Frontier AI Heads to the Farm with Carbon Robotics’ Large Plant Model
Carbon Robotics has launched its Large Plant Model (LPM), an on‑device AI system that can instantly recognize and classify weeds and crops across diverse fields. Built on a dataset of more than 150 million plant images, LPM eliminates the need for continuous cloud‑based retraining, allowing LaserWeeder robots to act in real time. Existing LaserWeeder fleets receive the upgrade via a software update, extending the technology to current customers. CEO Paul Mikesell positions LPM as frontier AI for agriculture, claiming its architecture surpasses that used in many self‑driving car systems.
Upside Robotics Is Reducing Fertilizer Use and Waste in Corn Crops
Upside Robotics secured a $7.5 million seed round to scale its solar‑powered autonomous fertilizer robots for corn. The robots, driven by proprietary algorithms, have already cut fertilizer use by 70%, saving roughly $150 per acre. After testing on 70 acres in...
STS Spells Out Training Pathway for Robotic Surgery
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) unveiled a five‑phase training pathway to standardize robotic cardiac surgery adoption, covering prerequisites, baseline team training, initial clinical use, efficiency gains, and mastery. The guideline mandates at least three years of attending experience or...
Apptronik Closes over $935M Series A with New $520M Extension Round
Apptronik announced a $520 million Series A‑X extension, bringing its total Series A funding to over $935 million and total capital raised near $1 billion. The round includes existing backers such as Google, B Capital and Mercedes‑Benz, and new investors AT&T Ventures, John Deere and Qatar...
Humanoid Robot Startup Apptronik Has Now Raised $935M at a $5B+ Valuation
Apptronik, a University of Texas spin‑out building humanoid robots, reopened its Series A to raise a total of $935 million, pushing its post‑money valuation to roughly $5.3 billion. The round added $520 million from existing backers Google, Mercedes‑Benz and B Capital, alongside new investors, and...
US Marine Corps Advances Plans for Drone Wingman
The Marine Corps’ 2026 Aviation Plan places the MUX TACAIR drone wingman at the forefront of its combat aviation strategy, pairing low‑cost unmanned jets with the F‑35 Joint Strike Fighter. General Atomics’ YFQ‑42A has been selected as a candidate platform,...
Fort Benning Hosts Army Robotic Systems Tactics Course
The U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence launched the inaugural Robotic Autonomous Systems Leader Tactics Course (RASLT) at Fort Benning, a three‑week pilot aimed at integrating unmanned ground vehicles, small drones, and other autonomous platforms into maneuver operations. The program...
DARPA Picks Saronic for Semi-Autonomous Vessel Protection Program
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen Saronic to lead the Pulling Guard program’s Focus Area 2, developing a semi‑autonomous, modular escort vessel for unarmed logistics ships. The platform will feature standardized physical and digital interfaces, allowing rapid integration...
Nissan Silent & Measured Path Toward Autonomous Public Transportation in Japan
Nissan is shifting from autonomous vehicle prototypes to full‑scale public transport services in Japan. After a driverless test with a Serena in Minatomirai (2025), the automaker launched a multi‑month pilot operating five Serena‑based shuttles on fixed routes in Yokohama. Parallel...
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter Steps Down After More than 30 Years with the Company and Plans to Retire; CFO...
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter announced his retirement after more than three decades leading the robotics pioneer. Playter, who guided the development of flagship robots like Spot and Atlas, will hand the reins to CFO Amanda McMaster as interim chief...
European Maritime Safety Agency Selects Airbus Flexrotor Drone for Maritime Surveillance Missions
Airbus secured a €30 million framework contract from the European Maritime Safety Agency to provide Flexrotor uncrewed aerial systems for maritime surveillance. The VTOL drone delivers up to 12‑hour endurance and can carry EO/IR and radar payloads, streaming live data to...
Driving Innovation at Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters is rolling out a multi‑phase innovation roadmap that emphasizes automation, crewed‑uncrewed teaming, and energy‑efficient performance. In the short term it is introducing new flight‑control laws and avionics to lessen pilot workload, while medium‑term projects target disruptive features for...
