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Why Robotic Jib Systems Are the Future of Studio and Live Event Production

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The evolution of camera support technology has always shaped how we experience film, television, and live events. From the early days of handheld shooting to the rise of gimbals and drones, each innovation has expanded what’s visually possible.

Robotic jib systems are now leading that frontier – bringing fluid, repeatable, and precise camera motion to production environments where consistency and control are essential. [Read more…] about Why Robotic Jib Systems Are the Future of Studio and Live Event Production

Beep begins operating ‘America’s first’ fully autonomous public transit system in Jacksonville

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Beep, a provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions, has begun operating the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s autonomous vehicle service, Navi (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation).

Navi, the nation’s first fully autonomous public transportation system, launched in Jacksonville, Florida this week.

Backed by a five-year operations and maintenance contract, Beep will operate and maintain the Navi service, which is part of the JTA’s groundbreaking Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program. The company is also announcing the closing of $52.7 million in a funding round co-led by Intel Capital and Blue Lagoon Capital. [Read more…] about Beep begins operating ‘America’s first’ fully autonomous public transit system in Jacksonville

Genesis AI raises $105 million to build ‘universal’ robotics foundation model

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Genesis AI, a global physical AI research lab and full-stack robotics company, emerged from stealth today with a mission to unlock unlimited physical labor.

The company is building a universal robotics foundation model (RFM) and a horizontal robotics platform, raising $105 million co-led by Eclipse and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Bpifrance, HSG, and visionary leaders Eric Schmidt and Xavier Niel.

Physical labor contributes an estimated $30-40 trillion to the Global GDP, yet over 95 percent of it remains unautomated due to the limitations of current automation solutions. Today’s robotic systems, such as industrial arms, rely on brittle, rigid, and overfitted software stacks. [Read more…] about Genesis AI raises $105 million to build ‘universal’ robotics foundation model

Civ Robotics secures $7.5 million to power robot-led surveying

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Civ Robotics, a construction robotics company, has closed its $7.5 million Series A funding round, led by AlleyCorp with investments from Bobcat Company, ff Venture Capital, and previous seed investors.

This brings the total funding to date to $12.5 million. This new investment will support further development of its construction robots and expansion into new global markets, with an emphasis on renewable energy and solar.

Civ Robotics has over 100 of its robots deployed to job sites around the globe. This signals that industry trust in automation is increasing for a sector historically slow to adopt new technologies. [Read more…] about Civ Robotics secures $7.5 million to power robot-led surveying

VenHub launches robot-operated store at Los Angeles airport

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VenHub Global, a developer of fully autonomous, AI-powered, robot-operated retail, has unveiled its flagship Smart Store at the LAX/Metro Transit Center at Los Angeles International Airport.

The Smart Store brings secure, frictionless, and fully automated retail convenience to millions of travelers and transit riders moving through Los Angeles each year.

Launched in anticipation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the installation places VenHub at the forefront of smart retail infrastructure as Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world. [Read more…] about VenHub launches robot-operated store at Los Angeles airport

Exclusive interview: Bot Auto CEO on why autonomous trucking must prove its economics before it scales

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Following our recent coverage of the challenges facing autonomous trucking, Robotics and Automation News now interviews Xiaodi Hou, co-founder and CEO of Bot Auto, to explore a different approach – one focused less on flashy demos and more on cost-per-mile performance.

Hou, a veteran in autonomous driving and AI, is taking aim at the industry’s reputation for over-promising and under-delivering.

With a PhD in Computation and Neural Systems from Caltech and a background in machine learning and computer vision, he brings both technical depth and commercial realism to the table. [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: Bot Auto CEO on why autonomous trucking must prove its economics before it scales

Siemens completes acquisition of ebm-papst’s industrial drive technology business

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Europe’s largest engineering company Siemens has closed its acquisition of ebm-papst‘s industrial drive technology business. In the future, it will be marketed using the name “Mechatronic Systems” at Siemens.

The business has about 650 employees and its portfolio includes intelligent, integrated mechatronic systems in the extra-low voltage protection range, innovative driving systems used in free-moving, driverless transport systems, and other applications.

This acquisition complements the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, strengthening Siemens’ position as a leading provider of flexible manufacturing automation solutions. [Read more…] about Siemens completes acquisition of ebm-papst’s industrial drive technology business

MIT develops vision-based system that gives machines ‘bodily self-awareness’

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In an office at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), a soft robotic hand carefully curls its fingers to grasp a small object.

The intriguing part isn’t the mechanical design or embedded sensors – in fact, the hand contains none. Instead, the entire system relies on a single camera that watches the robot’s movements and uses that visual data to control it.

This capability comes from a new system CSAIL scientists developed, offering a different perspective on robotic control. Rather than using hand-designed models or complex sensor arrays, it allows robots to learn how their bodies respond to control commands, solely through vision. [Read more…] about MIT develops vision-based system that gives machines ‘bodily self-awareness’

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