Robotics dispatch — FRI · 23 OCT 2026

Launch

LG Innotek · Nvidia

LG Innotek and Nvidia are partnering to build vision systems for humanoid robots, targeting the embodied AI hardware race.

LG Innotek Teams With Nvidia to Develop Humanoid Robot Vision Systems · Channel Insider

Launch

NVIDIA

NVIDIA expanded its Isaac platform with new tools aimed at speeding up humanoid robot development.

NVIDIA expands Isaac tools for humanoid robot development · Engineering.com

Launch

NEURA

NEURA has engineered a humanoid robot that is 20% lighter than its predecessor and adds touch and force sensing as it moves toward production.

NEURA’s 20% lighter humanoid robot with touch and force sensing moves toward production · Interesting Engineering

Launch

Chinese humanoid robot makers are testing their machines in South Korean factories and service sectors, marking an expansion beyond domestic markets.

China’s humanoid robots go job hunting in South Korea · South China Morning Post

Launch

Audi

Audi is deploying humanoid robots on its factory floor to handle specific assembly tasks, betting that bipedal machines can adapt to auto manufacturing's demands.

Audi Is Training Humanoid Robots to Take Over Certain Factory Operations · autoevolution

Launch

Agile Robotics · Nvidia

Agile Robotics is shipping its ONE SN humanoid robot pre-loaded with Nvidia's robotics software stack, betting the bundled approach will lower the barrier to deployment.

Agile ONE SN Humanoid Robot Bundles Nvidia’s Robotics Stack · TechRepublic

Launch

Tesla

Tesla has begun manufacturing its Optimus humanoid robot in California even as the company's quarterly profit plummeted forty-three percent.

Tesla starts Optimus robot production in California as profit falls 43% · TechCrunch

Launch

Baidu

Baidu has begun testing its robotaxi on London streets, marking the Chinese autonomous-vehicle company's first public deployment outside Asia.

China's Baidu tests robotaxi on London streets · Reuters

Launch

inDrive · Pony AI · Nvidia

InDrive plans to launch robotaxi trials in Central Asia by 2027 using Pony AI's autonomous technology and Nvidia's computing platform, expanding driverless services beyond Uber's current footprint.

Uber rival inDrive eyes 2027 robotaxi tests in Central Asia with Pony AI and Nvidia · TechCrunch

Launch

Waymo · Uber

Waymo Rolls Into Airports, But the Meter Still Runs the Same

Waymo's driverless taxis have started picking up and dropping off at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, extending its service beyond city streets. Yet a cost comparison at San Antonio International Airport found Waymo rides priced no cheaper than Uber — the only real savings being the awkward absence of a tip line.

Read the full story → · Sources: Airport Industry-News · Yahoo Autos

Launch

Tesla

Tesla plans to launch unsupervised Full Self-Driving and a robotaxi network for owners in Q2 2027, a significant escalation in its autonomous vehicle ambitions.

Tesla to Launch Unsupervised FSD, Let Owners Join Robotaxi Network in Q2 2027 · Not a Tesla App

Launch

Wayve · Stellantis · Nvidia

Wayve, Stellantis, and Nvidia are partnering with France to develop self-driving car technology, signaling a strategic push into European autonomous vehicle development.

Wayve, Stellantis and Nvidia team up with France on self-driving cars · The Next Web

Launch

Phantom Neuro

Phantom Neuro has implanted its neural interface in human patients for the first time, marking an early clinical step in brain-computer interface development.

Phantom Neuro Implants Neural Interface in Humans for the First Time · Morningstar

Funding

Formic

Formic closes a $50 million Series B to deploy physical AI systems in American factories, betting that robots can learn to handle the unpredictable chaos of real manufacturing floors.

Formic Raises $50 Million to Scale Physical AI Across U.S. Manufacturing · Industrial Equipment News

Funding

Unnamed startup (name not provided in snippet) — Unnamed founder (19-year-old Australian)

A 19-year-old Australian built a cattle-herding drone system and raised $1.2 million in funding.

A 19-year-old Australian farmer’s son developed a drone system for moving cattle; his startup raised $1.2 · The Times of India

Research

U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy successfully landed an autonomous drone on a moving ship without GPS, demonstrating a critical capability for contested waters.

US Navy flies pilotless drone onto pitching ship in GPS-jammed test · TechRadar

Research

Researchers have demonstrated a brain-computer interface that allows patients unresponsive to verbal commands to control sounds, suggesting a pathway for communication in critical care settings.

Brain-computer interface enables unresponsive ICU patients to control sounds · News-Medical

Research

A single brain implant has enabled paralyzed patients to control both speech and hand gestures simultaneously through an avatar interface.

Single brain implant lets paralyzed people both talk and gesture via an avatar · Science | AAAS

Opinion

Fortune models a scenario where U.S. export controls on humanoid robots could cut American revenue by more than half if companies lose the Chinese market.

Washington's robot curbs could slash the U.S.'s humanoid robotics revenue by 58%, as companies lose access to China · Fortune

Opinion

Unitree — Unitree Founder

Unitree founder predicts a robotics breakthrough by 2028, offering a timeline without disclosing concrete developments.

Unitree Founder Now Expects Robots Breakthrough as Soon as 2028 · Bloomberg.com