Argentina has launched Latin America’s first fully robotic parcel sorting hub, tripling throughput with 240 autonomous robots capable of processing 9,000 parcels per hour. Built by Libiao Robotics for Correo Argentino, the facility highlights how AI-driven logistics can modernize national postal systems and accelerate the region’s e-commerce and automation transformation.

Saga Robotics is accelerating its U.S. vineyard expansion with new leadership, fresh funding, and rapid growth in autonomous UV-C crop treatment. Its Thorvald robots helped drive a tenfold increase in treated acreage in 2025, signaling rising demand for chemical-free, data-driven agriculture and the growing maturity of robotics-as-a-service in viticulture.

Beijing has launched a pilot, skills-based credentialing system for robotics engineers, recognizing robotics as a standalone engineering discipline. Focused on real-world outcomes, commercialization, and standards contributions, the policy reflects China’s broader industrial strategy to align workforce governance with fast-moving robotics and AI markets.

DEWALT and August Robotics have launched an autonomous drilling robot designed to accelerate data center construction. Capable of drilling up to 10× faster with near-perfect accuracy, the system has already reduced project timelines by as much as 80 weeks, signaling a major shift in how large-scale infrastructure for AI is built.

Chinese humanoid robot maker UBTech Robotics has signed a deal with Airbus to deploy its Walker S2 humanoid robots in aviation manufacturing. The partnership highlights China’s accelerating push to commercialize humanoids globally and move them from demos into real industrial workflows.

JLG Industries has acquired San Francisco–based construction robotics firm Canvas to accelerate automation in interior finishing. The deal brings Canvas’ 1200CX drywall robotics platform and team into JLG, strengthening its roadmap for robotics and autonomy in construction. The move signals growing momentum behind equipment-assisted, labor-augmenting workflows on modern job sites.

MassRobotics has launched its fourth annual Form and Function Robotics Challenge, inviting university teams worldwide to build robots that balance strong design with real-world functionality. Finalists will compete for a $10,000 grand prize through live demonstrations at the 2026 Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. Applications close February 2, 2026.

Multiply Labs is integrating NVIDIA’s Isaac and GR00T robotics technologies to scale production of cell and gene therapies, targeting up to 100x more patient doses per square foot. The move signals a shift away from manual, artisanal biomanufacturing toward robotics-first systems designed for consistency, traceability, and large-scale patient impact.

Locus Robotics and Radial have surpassed 25 million picks at Radial’s Shepherdsville fulfillment center, highlighting how autonomous mobile robots are reshaping high-volume eCommerce operations. The milestone underscores the growing role of flexible, data-driven automation in scaling throughput, managing peak demand, and improving consistency without heavy capital investment.

Arm Holdings has created a new Physical AI business unit to accelerate its push into robotics and embodied AI, combining automotive and robotics under one structure. Announced at CES, the move reflects growing industry confidence that humanoid robots and physical automation are the next major frontier for AI.

IntBot will make CES 2026 history by running its entire booth with a single humanoid robot. Nylo will greet visitors, answer questions, and manage real-time interactions autonomously—testing whether social robots are finally ready for unscripted, public environments.

LG Electronics will debut its AI-powered home robot LG CLOiD at CES 2026, showcasing a mobile assistant capable of performing everyday household tasks. Integrated with LG’s ThinQ ecosystem, the robot highlights the company’s vision for AI-driven homes that reduce domestic labor through physical intelligence.

Kentucky Rep. Chris Lewis plans to introduce 2026 legislation creating a state robotics program trust fund to support hands-on STEM education. The proposal would provide grants for high school programs focused on robotics, advanced manufacturing, and workforce readiness, helping students prepare for emerging technology-driven careers.

China has formed a national standards committee for humanoid robots and embodied intelligence, signaling a major push toward scalable deployment. The effort targets data, interfaces, testing, safety, and ethics, aiming to reduce fragmentation, align with global standards, and accelerate commercialization as China’s humanoid robot market rapidly expands nationwide and internationally.

A new study from Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois defines the skills, knowledge, and abilities construction workers need to collaborate safely and effectively with robots. The expert-informed framework aims to guide training, certification, and workforce development as construction automation accelerates.

South Korean researchers at KAIST have unveiled the WalkON Suit F1, a wearable robot that can approach paraplegic users, attach itself, and help them walk and climb stairs. Demonstrated by a paraplegic researcher, the system signals a new generation of user-centered assistive robotics.

Catawba Valley Community College is partnering with Columbia University engineers to introduce robotics into upholstery manufacturing. Through its Furniture Academy and Manufacturing Solutions Center, CVCC is helping a new startup deploy assistive robotic systems that reduce physical strain, support skilled workers, and modernize American furniture production.

NYU has launched the Center for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence, creating a major East Coast hub for AI-driven machines that operate in the real world. Bringing together engineers, computer scientists, and ethicists, the Center aims to advance responsible robotics across healthcare, industry, infrastructure, and beyond.

iRobot, maker of the Roomba, will be acquired by its key supplier Picea through a court-supervised Chapter 11 process. The deal aims to reduce debt, keep products and services running, and position iRobot for long-term innovation under new private ownership.

From Ukraine’s drone strikes to U.S. Army doctrine, robotic systems are reshaping the character of war. Let’s explores why drones and autonomy represent a mechanization-scale shift—and why failing to adapt risks building a dangerous “robotic Maginot Line.”