Robotics & Automation News

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Robotics

MIT engineers design new handheld interface that gives ‘anyone the ability to train a robot’

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Teaching a robot new skills used to require coding expertise. But a new generation of robots could potentially learn from just about anyone.

Engineers are designing robotic helpers that can “learn from demonstration”. This more natural training strategy enables a person to lead a robot through a task, typically in one of three ways: via remote control, such as operating a joystick to remotely maneuver a robot; by physically moving the robot through the motions; or by performing the task themselves while the robot watches and mimics.

Learning-by-doing robots usually train in just one of these three demonstration approaches. But MIT engineers have now developed a three-in-one training interface that allows a robot to learn a task through any of the three training methods. [Read more…] about MIT engineers design new handheld interface that gives ‘anyone the ability to train a robot’

Safety standards and innovations in human-robot collaboration

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The latest in sensors, programming, and risk assessment for safe collaborative deployment

Collaborative robots – or cobots – are rapidly transforming industrial automation by working safely alongside human workers.

Unlike traditional industrial robots, which are typically caged off, cobots are designed for direct interaction, enabling flexible, efficient workflows.

But as adoption grows, so too does the need for advanced safety systems, smarter programming environments, and comprehensive risk management frameworks. [Read more…] about Safety standards and innovations in human-robot collaboration

How autonomous mobile robots are picking up the slack caused by labor shortages

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Autonomous mobile robots and their more versatile cousins, mobile manipulators, are increasing in number across many different sectors.

They are rapidly becoming the backbone of modern logistics and are now extending their reach far beyond the warehouse floor, revolutionizing how goods are moved, tasks are performed, and industries operate.

This burgeoning trend, frequently covered on Robotics and Automation News, underscores their critical role in addressing pressing challenges like labor shortages and the demand for greater efficiency in dynamic environments. [Read more…] about How autonomous mobile robots are picking up the slack caused by labor shortages

Can robots play football? Why AI still struggles with physical movement

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The world’s first AI robot football match shows how far we still have to go

At first glance, it looked like a slow-motion parody of the world’s most beloved sport. On a small indoor pitch in Beijing, teams of humanoid robots wobbled across the turf, scanning the field with glowing blue eyes, tripping over their own feet, and occasionally collapsing in awkward heaps. At one point, two machines had to be stretchered off after failing to stand up again.

Yet for the engineers behind the event, this wasn’t a failure – it was a breakthrough.

Staged in June 2025, China’s first fully autonomous robot football match marked a milestone in the development of embodied artificial intelligence. Each of the robots, including several built on the well-known Nao platform, played without any remote control or manual input. [Read more…] about Can robots play football? Why AI still struggles with physical movement

China hosts world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot football match

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Beijing has hosted what is believed to be the world’s first fully autonomous football match between humanoid robots, marking a milestone in the development of embodied artificial intelligence.

Held on June 28 in the Yizhuang Development Zone, the match featured four teams of robots developed by Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University. In the final, the THU Robotics team beat the Mountain Sea team 5-3.

Each robot operated entirely without human control, using onboard cameras, sensors, and deep reinforcement learning algorithms to detect the ball, make tactical decisions, and navigate the field. Organizers say the event represents a breakthrough in real-time AI decision-making in dynamic physical environments. [Read more…] about China hosts world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot football match

Opinion: Brain Corp president outlines how robotics can transform information overload into operational intelligence

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By Michel Spruijt, president, Brain Corp International

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: we’re drowning in data – and it’s making us dumber, not smarter.

Global data production is accelerating at a breathtaking pace, from 64 zettabytes (or 64 trillion gigabytes) in 2020 to an estimated 170 ZB by 2025.

To put that in perspective, that’s enough data to stream every movie ever made simultaneously on 50 billion devices. [Read more…] about Opinion: Brain Corp president outlines how robotics can transform information overload into operational intelligence

What is a robot? From mechanical helpers to intelligent agents

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This is the first in a series of articles in which we ask – and try and answer – the most frequently asked questions in robotics

Ask anyone what a robot is, and you’ll likely get a confident answer: “A machine that walks and talks like a human.”

Some people may offer something slightly more technical – perhaps “a programmable machine that can carry out tasks automatically”.

Both are right, to a point. But as we dig deeper, we find that the question “What is a robot?” quickly becomes more complicated than it first appears. [Read more…] about What is a robot? From mechanical helpers to intelligent agents

MassRobotics and Chewy select winners of innovation awards

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The CHAMP (Chewy Autonomous Mobile Picking) Challenge, created by Chewy and MassRobotics, tasked global robotics teams with solving one of warehouse automation’s toughest problems: autonomously picking large, heavy, and deformable items in tight, dynamic environments.  [Read more…] about MassRobotics and Chewy select winners of innovation awards

Miso Robotics selects Roboworx to provide integration services for its fast food robots

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Miso Robotics, a provider of restaurant robots and AI kitchen automation, has signed up robot field service organization Roboworx to provide installation, maintenance and ongoing support for Miso’s restaurant automation systems.

This collaboration combines Miso’s cutting-edge AI-powered Flippy Fry Station robots with Roboworx’s nationwide network of robot technicians to provide restaurant operators with a complete, powerful and reliable solution, and a rapid return on investment (ROI).

With the restaurant industry facing persistent labor shortages and operational challenges, automation has become essential for improving efficiency, reducing food waste, and enhancing customer satisfaction. [Read more…] about Miso Robotics selects Roboworx to provide integration services for its fast food robots

PrismaX raises $11 million as it emerges from development

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PrismaX, a robotics teleops platform startup, has launched with the completion of an $11 million raise led by a16z CSX, with participation from the Stanford Blockchain Builder Fund, Symbolic, Volt Capital, Virtuals Protocol, and other angel investors.

The completion of this funding round coincided with PrismaX’s official launch at a16z’s CSX Demo Day on June 3rd.

PrismaX was founded by Bayley Wang and Chyna Qu, bringing together a depth of experience in both robotics and decentralized technologies. [Read more…] about PrismaX raises $11 million as it emerges from development