The French Navy to Become First Operator of Airbus' Aliaca Vertical Uncrewed Aerial System
The French Directorate General of Armament has placed an order for 34 Airbus Aliaca VTOL unmanned aerial systems, making the French Navy the first operator of the vertical‑take‑off and landing version. Deliveries begin in May 2026 after a qualification campaign,...
GA-ASI’s YFQ-42A Platform to Support Next-Generation Expeditionary Air Operations
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) was chosen by the U.S. Marine Corps to evaluate its YFQ‑42A surrogate under the MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The contract adds a government‑supplied mission kit—sensor‑rich, software‑defined, capable of kinetic and non‑kinetic effects—to the platform...
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter Steps Down
Robert Playter announced his retirement, stepping down as Boston Dynamics CEO on February 27, 2026. He guided the firm since 2019, overseeing Hyundai’s 2020 acquisition and the commercial rollout of Spot, Stretch, and the electric Atlas. Under his leadership the...
GuRu Wireless, Uniquest and Arion Advance Persistent sUAS Capability for Korean Defense and National Security Applications
GuRu Wireless, Uniquest and Arion announced a joint effort to create a wireless‑power‑enabled small UAS that can sustain untethered ISR missions for South Korea’s defense forces. The partnership leverages GuRu’s 24 GHz RF Lensing™ phased‑array transmitter, Uniquest’s local integration expertise, and...
Palladyne AI Receives U.S. Air Force Contract to Advance Swarming Capabilities for Integrated Cross-Domain Operations
Palladyne AI secured a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract, dubbed HANGTIME, to fuse its patented SwarmOS platform across satellite, aerial, maritime and ground systems. The effort targets the longstanding challenge of making autonomous assets operate as a coordinated team...
Trener Robotics Raises $32M Series A to Bring Physical Intelligence to Industrial Automation
Trener Robotics announced a $32 million Series A financing round co‑led by Engine Ventures and IAG Capital Partners, bringing its total capital to over $38 million. The round will fund the scaling of Acteris, the company’s robot‑agnostic AI skills platform that lets operators...
APEM Launches Dual Icon Series of LED Indicators
IDEC Corp., operating as APEM, introduced the Dual Icon series of 14 mm panel‑mount LED indicators. The bi‑color devices combine green and red icons in a single compact unit, delivering three states—off, green, and red—while fitting standard panel holes. Built with...
Stryker Introduces Mako Handheld Robotics with RPS Launch
Stryker announced a limited market rollout of its new Mako RPS handheld robotic system for total knee replacement, merging the company’s established Mako robotic platform with power‑tool functionality. The device features intra‑operative planning, a robotically enabled saw, and patented active‑adjustment...
Bonsai Robotics Showcases New Autonomous Weeding and Spraying Solutions on Amiga Platform at World Ag Expo
Bonsai Robotics unveiled four new autonomous weeding and spraying solutions on its Amiga platform at the World Ag Expo, highlighting the Amiga Flex and Amiga Max, the latter a 2026 Top 10 New Product Award winner. The roll‑out leverages partnerships with...
Attabotics Technology Revives as Part of LaFayette Systems
Attabotics, the robotic cube‑storage specialist, is restarting operations after its September 2025 acquisition by LaFayette Systems. The privately held LaFayette group will provide a stable financial base and engineering expertise, allowing Attabotics to retain its Calgary engineering, business, and manufacturing...
Spaceium Tests Robot Gas Attendant Piece in Orbit
Spaceium demonstrated a space‑qualified actuator on SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 mission, achieving 0.003‑degree rotation accuracy in orbit. The precision translates to less than a millimeter of movement at the tip of a full‑size robotic arm, a key requirement for in‑space fuel transfers....
Video: Can Robots Help Save Farming?
Robotics, AI, and automation are reshaping UK agriculture as the Lincoln Institute for Agri‑Food Technology (LIAT) showcases its latest innovations. The institute’s autonomous ARWAC field machine, the data‑rich HiRes‑Soils project, and Saga Robotics’ Thorvald harvest‑assist robot illustrate how technology can...
