Robotics & Automation News

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humanoid robots

Texas Instruments and Nvidia partner to accelerate humanoid robot development

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Texas Instruments is accelerating the “safe deployment of humanoid robots into the real world” with Nvidia. By combining TI’s real-time motor control, sensing, radar and power technologies with Nvidia’s advanced robotics compute, Ethernet-based sensing and simulation technologies, robotics developers can validate perception, actuation and safety earlier and more accurately.

TI connects Nvidia physical AI compute to real-world applications with deterministic control, sensing, power and safety at every joint and subsystem. This partnership will help developers move faster from virtual development to production-ready, scalable and safety-compliant systems.

As part of this collaboration, TI designed a sensor fusion solution by integrating its mmWave radar technology with Nvidia Jetson Thor using Nvidia Holoscan Sensor Bridge to enable low-latency, 3D perception and safety awareness for humanoid robots. TI will showcase the solution at Nvidia GTC, March 16–19, 2026, in San Jose, California. [Read more…] about Texas Instruments and Nvidia partner to accelerate humanoid robot development

Honor unveils humanoid robot alongside new AI devices at Mobile World Congress

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Honor has unveiled its first humanoid robot as part of a broader push into artificial intelligence devices at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.

The company, best known for its smartphones, used the event to present a range of AI-powered products, including a concept “Robot Phone,” a new foldable handset and several computing devices. But the appearance of a humanoid robot on stage signaled the company’s intention to move beyond traditional consumer electronics into embodied AI systems.

According to Honor, the robot forms part of its wider strategy to develop intelligent machines that can operate in real-world environments and interact with people in more natural ways. [Read more…] about Honor unveils humanoid robot alongside new AI devices at Mobile World Congress

Schaeffler partners with Leju Robotics to advance industrial humanoid robots

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Industrial motion technology company Schaeffler has entered into a partnership with Leju Robotics, a Chinese company in the field of humanoid robotics.

This is the first cooperation with a Chinese company, joining existing partnerships with well-known manufacturers in Europe and the USA, and represents an important step for Schaeffler in expanding its presence in the global humanoid ecosystem.

The aim of the cooperation is to advance the use of humanoid robots in industrial applications such as intelligent factory inspection, equipment operation support, logistics, and human-robot collaboration. By 2035, Schaeffler plans to integrate a mid-four-digit number of humanoids into its own production. [Read more…] about Schaeffler partners with Leju Robotics to advance industrial humanoid robots

KDDI and Avita partner to develop humanoid robots for real-world service roles

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KDDI and Avita have announced a strategic partnership aimed at developing humanoid robots powered by what the companies describe as “Physical AI”.

The collaboration, announced March 2, 2026, will focus on building humanoid systems designed for real-world service environments such as retail, healthcare, entertainment and cultural venues.

Under the partnership, Avita will contribute expertise in avatar creation, conversational AI and remote operation technologies, while KDDI will provide communications infrastructure and data systems to support real-time operation of the robots. [Read more…] about KDDI and Avita partner to develop humanoid robots for real-world service roles

BMW to test humanoid robots in production in Germany for the first time

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The BMW Group is preparing to test humanoid robots in its car production in Europe for the first time, as the company accelerates its push to integrate artificial intelligence directly into factory operations.

The pilot project will take place at the company’s Leipzig plant in Germany, where engineers will test how humanoid robots can work alongside existing manufacturing systems in series vehicle production. The robots will also be evaluated for use in battery assembly and component manufacturing.

The project is part of BMW’s broader effort to introduce what it describes as “Physical AI” – the combination of digital artificial intelligence with physical machines such as robots operating in real industrial environments. [Read more…] about BMW to test humanoid robots in production in Germany for the first time

Apptronik nears $1 billion in funding with $520 million extension to Series A round

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AI-powered robotics company Apptronik has closed a $520 million Series A-X funding round, with participation from existing investors including B Capital, Google, Mercedes-Benz and PEAK6, and new investors including AT&T Ventures and John Deere.

The Series A-X extension round follows a $415 million oversubscribed initial Series A raise in 2025, bringing Apptronik’s total Series A to more than $935 million and total capital raised to nearly $1 billion.

After the initial Series A announcement, Apptronik continued to receive substantial inbound investor interest, leading the company to open the new extension of its Series A at a 3x multiple of the Series A valuation, underscoring strong investor confidence in Apptronik’s vision for AI-powered robots that support people in every facet of life. [Read more…] about Apptronik nears $1 billion in funding with $520 million extension to Series A round

The state of humanoid robotics: From research labs to real-world potential

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As 2026 rumbles into life, the humanoid robotics field has generated fresh headlines that underscore both the accelerating pace of innovation and the widening range of actors entering the race.

In Shanghai, robotics startup DroidUp unveiled Moya, billed as the world’s first biomimetic embodied intelligent robot, capable of walking with near-human gait, showing micro-expressions, and maintaining warm skin designed to support more natural interactions with people.

At the same time, a growing wave of Chinese industrial groups – including major automakers and tech conglomerates – has signalled their entry into humanoid robotics, expanding the field from research prototypes to platforms aimed at commercial use cases. [Read more…] about The state of humanoid robotics: From research labs to real-world potential

OpenMind launches app store for robots

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OpenMind, a robotics software company, has launched its “App Store for robots”, a platform designed to serve as the software distribution layer for quadruped and humanoid robots already operating in real-world environments.

As robots move beyond research labs into commercial and consumer deployment, software – not hardware – has emerged as the primary constraint on scale. While robotic platforms continue to mature mechanically, most remain locked into vertically integrated software stacks that limit adaptability and slow iteration.

OpenMind’s App Store introduces a shared application marketplace that allows robots to be configured, updated, and repurposed through software. [Read more…] about OpenMind launches app store for robots

CES 2026 highlights shift from humanoid hardware to real-world behavior, says IntBot

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According to Intbot, CES 2026 made one thing clear: “Robots have mastered movement”. On the show floor, they danced, backflipped, played ping pong, and posed for selfies, solid proof that hardware capability is no longer limiting their development.

What’s still missing? How robots behave autonomously in the real world, outside scripted demos and controlled settings.

IntBot, a humanoid robotics company focused on social intelligence, says the industry is entering a new phase where differentiation will be defined less by mechanics and more by judgment, context, and presence. [Read more…] about CES 2026 highlights shift from humanoid hardware to real-world behavior, says IntBot

State of Louisiana partners with Persona AI on humanoid robotics pilot at steel fabrication plant

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The State of Louisiana has signed a memorandum of understanding with Persona AI to launch a humanoid robotics pilot program inside an active heavy-industry facility, marking what officials describe as a rare instance of a US state formally supporting humanoid robot development in a live industrial setting.

The pilot will be conducted at SSE Steel Fabrication’s large-scale steel fabrication facility in St Bernard Parish and will focus on collecting real-world data on human movement and task execution in a working manufacturing environment.

According to the announcement, the initiative is intended to support the development of humanoid robots capable of operating in environments “originally built for humans rather than redesigned for traditional automation”, including the use of existing tools, navigation across uneven terrain, and adaptation to changing shop-floor conditions. [Read more…] about State of Louisiana partners with Persona AI on humanoid robotics pilot at steel fabrication plant