Robotics dispatch — MON · 09 NOV 2026

Launch

UBtech · Tianyi

UBtech announced a partnership with Tianyi to expand deployment of its humanoid robots in commercial settings.

UBTECH Partners with Tianyi to Scale Humanoid Robot Adoption · Unite.AI

Launch

A wheeled factory robot designed to operate safely beside workers without protective barriers has entered production.

New wheeled factory robot works alongside humans without safety cages · Interesting Engineering

Launch

A 159-pound Chinese humanoid robot designed for factory material handling has been unveiled, marking a new entrant in the industrial robotics market.

159-pound humanoid robot that can handle factory materials presented in China · Yahoo Tech

Launch

Pilatus

Pilatus, the Swiss aircraft maker, has deployed a humanoid robot on its assembly line to help build planes.

Pilatus Uses Humanoid for Aircraft Assembly · Assembly Magazine

Launch

Tesla

Tesla's Robotaxi Rolls Into San Antonio as China Sales Sputter

Tesla's Robotaxi service expanded into San Antonio, its latest city as the company chases scale for its autonomous ride-hailing bet. The launch came the same day Tesla reported a ten-percent rise in overall China sales, even as domestic Chinese sales slipped to a four-year low.

Read the full story → · Sources: Investor's Business Daily · Teslarati

Launch

Uber

Uber is testing a parking feature designed to work with its autonomous vehicle fleet, integrating self-driving capabilities into its broader mobility platform.

Uber's new parking feature has a robotaxi twist · Axios

Launch

Skyways

Skyways is building Skyreach, a cargo drone with a 1,300-mile range designed to move freight across continental distances.

Skyways starts building Skyreach, a cargo drone that flies 1,300 miles · The Next Web

Launch

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy commissioned its first autonomous squadron, deploying 28-foot uncrewed boats capable of 55 knots and controlled remotely from a shore-based hub.

A 28-foot drone boat that hits 55 knots was steered around Portsmouth harbor from a control hub as the Royal Navy commissioned its first autonomous squadron, about 180 sailors split into two watches to keep uncrewed boats running around the clock · Autonocion.com

Launch

Aterrion

Aterrion demonstrated its Pulsar autonomous drone swarm system in flight tests, signaling progress toward coordinated multi-drone operations.

Aterrion Showcases Pulsar in Autonomous Drone Swarm Flight Demonstrations · Unmanned Systems Technology

Research

Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics fitted its Atlas humanoid with wheels to study coordinated movement across the robot's entire body.

Boston Dynamics adds wheels to Atlas humanoid to test whole-body control · The Robot Report

Research

Waymo

Waymo's autonomous vehicles continued illegally passing school buses even after a federal software fix, according to NHTSA investigators.

Waymo robotaxis kept illegally passing school buses after software fix, feds say · TechCrunch

Research

Researchers deployed an autonomous drone-and-rover system to measure maize plant traits in field trials, advancing phenotyping methods for crop science.

Autonomous Drone and Rover System Measures Maize Traits in Field Trials · Bioengineer.org

Research

NASA

NASA successfully tested an autonomous landing system designed to guide spacecraft to the Moon and Mars without human intervention.

NASA successfully tests autonomous landing system for future moon and mars missions · Aerospace Global News

Research

A Chinese drone swarm autonomously mapped a forest without human intervention, but researchers have not released the underlying code.

Chinese Drone Swarm Maps Woods on Its Own, and Withholds the Code · DroneXL

Opinion

Bain Capital — Ajay Agarwal

Bain Capital's Ajay Agarwal, an early robotics investor, declares physical AI entering a golden era as the technology gains mainstream momentum.

Bain Capital’s Ajay Agarwal bet on robots when Silicon Valley wouldn’t. Now he sees a ‘golden era’ for physical AI · Fortune

Opinion

An opinion columnist argues that driverless trucks should replace long-haul trucking, a profession truckers themselves describe as grueling.

Opinion | Truckers hate these jobs. Let driverless trucks take them. · The Washington Post

Opinion

— Deepinder Goyal

Deepinder Goyal's brain-chip venture draws sharp criticism from medical doctors who argue the technology lacks clinical rigor.

Deepinder Goyal’s brain chip stirs backlash from medical doctors, they call it ‘clinically bankrupt’ · Deccan Herald

Other

Lisbon Web Summit 2026 features humanoid robots as speakers alongside a record-breaking Chinese contingent, signaling the conference's pivot toward physical AI demonstrations.

Lisbon Web Summit 2026 opens with humanoid robot speakers and record Chinese delegation · Euronews.com

Other

Apple

A demonstration shows how Apple's Mac mini can serve as the compute backbone for a robot performing complex tasks without human demonstration.

How a Mac mini powers a staggeringly capable robot without human training · AppleInsider

Other

Waymo

Labor unions are mobilizing against Waymo's expansion in Washington, D.C., arguing that driverless taxis threaten professional driving jobs.

Unions Raise Job Loss Issue in Fight to Limit Waymo in DC (1) · Bloomberg Law News