Robotics

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Morgan Stanley: SpaceX, Tesla share tech and talent

   Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas said the two companies "share tech, talent, and infrastructure," citing 71 Tesla references in SpaceX's S-1, $506 million in 2025 Megapack buys, and the joint Macrohard AI agent platform. The note treats physical AI — applying AI to machines and real-world environments — as increasingly strategic for both companies, with SpaceX providing computing and satellite links while Tesla supplies robotics and energy storage.

   The 4.9 gigawatts of SpaceX computing capacity by end-2027 and 15.3 gigawatts by 2031 are estimates cited in the note, so the scale of the collaboration hinges on whether those buildouts proceed; watch Terafab's construction cost, reportedly estimated at more than $119 billion.

2. 2

   Anthropic opens secret wet lab in the San Francisco Bay Area

   Anthropic has quietly set up a wet lab in the San Francisco Bay Area, its life sciences head Eric Kauderer-Abrams confirmed, to move from computer simulations to real biological experiments, with Claude directing robot units. If Claude can direct robot units, lab work long done by hand could be automated at scale, potentially speeding up research that is still in its very early stages.

   The lab's purpose is not settled — Anthropic's spokesperson said it is not dedicated to drug discovery and declined to detail its use, so the test is whether named projects emerge. Watch the hiring ads for protein and nucleic acid characterization roles.

3. 3

   Lockheed builds 5 Vectis drones despite Air Force snub

   Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division said Monday it will build four more Vectis stealth drone fighters, adding to the first one already under construction, with first flight expected in late 2027. Lockheed is funding this development itself, a bet that the service will eventually open the competition wider and buy the drone, even though no contract has been awarded.

   The gambit hinges on whether the service widens the contest later; a decade ago Textron built its Scorpion jet on spec and never found a buyer, eating the cost after spending "many millions of dollars in design and development."

4. 4

   FD-SOI market widens as AI moves into cars and robots

   AI is shifting from data centers into cars, robots, wearables and connected devices, widening the market for FD-SOI chips, while China builds a domestic supply chain across substrates, foundry capacity and chip design. FD-SOI is a chip technology that suits devices needing low power and radio integration, so demand is likely to broaden beyond data-center AI silicon as this shift continues.

   Whether China's domestic supply chain actually scales across substrates, foundry capacity and design; the body gives no dates, volumes or players to track.

5. 5

   Beijing drone owners sell up as November 15 possession ban nears

   From November 15, individuals and businesses may not possess or store drones or key drone components in Beijing, and owners are selling, scrapping, moving them or taking city subsidies, The Japan Times reports. The rules reach beyond unauthorized flights to simply keeping a drone at home or at a business, and authorities can confiscate equipment and impose fines for violations.

   Whether the sell-off spreads beyond Beijing hinges on how the city's designated sales channels and disposal subsidies work in practice. Watch also the September 20 Special Restricted Area, a circle about 600 kilometers wide covering more than 280,000 square kilometers.

6. 6

   Tokyo Science Univ. robot lab targets iPS regenerative medicine

   Tokyo Science University's Robot Future Creation Center, opened in April, is pursuing research where AI plans experiments and the humanoid 'Mahoro' runs them automatically, with iPS cell regenerative medicine a key target. Deputy center director Motonori Kanda warns Japan could end up depending on the US or China for experimental environments without large-scale research bases of its own.

   Whether robot-driven work can stabilize cell quality and lead to lower future treatment costs hinges on whether Japan builds such large-scale research bases. Watch the collaboration between Astellas and Yaskawa's joint venture.