Robotics news covering industrial automation, humanoid robots, autonomous systems, and advances in robotic technology.
Tornyol Systems' 40-gram autonomous drone achieved its first live air-to-air insect kill, a milestone toward eradicating disease-carrying mosquitoes. The drone uses car parking sensors and digital signal processing to locate and kill insects up to 26 feet away. Deployment on embedded hardware is planned within weeks.
Corewell Health in Royal Oak, Michigan, performed the world's first documented single-port robotic mitral valve repair on 60-year-old Patrick O'Brien. The technique uses one port and one small incision, compared to the traditional five-port method, potentially reducing recovery time and scarring.
Two identical T800 humanoid robots fought in the first Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL) MMA bout in Shenzhen, China, leaving one robot decapitated. Martial arts actor Donnie Yen attended and praised the robots' 'sheer power and precision movements.' The T800 robots, built by Engine AI, are modeled after Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator character.
This commentary argues that Tesla and Hyundai are pivoting from car manufacturing to robotics, using their automotive supply chains to build humanoid robots at scale. It contends that the factory itself is the core product, with cars being just one output, and that this shift represents a strategic redefinition of the auto industry.
Chinese startup BrainCo debuted the first integrated brain-to-robot platform at WAIC in Shanghai on Friday. The system uses an EEG headset and AI to decode brain signals, controlling robotic arms, humanoid robots, and robotic dogs. It works with third-party hardware and aims to address robotics data shortages.
Foundation Future Industries, led by Sankaet Pathak, plans to equip its Phantom MK1 humanoid robot with lethal capabilities, with a potential unveiling in months. The startup has tested the robot with Ukrainian forces. Eric Trump, son of the US president, is an investor and chief strategy adviser.
Agility Robotics is opening a 60,000-square-foot facility in Fremont, California, to train its humanoid robots, located near Tesla's factory. The Digit robot already generates revenue for customers including Amazon. CEO Peggy Johnson is leading a reverse-merger to make Agility the first pure-play humanoid robot company on public markets.
At WAIC 2026, KEENON Robotics demonstrated humanoid and service robots collaborating in commercial workflows, such as hotel laundry. The XMAN-R1 humanoid handled front-of-house tasks like drink preparation. KEENON led global commercial service robot shipments in 2025.
Researchers have developed robotic clothing, a new innovation in wearable technology. The creation was reported by NBC News.
AGIBOT held its Australia and New Zealand Partner Conference in Melbourne, debuting the A3 robot and launching Robot-as-a-Service. Solutions for mining, cleaning, education, and entertainment were introduced, reinforcing its commitment to embodied AI deployment in the region.