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How AI is powering the next generation of robots – insights from a leading global conference

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The 2026 Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR), which annually unveils the latest research in support of artificial intelligence (AI), embodied AI and robotics, multi-modal AI, wearable AI, spatial computing, AI agents, and much more, will serve as one of the foremost forums to showcase how advances in AI are accelerating next-gen robotics from concept to real-world deployment.

Co-sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society (CS) and the Computer Vision Foundation (CVF), CVPR, an annual launchpad for breakthroughs in AI, and this year for robotics, will convene the leading research, companies, and applications redefining what robots can see, understand, and do.

Through its program, CVPR 2026, which takes place 3-7 June at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, USA, will reveal how AI is fueling rapid innovation in robotics, automation, and embodied intelligence. [Read more…] about How AI is powering the next generation of robots – insights from a leading global conference

What makes robots feel alive? Human-robot interaction expert Sarah Sebo explains

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As robots become more expressive and socially capable, the line between machines and living characters is starting to blur. From Disney’s lifelike Olaf robot (main image) to interactive droids inspired by Star Wars, recent developments highlight how far robotics has come in replicating human-like behavior and emotion.

But what actually makes a robot feel “alive” – and why do some machines feel natural while others fall into the so-called “uncanny valley”?

To explore these questions, Robotics & Automation News spoke with Sarah Sebo, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, whose research focuses on human-robot interaction and the social, cultural and technological impact of robots in everyday environments. [Read more…] about What makes robots feel alive? Human-robot interaction expert Sarah Sebo explains

Microsoft Research unveils Rho-alpha robotics model combining vision, language, and touch

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Microsoft Research has announced Rho-alpha, a new robotics model designed to help robots understand natural language instructions and carry out complex physical tasks in less structured environments.

The model, derived from Microsoft’s Phi series of vision-language models, is being made available through the company’s Research Early Access Program. According to Microsoft, Rho-alpha is intended to advance a new generation of robotics systems capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting in dynamic real-world settings.

For decades, robots have performed best in tightly controlled environments such as factories and warehouses, where tasks are predictable and carefully scripted. Recent advances in agentic AI, however, are enabling new “vision-language-action” models that allow physical systems to operate with greater autonomy. [Read more…] about Microsoft Research unveils Rho-alpha robotics model combining vision, language, and touch

Technology Innovation Institute and World Economic Forum launch Abu Dhabi Centre for Frontier Technologies at Davos

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The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have launched the Abu Dhabi Centre for Frontier Technologies, a new Centre within WEF’s prestigious Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Global Network.

The collaboration was formalized during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, marking a significant step in deepening international cooperation to shape the future of frontier technologies.

Established with a clear mandate to lead breakthroughs in frontier research and development, advance global policy on emerging technologies, and foster international collaboration that moves innovation from the lab into real-world deployment, the Centre builds on the UAE’s position as a real-world testbed for innovation. [Read more…] about Technology Innovation Institute and World Economic Forum launch Abu Dhabi Centre for Frontier Technologies at Davos

Winners of AgiBot World Challenge at IROS 2025

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The AgiBot World Challenge at IROS 2025 concluded with 431 robotics teams from 23 countries competing across two major categories – the World Model Track and the Manipulation Track – showcasing advances in embodied AI and real-world robotic skills.

In the World Model Track, first place went to VIPL-GENUN from the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. HD-Robo from HiDream.ai Inc. took second place, followed by SHIELD-LMD, a joint team representing Alibaba Cloud, SHIELD, and Shanghai TAM, in third.

In the Manipulation Track, AIR-DREAM, a joint entry by Tsinghua University and Shanghai AI Lab, won first place. Notonlysim from South China University of Technology and Firebot from the University of Hong Kong ranked second and third respectively. [Read more…] about Winners of AgiBot World Challenge at IROS 2025

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

Franka unveils two new robot prototypes for advanced robotics research

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Franka Robotics has introduced two new research-focused prototypes designed to advance work in dual-arm manipulation, imitation learning, and mobile robotics.

The systems – the Franka Research 3 Duo and its mobile counterpart, the Mobile FR3 Duo – are aimed at providing high-performance, extensible platforms for robotics learning and experimentation.

The FR3 Duo integrates two Franka Research 3 robot arms on a single mount, creating a reference dual-arm system for control, manipulation, and imitation learning tasks. [Read more…] about Franka unveils two new robot prototypes for advanced robotics research

LimX Dynamics debuts full‑size humanoid robot starting at $21,800

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Embodied AI robotics innovator LimX Dynamics has unveiled its flagship full-sized humanoid robot, LimX Oli (internally referred to during development as CL‑3), with base pricing beginning at RMB 158,000 (approximately $21,800).

Standing 1.65 m (5‑foot‑5) tall and weighing around 55 kg, Oli contains 31 degrees of freedom (not counting end-effectors) and is designed as a general-purpose research and integration platform for AI researchers, robotics developers, and solution integrators.

The robot’s modular hardware/software architecture and evolving development toolchain support the full pipeline from algorithm experimentation to system deployment. [Read more…] about LimX Dynamics debuts full‑size humanoid robot starting at $21,800

MIT research: Using generative AI to help robots jump higher and land better

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By Alex Shipps, digital strategy coordinator, MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

Diffusion models like OpenAI’s DALL-E are becoming increasingly useful in helping brainstorm new designs.

Humans can prompt these systems to generate an image, create a video, or refine a blueprint, and come back with ideas they hadn’t considered before.

But did you know that generative artificial intelligence (AI) models are also making headway in creating working robots? Recent diffusion-based approaches have generated structures and the systems that control them from scratch. [Read more…] about MIT research: Using generative AI to help robots jump higher and land better

Universal Robots offers new torque interface to empower research and innovation

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Having the ability to directly control the torque of all the collaborative robot (cobot) joints opens vast opportunities for cobots to carry out demanding tasks.

But even for experienced cobot users and researchers, building your own software stack to enable this is both time consuming and challenging.

That’s why Universal Robots (UR) has developed a new low-level torque interface that gives access to control the target torque for all the joints of the UR cobot at 500 Hz. [Read more…] about Universal Robots offers new torque interface to empower research and innovation