Penn College has received a new PerformArc 350S automated welding cell from Miller Welding Automation, giving 400 welding students hands-on access to advanced robotic welding technology. Valued at $176,745, the system enhances training as the U.S. faces a projected need for 320,500 new welding professionals by 2029.

Uber Eats is launching Starship’s autonomous sidewalk robots in the UK, starting in Leeds and Sheffield before expanding to Europe and the U.S. The partnership merges Uber’s global delivery platform with Starship’s massive robot fleet, signaling a new era in urban logistics where six-wheeled couriers quietly reshape last-mile delivery.

Humanoid robotics is already seeing its first casualties. One year after launch, YC-backed K-Scale Labs has shut down despite $2M in preorders, undone by fierce price competition, failed fundraising, and rapid Chinese hardware advances. Its collapse highlights a growing shakeout as capital, scale, and speed decide who survives the humanoid race.

1HMX has unveiled the Nexus NX1, a fully integrated whole-body human-machine interface combining HaptX Gloves, Virtuix Omni One, Freeaim robotic shoes, and 72-DoF motion capture. Designed for humanoid robot teleoperation, embodied AI, and hyper-realistic VR training, Nexus NX1 delivers natural control, lifelike haptics, and unmatched immersive data fidelity.

ASTM International has launched its first task group focused on safety for additive construction robots, addressing risks emerging as 3D printing and automation enter active jobsites. Led by Purdue University with NIOSH collaboration, the group will create guidelines and potential standards to ensure safe deployment, protect workers, and support responsible industry growth.

XMachines has unveiled Neo, a $19,995 fully electric, multi-purpose farm robot designed for small and mid-sized growers. With modular tools, advanced autonomy, and a rugged tracked chassis, Neo handles spraying, mowing, tilling, seeding, and transport. Global rollout begins in 2026, with 250 units targeted for deployment.

Robots marched, danced, and chatted their way across UT Austin during Texas Robotics’ high-energy campus parade. From acrobatic Spot demos to AI-powered conversational bots and student-built medical exosuits, the event showcased the program’s creativity and interdisciplinary strength—capturing wide-eyed crowds and highlighting UT’s growing leadership in next-generation robotics.

Frasky is a new vineyard robot from the Italian Institute of Technology, equipped with a dexterous arm, vision system, and precise spraying tools to navigate rows, inspect crops, and handle fruit. Designed for labor shortages and sustainability challenges, it brings precision agriculture closer to real-world deployment through advanced AI and field-tested autonomy.

Disney Research and ETH Zurich have developed the first general RL framework that teaches bipedal robots to fall gracefully. Instead of collapsing uncontrollably, robots learn to minimize impact, protect sensitive components, and land in user-specified poses—enabling safer, expressive, and recovery-friendly falls in both simulation and real-world tests.

Exotec’s new Warehouse Workers Sentiment Report finds strong worker support for automation, with nearly half reporting pay increases and 63% reporting higher job satisfaction. Workers say robots boost productivity, safety, and retention, while reducing physical strain and peak-season stress—suggesting automation is becoming a key driver of workplace stability and career growth.

Oxford researchers have created soft robots that move, sense, and even synchronize their actions using only air pressure—no electronics, motors, or computers. Built from modular “fluidic” units, the robots generate rhythmic motion and coordinated behavior entirely through physical design, pointing toward fast, efficient, embodied intelligence for future extreme-environment robotics.

SwarmFarm Robotics is transforming agriculture from regional Australia, with 250+ autonomous robots operating across 10 million acres. Founded by farmers Andrew and Jocie Bate, the company builds simple, repairable robots that cut chemical use, solve labor shortages, and boost sustainability—all while anchoring high-skilled jobs and agtech innovation in rural communities.

ASTM’s exoskeletons and exosuits committee (F48) has launched a task group to develop mechanical testing protocols for exoskeletons. The effort aims to harmonize global standards, adapt ISO 10328, and establish baseline tests that enable real-world certification, lab readiness, and safer adoption across industrial, medical, consumer, and defense sectors.

Researchers have created ultrathin magnetic fibers that can bend, stiffen, and change texture on demand. Woven into soft textiles, they enable gentle robotic grippers, breathable fabrics, and realistic VR haptic gloves. This breakthrough in vector-controlled smart materials could give robots a human-like touch and transform everyday clothing.

Robust.AI has partnered with Saddle Creek Logistics to deploy its collaborative AMR, Carter™, in a Charlotte fulfillment center. The robot now handles tote transport across multiple lines, reducing walking time, boosting throughput, and easing worker strain. The flexible, “virtual conveyor” system integrates without fixed infrastructure, improving speed, safety, and operational efficiency.

Anthropic tested how its AI model Claude could boost real-world robotics performance by having two teams program a robot dog to fetch a ball. The AI-assisted team completed tasks in half the time and advanced toward full autonomy—showing how quickly frontier AI may bridge from digital assistance to physical-world capability.

Wandercraft has partnered with Italy’s SAPA Group to deploy its Calvin-40 humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing—marking Europe’s first Tier 1 integration of humanoid robotics. Building on its Renault alliance, Wandercraft is expanding real-world deployments that demonstrate how physical AI can deliver measurable industrial value across Europe’s evolving automation landscape.

Johns Hopkins APL has installed a RAMLAB MaxQ robotic arm to advance repair and additive manufacturing for the U.S. maritime industry. Using wire arc additive manufacturing, the system enables faster, lower-cost repairs of large ship components—supporting small business participation, fleet readiness, and a more resilient maritime industrial base.

At Hanyang University’s 2025 Industry Standards Forum, Professor Han Jae-kwon called humanoid robots Korea’s next industrial revolution. He urged rapid deployment to factories to secure vital industrial data, citing Korea’s strong manufacturing clusters and the growing K-Humanoid Alliance—now over 200 members—as key advantages in the global humanoid race.

Space Continuum, a Black-owned innovation firm, is partnering with Germany’s NEURA Robotics to bring collaborative humanoid robots to U.S. workplaces. The robots support staff in healthcare, hospitality, education, and manufacturing—helping ease labor shortages, reduce burnout, and enable people and robots to work side-by-side rather than in competition.