Robotics dispatch — SUN · 04 OCT 2026

Launch

YMX

YMX has equipped its electric yard trucks with autonomous driving capabilities, expanding self-driving technology beyond on-road vehicles into industrial logistics.

Autonomous Orange: YMX adds self-driving tech to its electric yard trucks · Electrek

Launch

Five engineers in a North African nation have built a $1.15 million attack drone that operates without GPS, reducing vulnerability in contested airspace.

5 Engineers in a North African nation have built a $1.15m attack drone without the vulnerability of relying on GPS, bringing advanced tech to frontline warfare · Business Insider Africa

Launch

University of Alabama in Huntsville

University of Alabama in Huntsville is testing autonomous drone technology in a final NATO competition centered on disaster response.

UAH puts autonomous drone technology to the test in final international NATO competition focused on disaster support · The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Launch

Tianjin University

Tianjin University researchers have unveiled a 3-gram, non-invasive brain-computer interface small enough to be concealed in hair, marking a step toward wearable neural devices that don't require surgery.

Tianjin University Lab Unveils 3-Gram Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interface That Hides in Hair · Pandaily

Opinion

— Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban dismisses humanoid robots as unsuitable for domestic use, while robotics executives defend their near-term viability.

Mark Cuban rips humanoid robots as impractical for homes — but robotics execs push back · Yahoo Finance

Opinion

The FCC's proposed ban on Chinese humanoid robots risks undermining American companies' ability to source affordable components and compete globally.

FCC's ban on Chinese humanoid robots may starve the US firms it aims to help · Startup Fortune

Opinion

WIRED examines the surveillance infrastructure embedded in autonomous vehicle cabins and its privacy implications for passengers.

Your Driverless Cab Is Spying on You · WIRED

Opinion

Tesla — Elon Musk

Elon Musk attributes Tesla's Robotaxi nighttime limitations to the absence of lidar and argues the technology is necessary for safe autonomous driving in low-light conditions.

Musk explains why Tesla Robotaxi is not running at night, and lidar is the answer · Moomoo

Other

Figure AI

Figure AI has decommissioned its F.02 humanoid robots, abandoning the hardware platform after pivoting to focus on software and next-generation systems.

Hasta la vista, baby – Figure F.02 humanoid robots decommissioned, T2-style · Electrek

Other

The Independent reports on a decommissioning procedure for humanoid robots, framed sensationally as self-destruction.

Humanoid robots destroy themselves after being decommissioned · The Independent

Other

Waymo — Rachna D. Dhanrajani

CNBC-TV18 correspondent Rachna D. Dhanrajani took a ride in a driverless Waymo in San Francisco and reported on the experience for a video explainer.

CNBC-TV18's Rachna D. Dhanrajani takes a ride in a Waymo in San Francisco, a car with nobody in the driver's seat. Watch to find out how the self-driving car sees the road, the technology behind it, and what the ride was really like. #Waymo #SelfDrivingCars · LinkedIn

Other

Commercial UAV News rounds up industry trends across automated launch systems, last-mile logistics, and municipal oversight.

Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Drone-in-a-box, Autonomous Cargo Delivery, City Regulations · Commercial UAV News