Of Note
🤖 Humanoid Robots: From Warehouses to Marathons
Warehouse Workers of the Future: Companies like Tesla, Agility Robotics, and Figure are deploying humanoid robots in warehouses to tackle labor shortages. These bots can walk, carry items, and are becoming more adaptable thanks to AI advancements. However, challenges like high costs and efficiency concerns remain.
Robots Hit the Track: In a groundbreaking event, 21 humanoid robots competed alongside humans in Beijing's Yizhuang half-marathon. The fastest robot finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes, showcasing impressive engineering, though some bots stumbled during the race.
🌍 Global Robotics Developments
ABB's Big Move: Swiss company ABB plans to spin off its robotics division, the world's second-largest, aiming for a public listing by mid-2026. This move is expected to sharpen focus and improve governance.
South Korea's Alliance: South Korea launched the K-Humanoid Alliance, bringing together government, academia, and industry leaders to boost the country's humanoid robotics sector by 2030.
China's AI Integration: China is rapidly integrating "embodied AI" into daily life, with humanoid robots and drones becoming common in cities like Shenzhen. The government is heavily investing in AI and robotics to address demographic challenges and tech competition.
Artificial Intelligence
Spatial computing, wearables and robots: AI's next frontier
Artificial intelligence’s (AI) next great leap will be powered by hardware. As the digital and physical worlds merge, frontier technologies like spatial computing, extended reality (XR) and AI-powered wearables are ushering in a new computing paradigm.
Cornell researchers develop AI system that teaches robots by watching one video
Cornell University researchers have introduced an artificial intelligence framework that could significantly speed up how robots learn new tasks
Innovation
The Future of AI and Robotics Is Being Led by Amazon’s Next-Gen Warehouses
The cutting edge of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t occur just at NASA, or one of the top university labs, but instead is increasingly being developed in the warehouses of the e-commerce company Amazon. As online shopping continues to grow, companies like Amazon are pushing the boundaries of these technologies to meet consumer expectations.
Warehouses, the backbone of the global supply chain, are undergoing a transformation driven by technological innovation.
Warehouses, the backbone of the global supply chain, are undergoing a transformation driven by technological innovation.
Humanoid robots are coming for you
Twenty-one humanoid robots were unleashed on the streets of Beijing on Saturday, but this was not the mechanical uprising forewarned by James Cameron—it was China’s robot-makers showing how their androids would fare in a half-marathon.
Technology
Tesla's Optimus hit by China's rare earth restrictions, says Musk
Elon Musk said that China’s new trade restrictions on rare earth magnets have affected the production of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots. He added that the company was working through the issue with Beijing and hoped to get approval to access the critical components.
China’s humanoid robot sector enters mass production with Unitree, AgiBot among pack
Six humanoid robot makers plan to produce more than 1,000 units in 2025, driving the value of domestic output to US$616 million this year
AI Teaches Robots Tasks from a Single How-To Video
Researchers have developed RHyME, an AI-powered system that enables robots to learn complex tasks by watching a single human demonstration video. Traditional robots struggle with unpredictable scenarios and require extensive training data, but RHyME allows robots to adapt by drawing on previous video knowledge.