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X Square Robot builds a full-stack approach to embodied AI and general-purpose robotics

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The rapid growth of embodied artificial intelligence is reshaping the robotics industry, with companies racing to develop machines capable of performing a wide variety of real-world tasks rather than being programmed for a single application.

Among the companies attracting significant attention is Shenzhen-based X Square Robot, which recently completed four consecutive financing rounds culminating in a Series C investment.

The company is now valued over RMB20 billion and says the new funding will accelerate development of its embodied AI foundation models, robotics hardware, data infrastructure and commercial deployments. [Read more…] about X Square Robot builds a full-stack approach to embodied AI and general-purpose robotics

Interview with Sharpa’s Alicia Veneziani: ‘Dexterous manipulation is the key to useful humanoid robots’

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Much of the recent excitement surrounding humanoid robots has focused on increasingly impressive demonstrations of walking, running, jumping, and balancing. Yet many robotics experts argue that locomotion, while important, is only part of the challenge.

The bigger obstacle to creating genuinely useful humanoid robots may be something far more familiar to humans: the ability to use their hands.

Among the companies focused on solving this problem is Sharpa, a Singapore-based robotics startup developing dexterous robotic hands, tactile sensing systems, and embodied AI technologies designed to enable robots to interact more effectively with the physical world. [Read more…] about Interview with Sharpa’s Alicia Veneziani: ‘Dexterous manipulation is the key to useful humanoid robots’

RLWRLD named World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer for advancing physical AI infrastructure

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RLWRLD, a physical AI company developing the proprietary Robotics Foundation Model RLDX-1, has been named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2026.

The WEF Technology Pioneers program selects 100 innovative technology companies each year that are positioned to drive long-term, paradigm-shifting impact on global industries and society.

According to the WEF’s official analysis report, Meet the Technology Pioneers, this year’s selection centered on companies providing the foundational software and core infrastructure to support large-scale deployment of autonomous AI systems, ones that perceive, reason, and act directly in the physical world, going beyond conversational chatbots and application-layer software. [Read more…] about RLWRLD named World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer for advancing physical AI infrastructure

From backflips to folding laundry: How X Square Robot is building the missing ‘brain’ for embodied AI

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While robotics companies around the world continue to showcase humanoids performing backflips, running obstacle courses, and dancing on stage, one Chinese firm is pursuing a more difficult – and arguably more consequential – goal: teaching robots to operate in the messy, unpredictable environments where people actually live and work.

According to X Square Robot founder and CEO Wang Qian, the industry’s hardware foundations are largely in place. Humanoid locomotion, dexterous hands, and force-control systems have all advanced rapidly. The remaining challenge is intelligence.

“The hardware is largely there,” Wang said. “The real bottleneck is the brain.” [Read more…] about From backflips to folding laundry: How X Square Robot is building the missing ‘brain’ for embodied AI

How Sony AI’s table tennis robot is advancing physical AI

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Although Omron and Kuka have demonstrated similar systems before, a table tennis-playing robot may still sound like a novelty to some. After all, industrial robots already assemble cars, sort parcels and weld metal with remarkable precision.

But for researchers working at the intersection of robotics and artificial intelligence, table tennis represents one of the most demanding real-world tests imaginable.

A successful table tennis player must perceive a fast-moving object, predict its trajectory, decide on a response, position themselves correctly and execute a precise movement – all within fractions of a second. The challenge combines vision, motion planning, control, prediction and decision-making in a constantly changing environment. [Read more…] about How Sony AI’s table tennis robot is advancing physical AI

Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yunzhu Li: ‘Simulation is central’

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The robotics industry is enjoying a surge of investment, media attention, and ambitious promises about the future of humanoid machines.

Companies are announcing plans to manufacture thousands of robots, while advances in artificial intelligence have fueled expectations that general-purpose robots may soon become commonplace in factories, warehouses, workplaces, and even homes.

Yet beneath the excitement lies a fundamental technical challenge that many researchers believe remains far from solved. [Read more…] about Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yunzhu Li: ‘Simulation is central’

Interview with Jun Wu of GMEX Robotics: ‘We provide an integrated terminal + brain closed-loop system’

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Artificial intelligence may dominate the headlines, but the future of robotics will depend on much more than software alone.

While many companies are racing to develop foundation models and increasingly capable AI systems, others argue that the real challenge lies in combining intelligence with hardware that can operate reliably in the physical world.

One company taking that approach is GMEX Robotics, a Nasdaq-listed developer of AI-enabled robotic systems for industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. [Read more…] about Interview with Jun Wu of GMEX Robotics: ‘We provide an integrated terminal + brain closed-loop system’

Generalist AI raises $400 million to scale robot intelligence platform

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Generalist AI, a startup developing foundation models for robotics, has raised $400 million in new funding as it seeks to accelerate the development of what it calls “physical AGI” – artificial general intelligence capable of operating in the physical world through robots.

The funding round values the company at approximately $2 billion and brings its total capital raised to more than $500 million.

The round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from 8VC, Union Square Ventures, Hanabi Capital and Norwest. Existing investors including Nvidia’s NVentures, Boldstart Ventures, Spark Capital, Bezos Expeditions and NFDG also participated. [Read more…] about Generalist AI raises $400 million to scale robot intelligence platform

Why robotics can’t advance without physical AI

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The next leap in robotics won’t come from faster processors or more sophisticated mechanical design. It will come from better data, specifically, from training environments that replicate how the physical world actually behaves.  [Read more…] about Why robotics can’t advance without physical AI

ShengShu unveils world action model to offer ‘infinite possibilities’ for robotic intelligence

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ShengShu Technology has unveiled Motubrain, a world action model that replaces multiple task-specific systems with a single, unified model that functions as a robotic brain for the physical world.

ShenShu describes Motubrain as one brain that offers infinite possibilities for robotic intelligence.

Ranking highly on both WorldArena and RoboTwin 2.0, two of the field’s most rigorous benchmarks in embodied world models, Motubrain marks a decisive shift in an industry where robotic systems are typically built from task-specific or specialized systems. [Read more…] about ShengShu unveils world action model to offer ‘infinite possibilities’ for robotic intelligence