Robotics

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Goodwood Festival 2026 unveils Future Lab with robotics, quantum, space tech

   The Goodwood Festival of Speed announced its 2026 Future Lab exhibition lineup, featuring companies and research organizations across robotics, AI, quantum computing, healthcare, space exploration and digital technologies. The event is organized around four themes—Unseen Worlds, Intelligent Systems, New Frontiers, and Extending Reality—and will include hands-on demonstrations of technologies ranging from tactile robotic hands to brain-computer interfaces. Future Lab is expected to attract more than 90,000 visitors over the four-day event and will host a STEM programme involving more than 1,000 secondary school students from across the UK. This provides direct public engagement with emerging technologies that span multiple industries, positioning the exhibition as a platform for both innovators to showcase research and young people to explore potential careers in science and technology.

   Headline exhibits include IBM's Quantum Chandelier and quantum imaging systems from Quantum Solutions; Formula E's GEN4 race car with Driver Agent AI (developed with Google Cloud); OLO Robotics' AI-assisted software for controlling robots; Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird concept for a fusion-powered space tug; and Touchlab's electronic skin technology for robotic fingertips with haptic control. The lunar exploration zone will feature interactive exhibits from NASA's Artemis programme.

2. 2

   Kawasaki Robotics debuts 8-axis robot for AI-driven manufacturing

   Kawasaki Robotics showcased the RL030N, the industry's first 8-axis robot designed specifically for Physical AI applications, at Automate 2026 in Chicago. The company also demonstrated its patented Pulseboard inspection technology integrated with a weld inspection system, and showed a closed-loop adhesive dispensing system that adjusts in real time at up to 400 times per second. Unlike conventional industrial robots optimized for repetitive tasks, the RL030N supports AI-driven applications requiring adaptive motion, obstacle avoidance, and complex motion planning. The Pulseboard system enables weld inspection up to 10 times faster by continuously synchronizing image capture with robot movement, rather than stopping repeatedly—a capability that could help manufacturers reduce defects and maintain production speed.

   The RL030N is powered by Kawasaki Robotics' open KRNX real-time control API, enabling external AI software, machine learning systems, and third-party orchestration to control the robot in real time. The robot's 8 degrees of freedom architecture provides greater dexterity than traditional six-axis robots for confined-space manipulation and dynamic environments.

3. 3

   IEEE Spectrum showcases robotics breakthroughs: hand locomotion, safer AI, warehouse navigation

   IEEE Spectrum's Video Friday published a curated selection of robotics demonstrations, including a robot hand crawling across a table from Tangent Robotics, MIT CSAIL's SoftMimic approach to safer human-robot interaction, a humanoid robot performing household tasks, and Agility Robotics' Digit navigating obstacles through reactive footstep planning on warehouse floors. These demonstrations highlight practical progress in robot dexterity, safety, and autonomous navigation—capabilities that matter to businesses deploying robots in warehouses and other real-world environments. Digit's ability to spot obstacles, recalculate foot placement, and maintain balance without breaking stride shows the kind of dynamic adaptability needed for actual warehouse operations.

   The DARPA Lift Challenge is open to the public August 6–9, 2026, at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Upcoming robotics events include RSS 2026 (13–17 July 2026, Sydney), the Summer School on Multi-Robot Systems (29 July–4 August 2026, Prague), Actuate 2026 (18–19 August 2026, San Francisco), and IROS 2026 (27 September–1 October 2026, Pittsburgh). The Unitree R1 humanoid is priced at US $4,900.

4. 4

   General Intuition raises $320M to train robots using video game data

   General Intuition raised $320 million（約510億円） in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to $454 million（約730億円） and valuation to $2.3 billion（約3700億円）. The New York-based company uses billions of gameplay clips from Medal, a gaming platform, to train AI models that can perceive, predict, and act in physical and virtual environments. Most AI training relies on text or simulated data, but General Intuition argues that video game footage is more valuable because it captures humans perceiving an environment and deciding how to move through it—with embedded action labels showing exactly when players press buttons. This approach may help bridge the gap between language-based AI and the embodied intelligence needed for physical robotics.

   General Intuition plans to scale its compute capacity and pretraining for its next model version. The company also intends to make its API more broadly available this summer.

5. 5

   Flexiv launches Enlight and Mico adaptive robots with full-body touch sensing

   Flexiv unveiled two new robotic systems—the Enlight seven-axis adaptive arm and the Mico dual-arm platform—both equipped with multi-dimensional force-torque sensors integrated into their joints to enable whole-body touch sensitivity. Enlight weighs 15 kilograms and features four joints capable of rotating through 720 degrees, while Mico combines two Enlight arms under a single control architecture and is offered in four standardized configurations (Armor, Core, Plus, and Ultra). Flexiv says these robots can detect single-touch contact, track multiple contact points, and recognize tactile patterns—capabilities the company describes as bringing a level of human-like adaptability and tactile feedback never before available to industrial users. This may expand the range of variable tasks that robots can automate in environments traditionally difficult for industrial robots, including confined spaces where conventional robots struggle.

   Flexiv has already demonstrated industrial applications developed with technology partners, including manipulation tasks using Nvidia Isaac Sim simulation platform. The company, founded in 2016, operates in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Beijing, Munich, and Singapore.

6. 6

   Skyways builds global cargo drone fleet in near-total secrecy

   Austin-based Skyways Aviation has quietly assembled the world's largest unmanned aircraft fleet over the past decade, operating heavy-duty autonomous drone deliveries across three continents. The company's V3 aircraft can carry payloads of up to 100 pounds across a range of over 1,000 miles and operates offshore cargo missions for maritime, oil, and logistics clients. Skyways has partnered with Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) to fly cargo missions from Okinawa to surrounding islands and military vessels, and is preparing to begin flights with Danish logistics company DSV A/S. Skyways' approach—solving customer problems rather than marketing technology—reflects a deliberate business philosophy established by CEO Charles Atkin nine years ago, when he decided to avoid marketing and promotion entirely. The company's wealth of international regulatory experience positions it to handle upcoming U.S. drone regulations, particularly the FAA's anticipated BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) rule, Part 108, which will require commercial drones to have detect-and-avoid technology. For businesses with offshore or maritime assets seeking cargo delivery and inspection services, Skyways' track record across multiple regulatory environments offers credibility in a sector known for unfulfilled promises.

   Skyways is developing a project to provide cargo delivery and inspection services to major U.S. and international oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico, with more details expected in the next several months. The company is also pursuing two significant regulatory goals: the ability to operate multiple aircraft using a single pilot, and authorization to fly offshore beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit—capabilities the company believes will unlock new airspace.