Launch AgiBot · Unitree AgiBot surpasses Unitree to claim the lead in commercial humanoid robots as both Chinese makers prepare for public markets. AgiBot dethrones Unitree as world’s top humanoid maker ahead of IPOs · South China Morning Post
Launch Avnet · Weston Robot Avnet and Weston Robot have launched an autonomous inspection robot designed to handle industrial tasks without human intervention. Avnet Partners with Weston Robot to Launch Autonomous Inspection Robot · Gasgoo
Launch Unitree Unitree's Shanghai IPO was oversubscribed 5,526 times by retail investors, signaling explosive demand for the Chinese roboticist's public debut. Unitree’s Shanghai IPO 5,526 Times Subscribed by Retail Buyers · Bloomberg.com
Launch Zoox · Amazon Zoox, Amazon's autonomous-vehicle subsidiary, has begun charging passengers for robotaxi rides in Las Vegas, marking the company's first commercial service. Zoox launches its first paid robotaxi rides in Las Vegas · Global Fleet
Launch Epirus · U.S. Marine Corps · U.S. Navy — Mykhailo Fedorov The Marine Corps awarded Epirus an $11 million contract to mount a high-power microwave system on its air-defense vehicles, capable of disabling fiber-optic drones that jam-proof electronics cannot touch. One Microwave Burst, Dozens of Drones Down: Marines Fund Fiber-Optic Defeat System · Tech Times
Launch UK defense firm UK defense firm unveils a long-range strike drone designed as a cheaper alternative to cruise missiles, extending the range of unmanned weapons in military arsenals. A cheap alternative to cruise missiles: UK tech firm unveils new 900-km strike drone · The New Voice of Ukraine
Launch Saildrone Saildrone's autonomous ocean drone helped U.S. Coast Guard seize an $81 million cocaine shipment in the eastern Pacific. Saildrone's drone boat intercepts an $81 million cocaine shipment · Yahoo
Launch Wisk Aero · Archer · Boeing · SkyGrid Archer acquires Boeing's autonomous-flight subsidiaries Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu in a deal that splices eVTOL aircraft with decades of drone autonomy to build a single physical-AI platform for aerospace. Archer to Shape Physical AI Future of Aerospace and Defense with Acquisition of Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid Subsidiaries; Boeing to Invest in Archer and Collaborate · Wisk Aero
Launch EHang — Nurlan Sauranbayev EHang's EH216-S completed Central Asia's first pilotless passenger eVTOL flight in Kazakhstan, carrying Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev during the Games of the Future in Astana. EH216-S Completes Central Asia's First Pilotless Human-Carrying eVTOL Flight in the Heart of Kazakhstan's Capital · EHang
Funding Cambridge Autonomous Cambridge's autonomous bus program secures £3.88 million in fresh funding to expand driverless shuttle trials in the UK. Self-driving buses in Cambridge win £3.88m boost · Traffic Technology Today
Research Chinese humanoid manufacturers (unspecified in snippet) Chinese humanoid robot manufacturers shipped 97 percent of all units globally last year, according to a new report, underscoring Beijing's industrial dominance in physical AI. China Humanoid Makers Hold 97% of Global Shipments, Report Says · Bloomberg.com
Opinion Standard Bots · Federal Communications Commission — Brendan Carr, Evan Beard The FCC bans Chinese humanoid robots to protect an American robotics industry that barely exists, a strategy that failed spectacularly in solar. Opinion | US does its robotics industry no favours by fencing it off from China · South China Morning Post
Opinion SEPTA SEPTA explores the possibility of autonomous buses for Philadelphia transit, though no concrete deployment or pilot has been announced. Could self-driving SEPTA buses be coming to Philly? · Billy Penn at WHYY
Opinion Waymo · Tesla · Zoox · Uber — Jonathan Morrison, Phil Koopman, Daniel Lurie Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox are racing to expand robotaxis while struggling to fix crashes, interference with first responders, and construction-zone navigation failures. Robotaxis are scaling faster than they can fix the problems that scaling creates · The Next Web
Opinion NATO — Oliver Moody NATO is testing autonomous attack drone swarms for European battlefields as Ukraine sees them deployed in live combat. The AI drone swarms coming soon to Europe’s battlefields · The Times
Other A New York bill proposes banning humanoid robots from schools following a critical report by New York Focus. New bill would ban humanoid robots in schools after New York Focus report · TheDailyNewsOnline.com
Other Unitree · AgiBot China's humanoid robot makers Unitree and AgiBot aim to produce 100,000 units this year, but finding customers remains the harder problem. China Readies for a Record Number of Humanoids · The Wire China
Other Lucid Lucid's new CEO is restructuring the company's robotaxi strategy to prioritize pre-signed customer commitments over speculative deployment. Lucid’s New CEO Reorders the Robotaxi Plan Around Contracted Volume · eletric-vehicles.com
Other US Department of Transportation — Sean P. Duffy The Transportation Department's updated safety strategy cracks down on unlicensed truckers while pushing autonomous vehicles as the future of American roads. USDOT’s updated Roadway Safety Plan continues illegal trucker crackdown, encourages self-driving vehicles · cdllife.com
Other Waymo A pedestrian in Dallas was struck by an SUV and thrown into a Waymo vehicle, resulting in a fatal injury. Pedestrian dies after SUV impact throws him into Waymo car in Dallas · Audacy