valve sizing portfolio to include 37 mm and 42 mm implants and...
Dual-Use Autonomous Unmanned Helicopter for Long-Endurance & Heavy-Lift Missions
Swiss firm Roze Mobility has introduced the SH-917, an autonomous unmanned helicopter designed for both civilian and military missions. The platform delivers up to eight hours of endurance and can lift 250 kg, thanks to a carbon‑fiber airframe and a turbocharged...
Able Innovations Deploys ALTA Robotic Patient Delivery Platform in the U.S.
Able Innovations, a Canadian medical robotics firm, has partnered with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center to launch its ALTA robotic patient‑handling platform in the United States, marking the first U.S. deployment. The system automates lateral patient transfers, allowing a single...
Diatom-Based Microrobots Show Promise for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Glioblastoma
Researchers at China’s Shenyang Institute of Automation have created magnetically controlled microrobots from diatom frustules for glioblastoma photodynamic therapy. The robots retain natural chlorophyll, serving as a built‑in photosensitizer, and can be steered via external magnetic fields to tumor sites....
UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía Will Ensure the Safe Cross-Domain Operation of UAS to Protect and Safeguard Lives Through Advanced Hidden Threat...
UAV Navigation‑Grupo Oesía is joining the EU‑funded TICHE project to enable safe cross‑domain operation of UAV and UGV swarms for hidden‑threat detection. The consortium will integrate advanced sensors, AI‑driven data fusion and the company’s guidance, navigation and control (GNC) expertise...
UAVOS Utilizes In-House Manufactured Composite Curing Oven to Produce UAVRotor Blades with Extended Service Life
UAVOS announced the production of a new batch of high‑performance composite rotor blades for its unmanned helicopters, cured in the company’s proprietary OVEN‑500‑2000 composite curing oven. The blades, featuring a NACA 23012 airfoil and optional stainless‑steel leading‑edge insert, are rated for...
Taiwan Military Tests Drone Strike Tactics in Urban Training
Taiwan’s 58th Artillery Command UAV battalion conducted its first immersive FPV drone training in a simulated urban battlefield on March 10, 2026. The exercise paired long‑endurance reconnaissance drones with first‑person‑view attack drones to locate and strike mock enemy forces inside...
Epson Robots to Showcase Scalable Retail Automation at Shoptalk Spring 2026
At Shoptalk Spring 2026, Epson Robots will demonstrate scalable retail automation solutions, featuring its compact T‑Series SCARA robots and the RC+ industrial development platform. The showcase highlights applications from back‑office fulfillment—such as picking, packaging, and kitting—to customer‑facing kiosks, emphasizing ease...