U.S. Unveils “Parasitic” MMAUV That Hitchhikes Onto Ships & Submarines — Changing Rules Of Naval Warfare
Lockheed Martin has unveiled the Lamprey Multi‑Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MMAUV), a plug‑and‑play drone that latches onto ships or submarines and recharges via built‑in hydrogenerators. The modular vehicle can arrive at a theater fully charged and launch aerial drones, torpedoes,...
Precision Drive Systems Hires New Controller
Precision Drive Systems (PDS) announced the appointment of Matthew Bell as its new controller, succeeding retiring veteran Rich Stipanovic. Bell will oversee enterprise financial management, including accounting, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls. The hire follows Bell’s extensive tenure in...
National Robotics Week 2026 Underscores Robotics as a Critical U.S. Industry and Workforce Engine
National Robotics Week 2026 runs April 4‑12, uniting students, educators, and industry across the United States. MassRobotics leads the program, offering hands‑on workshops, coding challenges, and Robo Soccer to Boston public‑school students. Microsoft backs the STEM sessions, while Locus Robotics...
Engineers Develop Soft Robotic Exoskeleton That Cuts Muscle Strain by 22%
University of Texas at Arlington engineers unveiled the Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE), a lightweight silicone‑based wearable that cuts elbow muscle activity by 22% during typical industrial tasks. Tests with 19 participants showed an 8‑10 point reduction in perceived...
"AI In Robotics": New Position Paper Released by IFR
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) released a new position paper titled “AI in Robotics,” outlining a vision where artificial intelligence inhabits its own robot bodies through “Physical AI.” The paper highlights rapid investments from U.S. tech giants, a strategic...
71% of Consumers Say Viral Trends Drive Purchases, Putting New Pressure on Retail Fulfillment, Finds Locus Robotics
Locus Robotics released a U.S. consumer study showing 71% of shoppers say viral TikTok or Instagram trends drive their purchases. The research finds demand can materialize within 48 hours, forcing brands, retailers and 3PLs to compress planning and rely on...
Unifly Launches Online SORA Training Series to Support Advanced Specific Category Drone Operations
Unifly, a leading UTM provider, has introduced a live, one‑day online training series on the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) 2.5 methodology. The program, delivered by Unifly Consulting, aims to help UAS professionals navigate advanced Specific Category drone operations and...
Firestorm and Orqa Partner to Pioneer High-Tech Industrial Manufacturing on Front Lines
Firestorm Labs and Orqa announced a partnership to produce the Firestorm Squall, a Group 1 FPV quadcopter built with fully NDAA‑compliant components. The collaboration merges Orqa’s battle‑tested drone technology with Firestorm’s expeditionary, containerized manufacturing platform. Production will occur in the United...
Teledyne FLIR OEM Expands Neutrino ISR Series with Longest-Range SX8 ISR 50-1000 Model
Teledyne FLIR OEM introduced the Neutrino SX8 ISR 50‑1000, the longest‑range model in its Neutrino ISR lineup, featuring a 20× continuous‑zoom lens and a cooled 1280 × 1024 MWIR sensor. The system delivers vehicle detection out to 34 km, recognition at 23.5 km, and identification at 20 km, while offering...
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Vention launched GRIIP, a generalized physical AI pipeline that automates robot cells in unstructured factories. The system combines Vention’s models with NVIDIA Isaac foundations to deliver end‑to‑end perception, pose estimation, and collision‑free planning without manual tuning. In three months of...
Farmers Can Learn How to Use Drone Spraying Technology Through K-State Salina Professional Training
Kansas State University Salina is launching a two‑day professional training program on aerial applications and regulations for uncrewed aircraft systems. The course, scheduled for March 9‑10 and May 28‑29, teaches farmers hands‑on drone setup, calibration, and both manual and automated spray missions....
