Launch — Usain Bolt Chinese robotics teams unveiled sprinting robots that eclipsed Usain Bolt's 100-meter record at a Beijing competition, demonstrating advances in legged locomotion and real-world performance benchmarking. Chinese robots beat Usain Bolt's 100m world record at Beijing games · Reuters
Launch Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University deployed a humanoid robot for engineering education and research, marking an institutional move toward hands-on physical AI training. Georgia Southern University unveils state-of-the-art humanoid robot to redefine engineering education and research · Grice Connect
Launch Waymo Waymo is expanding its driverless service to San Diego, marking another metropolitan market for the company's commercial robotaxi operations. What San Diego's Waymo rollout will look like at first · Axios
Launch Tesla Tesla will unveil its Cybercab robotaxi on September 3, betting the stripped-down, steering-wheel-free vehicle can compete in autonomous ride-hailing. Tesla Cybercab to launch Sept. 3 as robotaxi bet ramps up · Yahoo Finance
Launch Saab Saab has unveiled a concept for a stealthy, supersonic unmanned aircraft, marking the Swedish defense contractor's entry into next-generation drone development. Saab Gives First Look at New Stealthy Supersonic Drone Concept · The Defense Post
Launch An unspecified partnership plans to deploy multiple autonomous vessels for maritime operations, though the snippet withholds company names and deployment details. Partners to Deploy Multi-Vessel Autonomous Maritime Systems · Unmanned Systems Technology
Launch Meteoric Technologies Inc. · Y Combinator — Mete Karslioglu Meteoric Technologies, a Y Combinator-backed startup, plans to deploy autonomous drone swarms into clouds above solar farms to boost power generation by as much as thirty percent. Startup wants to use autonomous drone swarms to clear clouds and boost solar farm output · TechSpot
Launch Amazon Amazon Prime Air is expanding drone delivery to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns in 2024, scaling a service that has operated in limited markets since 2022. Amazon Prime Air drone delivery is expanding to nearly 500 US cities and towns this year · About Amazon
Launch Ford The U.S. Army tested an autonomous Ford F-250 equipped with a shotgun turret designed to shoot drones out of the sky at close range. Self-driving Ford F-250 truck with shotgun-equipped drone-killing turret tested by US Army — autonomous system designed to blast fast-moving drones at between 10 and 100 meters range · Tom's Hardware
Launch Neura Robotics · ADLATUS Robotics · Bosch Rexroth NEURA Robotics acquires ADLATUS Robotics, a German maker of autonomous cleaning systems, to expand its Physical AI platform into professional cleaning. NEURA Acquires ADLATUS Robotics, Bringing Physical AI to Professional Cleaning · Neura Robotics
Launch Waymo — Raul Gallegos Waymo opens its Houston driverless service to the general public after six months of operating on a waitlist, having ferried more than 100,000 riders since February. Starting today, anyone in Houston can download the Waymo app · Waymo
Funding XPeng XPeng's humanoid robotics division secured over $900 million in its first funding round, signaling the Chinese automaker's pivot toward physical AI as a standalone business. XPENG's humanoid robotics unit raises over $900 million in first funding round · Gasgoo
Research Waymo Waymo is building a custom chip to power its autonomous-driving stack, betting that proprietary silicon will give it an edge over competitors relying on off-the-shelf processors. TechCrunch Mobility: The custom chip driving Waymo’s robotaxi ambitions · TechCrunch
Research The New York Times reports that an autonomous AI-guided drone killed three Ukrainians in the first documented case of an AI system making a lethal targeting decision without human intervention. A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I. · The New York Times
Opinion Reuters explores the gap between robots' athletic prowess and their struggle with fine-motor tasks like cable insertion. Robots can outrun humans, but can they plug in a cable? · Reuters
Opinion AG BOT — Yang Kun A Shanghai robotics engineer says China is five to ten years from deploying humanoid robot soldiers, speaking from Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games. Humanoid robot soldiers likely only 5-10 years away, one developer behind China's robotics boom tells CBS News · CBS News
Opinion Waymo Engadget explores the technical and practical gap between Waymo's Level 4 autonomous vehicles and the theoretical Level 5 standard. If Waymo Cars Are Level 4 Automation, What Does It Take To Be A Level 5? · Engadget
Opinion Waymo · Baidu · Pony.ai · Zoox — Kim Heung-soo, Rishi Dhall Waymo, Baidu, and Pony.ai prepare to enter South Korea's robotaxi market as local leaders like Hyundai Motor lag behind regulatory hurdles and taxi-industry resistance. Auto powerhouse South Korea falls behind in driverless tech race · KED Global
Opinion Legislative Yuan · Executive Yuan · Chinese Nationalist Party · Taiwan People's Party — Chen Yun, Jonathan Chin, Hung Yu-hsiang Taiwan's defense establishment warns that annual budget cycles could cripple domestic drone development, threatening military autonomy against China. Defense autonomy at risk if drone budget is stalled · Taipei Times
Other Humanoid robots competed at games in Beijing, running, playing soccer, and setting records in demonstrations of their physical capabilities. Humanoid robots sprint, play soccer and set records at Beijing games, in photos · CTPost