Robots

• Meta acquired ARI, a US-based robotics AI startup, to bolster its efforts in humanoid robots and physical artificial general intelligence. • The deal focuses on developing software for real-world machine control and agentic systems. • This acquisition positions Meta as a leader in embodied AI, competing with rivals in robotics hardware and software.

Japan Airlines will introduce the robots for trial run at a Tokyo airport amid country’s surge in inbound tourism and worsening labour shortagesJapan’s famously conscientious but overburdened baggage handlers will soon be joined by extra staff at Tokyo’s Haneda airport – although their new colleagues will need to take regular recharging breaks.Japan Airlines will introduce humanoid robots on a trial basis from the beginning of May, with a view to deploying them permanently as a solution to the country’s chronic labour shortage. Continue reading...

Winning robot records faster time than Jacob Kiplimo’s world record More than 100 robots run in parallel tracks to avoid collisions with humansDozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism as they whizzed past human runners in a half-marathon race in Beijing on Sunday, having lagged far behind a year earlier.The race’s inaugural edition last year was riddled with mishaps, as many robots struggled to get off the starting line, and most were unable to finish. Continue reading...

Use of unmanned ground vehicles has grown exponentially since 2024 turning the war into a technological contestVictor Pavlov showed off Ukraine’s newest and most versatile weapon: a battery-powered land robot.The unmanned ground vehicles come in various shapes and sizes. One runs on caterpillar tracks and resembles a roofless milk float. Another has wheels and antennas. A third carries anti-tank mines. Since spring 2024 their use has grown exponentially. Continue reading...

• Georgia Tech researchers developed SAIL (Speed Adaptation for Imitation Learning), allowing robots to learn and execute complex tasks like stacking cups, folding cloth, and food packing significantly faster than human demonstrations. • SAIL robots completed tasks three to four times quicker across 12 evaluated scenarios in simulation and on physical platforms, while preserving precision, control, and safety. • The breakthrough addresses speed barriers in imitation learning, advancing general-purpose robots capable of any human-hand task for industrial and household use.

• Industrial robotics startup RoboForce secured $52 million in an oversubscribed funding round on March 16, 2026, boosting its total funding to $67 million. • The capital targets deployment of AI-powered robots to address growing labor shortages in dirty and dangerous industrial tasks across U.S. manufacturing. • Funding reflects surging investor interest in automation solutions amid acute workforce gaps in sectors like warehousing and heavy industry.