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Nebius launches Nebius Robotics and Physical AI Awards

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Data center technology company Nebius has announced the Nebius Robotics and Physical AI Awards, a new global initiative to find “the next big thing” among startups and scale-ups building the future of robotics and vision AI systems.

The awards, which are accepting applications through October 30, 2025, aim to showcase companies advancing the frontier of physical AI, from embodied robotics and autonomous systems to streaming video analytics – technologies that are redefining how the physical world is observed, understood, and automated.

The winners will be announced at the Nebius Robotics and Physical AI Summit & Awards Ceremony at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, on December 9, 2025. [Read more…] about Nebius launches Nebius Robotics and Physical AI Awards

Fort Robotics launches long-range bluetooth capability for its safety system

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Fort Robotics, a provider of safe control systems for robots and mobile machines, has announced the launch of its new Long Range Bluetooth (BLE) capability.

This feature is immediately available for Fort’s Safe Remote Control Pro and Endpoint Controller products, enabling customers to achieve reliable wireless safety over longer distances and use their machines globally without complex radio certifications.

As Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and humanoids increasingly operate alongside human workers in crowded environments, the need for universal, reliable wireless safety communication has become critical. [Read more…] about Fort Robotics launches long-range bluetooth capability for its safety system

Amazon reportedly about to replace half a million human workers with robots

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Online retail giant Amazon – said to be America’s second-largest employer – is reportedly planning a major expansion of its warehouse automation that could reduce the number of US hires by more than 600,000 over the next eight years.

According to internal documents obtained by The New York Times, the company’s robotics division aims to automate roughly 75 percent of operations by around 2033, and expects to avoid about 160,000 new roles by 2027.

The leaked materials also highlight cost-savings of around $12.6 billion from 2025-2027, or about 30 cents saved per item shipped. [Read more…] about Amazon reportedly about to replace half a million human workers with robots

Nvidia launches new open-source models and simulation tools to accelerate robotics research

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Nvidia has unveiled a suite of new open technologies designed to speed up the development and deployment of advanced robotics, including humanoid systems. The announcement was made alongside updates to the company’s Isaac robotics platform.

At the center of the release is the Newton Physics Engine, an open-source, GPU-accelerated simulator codeveloped with Google DeepMind and Disney Research.

Now available in Nvidia Isaac Lab and managed by the Linux Foundation, Newton is built to handle the complex balance and motion challenges of humanoid robots. [Read more…] about Nvidia launches new open-source models and simulation tools to accelerate robotics research

BitRobot Foundation launches $5 million competition to ‘spark robotics breakthroughs’

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Global prize program challenges researchers to create embodied AI models to outperform human experts in various ‘moonshot’ outcomes

The BitRobot Foundation, an open robotics research and development lab, has launched its $5 million BitRobot Grand Challenges Fund, a global prize competition designed to accelerate breakthroughs in robotics and embodied AI.

Inspired by DARPA’s Grand Challenge that spurred advancement in self-driving technology, the program pits autonomous robotics AIs against human experts in high-stakes physical tasks.

Each category carries up to a $1 million grand prize for the first AI model to decisively outperform human benchmarks – offering clear evidence that the technology has reached full autonomy for that task. [Read more…] about BitRobot Foundation launches $5 million competition to ‘spark robotics breakthroughs’

RealMan launches humanoid robotics data training center

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Humanoid robots, widely recognized as one of the most promising carriers of artificial intelligence, are moving rapidly from the lab into everyday life and industry.

To accelerate this transition, a large-scale Humanoid Robotics Data Training Center has officially been launched in Beijing, creating an innovative hub that unites core technology R&D, scenario-based application testing, operator training, and ecosystem collaboration.

As a core technology and equipment provider, RealMan Robotics plays a central role in both the deployment and daily operations of the center. [Read more…] about RealMan launches humanoid robotics data training center

MIT roboticists debate the future of robotics

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By Rachel Gordon, MIT CSAIL

When the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) first convened 40 years ago, the robotics community shared a clear vision: robots would one day combine elegant mathematical models with advanced computation to handle complex tasks.

Four decades later, the community is divided over how to reach that goal. That divide was on full display this May in Atlanta, where ICRA marked its anniversary with a unique closing keynote: a live Oxford-style debate on whether “data will solve robotics and automation”. [Read more…] about MIT roboticists debate the future of robotics

NEC develops AI robot control technology for safe navigation in obstacle-rich environments

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NEC has developed technology that utilizes AI to enable safe, efficient autonomous control of robot movement even in complex environments with many obstacles.

NEC’s in-house demonstrations of this technology have confirmed that a robot’s travel time can be reduced by “up to 50 percent when compared to conventional methods”.

This new technology utilizes NEC’s proprietary AI, which has been trained with the knowledge of multiple AIs, to generate optimal travel paths in real time. NEC aims to commercialize this technology by the end of fiscal 2026. [Read more…] about NEC develops AI robot control technology for safe navigation in obstacle-rich environments

Unitree unveils new A2 quadruped robot with 100 kg load capacity and 20 km range

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Unitree Robotics has launched its most advanced quadruped robot to date – the Unitree A2 – positioning it as a rugged and versatile platform for industrial deployment across inspection, logistics, and research applications. (See video below.)

Weighing 37 kg (81.6 lbs) unloaded, the A2 boasts a maximum standing load of 100 kg (220 lbs) and can walk while carrying up to 25 kg (55 lbs).

On a single charge, the robot can walk continuously for up to 20 km (12.4 miles) unloaded, or 12.5 km (7.8 miles) when fully loaded. Runtime can be extended via hot-swappable dual batteries designed for uninterrupted missions. [Read more…] about Unitree unveils new A2 quadruped robot with 100 kg load capacity and 20 km range

Exclusive interview with Vorago Technologies: The risks of failure in home robots

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As home robotics begins to step beyond research labs and factory floors into everyday environments, the technology powering them is under new scrutiny – particularly the chips at their core.

At this year’s Automatica trade show, several companies, including Neura Robotics (main image), unveiled new humanoid systems designed to operate in close proximity to people – in homes, care settings, and public spaces. While much attention has focused on the mechanical dexterity and AI capabilities of these robots, there’s another crucial layer that’s often overlooked: semiconductor reliability. [Read more…] about Exclusive interview with Vorago Technologies: The risks of failure in home robots