DroneShield Appoints Michael Powell as Chief Operating Officer to Support Global Expansion and Operational Scale
DroneShield announced Michael Powell as its new Chief Operating Officer, bolstering leadership as the company scales globally. The appointment follows accelerated growth in Europe and the United States, driven by rising demand from defense, government, and critical‑infrastructure customers. Powell, who...
Destro AI Launches Agentic AI Brain for Human-Robot Collaboration
Destro AI emerged from stealth to launch its Agentic AI Brain, a cloud‑based intelligence layer that coordinates robots and humans as a single adaptive system. The platform, powered by MothershipOS and VisionOS, provides off‑robot reasoning and on‑robot execution, enabling real‑time...
Drone Operator Charged With Violating Temporary Flight Restrictions In Area Surrounding Levi’s Stadium During NFL Game
A San Francisco resident, Junwei Guo, was charged federally for operating a drone inside a temporary flight restriction around Levi’s Stadium during the Nov. 9, 2025 NFL matchup between the 49ers and Rams. The FAA’s TFR prohibits all aircraft, including unmanned systems,...
Allient Inc. Releases New Whitepaper on Motor Selection for Drone Systems
Allient Inc. has released a new whitepaper, "An Engineering Guide to Motors for Drone Systems," offering detailed guidance on selecting and applying motors for UAVs. The document addresses the rapid growth of drone applications and highlights how motor performance, efficiency,...
Advanced Drone Course to Prepare Pilots for Operating on High-Risk Industry Sites
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has launched a free Advanced Industrial Drone Operations Course for experienced pilots, targeting high‑risk sites such as refineries, nuclear facilities, and power infrastructure. Funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal Skills and Talent...
ANYbotics Achieves ISO 27001 Certification
ANYbotics earned ISO/IEC 27001 certification after a multi‑stage audit, achieving zero non‑conformities on its first attempt. The certification validates the company’s world‑class Information Security Management System and signals maturity in security governance. It directly addresses the compliance concerns of energy and...
South African Fuel Cell Milestone Signals Momentum for Hydrogen Aviation
A South African‑developed membrane electrode assembly (MEA) has been independently validated inside a commercial aviation‑grade fuel‑cell stack for unmanned aircraft, matching or exceeding the performance of incumbent commercial membranes. The test, conducted in Europe, demonstrates that the technology can operate...
Motiv Space Systems and PickNik Robotics Collaborate on Software for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics Mission
Motiv Space Systems has signed a contract with PickNik Robotics to develop software for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics (FFR) mission, which aims to demonstrate on‑orbit robotic manipulation for the agency’s In‑space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) goals. PickNik will deliver...
Abu Dhabi Expands Robotaxi Network to New Districts
Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre announced that its robotaxi network is expanding to Khalifa City, Masdar City and Rabdan, adding a new corridor between the Corniche and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The service, run by WeRide and Uber with local...
Yokogawa and ANYbotics to Integrate OpreX Robot Management Software with Robotic Inspection Solutions
Yokogawa Electric and Swiss robotics firm ANYbotics announced a partnership to embed Yokogawa’s OpreX Robot Management Core software into ANYbotics’ ANYmal inspection robot lineup, including the explosion‑proof ANYmal X. The integration enables unified control of both explosion‑ and non‑explosion‑proof autonomous robots...
Engineering at the Edge: Nidec Powering the Future of Ship Loading at Dalrymple Bay
Nidec Drives Africa engineered a 1 MW variable frequency drive motor control centre (MCC) for the new SL1A ship loader at Dalrymple Bay Terminal, 4 km offshore in Mackay, Australia. The IP44‑rated, Form 4a‑compliant system integrates dual Active Front End units, a 600 Vdc...
SwitchBot Launches AI Hub, the World’s First Local Home AI Agent Supporting OpenClaw
SwitchBot unveiled the AI Hub, the first local home AI agent that natively supports the open‑source OpenClaw framework. The edge‑focused device blends Vision‑Language Models, on‑device NVR with Frigate, and unified smart‑home control, allowing real‑time video analysis and AI‑driven automations. OpenClaw...