Hugging Face just launched the SO-101, an open-source, 3D-printable robotic arm starting at $100. An upgrade to the popular SO-100, it features better motors and an integrated camera for reinforcement learning tasks like sorting Legos. Fully assembled units run up to $500 depending on the supplier.
Figure is reportedly in advanced talks with UPS to deploy its latest humanoid robots across the delivery giant's logistics network. While specific roles remain unconfirmed, the setup would complement UPS's broader push into robotics and automation. Why it matters: With Figure targeting 100K robots shipped by 2028, a UPS partnership could serve as a vital proving ground outside of controlled demos.
Hugging Face just acquired French startup Pollen Robotics to accelerate its push into embodied AI. The company plans to sell Pollen's humanoid robot, Reachy 2, while letting developers download and improve its open codebase. It marks a major step in bringing open-source collaboration directly to physical robot hardware.
DoorDash just partnered with sidewalk bot maker Coco to roll out automated food deliveries across Los Angeles and Chicago, with nearly 600 merchants on board. As DoorDash puts it, you don't need a two-ton car just to deliver two chicken sandwiches. The move follows over 100,000 successful trial deliveries.
Samsung just announced that its yellow rolling robot, Ballie, will finally launch in the US this summer. First shown off in 2020, the dual-wheeled bot now packs Google's Gemini multimodal AI alongside a built-in projector, letting it critique your outfit or project movies on your wall. Why it matters: Unlike Amazon's ill-fated Astro, Ballie brings real conversational AI and practical projection into your living room, though Samsung has yet to reveal the price tag.
Amazon’s Zoox just deployed a fleet of retrofitted Toyota Highlanders in Los Angeles to collect mapping data ahead of broader autonomous testing this summer. While rival Waymo already offers paid rides in LA, this marks Zoox’s sixth test city as it inches toward public launches in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year.
Kawasaki just unveiled Corleo, an AI-powered robotic horse equipped with a hydrogen engine. The machine continuously tracks its own posture alongside the rider's position, running real-time calculations to ensure they stay securely in the saddle. Why it matters: It blends clean hydrogen power with bio-inspired robotics for a fresh take on personal mobility.
Google DeepMind just broke down its new Gemini Robotics family, fine-tuning Gemini 2.0 to give robots real-world dexterity and reasoning. Powered by Gemini Robotics-ER and a new vision-language-action model, dual-arm robots can tackle unfamiliar tasks like slam dunking a toy ball or packing lunches on the first try. It is an impressive step toward general-purpose embodied AI that moves beyond single-task programming.
Waymo just announced plans to launch its Waymo One driverless ridehailing service in Washington, DC by 2026. The major roadblock is local law, which currently requires a human behind the wheel for testing and bans driverless commercial operations entirely. If regulators clear the way, the fleet—which already logs 200,000 paid rides weekly—will roll directly into the nation's capital.
Boston Dynamics just expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to bring the Isaac GR00T framework and Jetson Thor compute to its electric Atlas humanoid. The setup lets Atlas run heavy multimodal models alongside its native whole-body controllers, while training complex locomotion in Isaac Lab. Why it matters: The world's most agile robot just picked up the most popular AI compute stack.
Apple is reportedly working on adding cameras to the Apple Watch to power features like Visual Intelligence within the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Standard models could tuck lenses under the display, while the Ultra might mount one beside the digital crown. Apple basically wants wearables to see the physical world, aiming to drive the system with in-house models by 2027.
Lyft just announced that riders in Atlanta will be able to hail robotaxis starting this summer, using a fleet of Toyota Sienna minivans powered by May Mobility. The ride-hailing company also plans to expand to Dallas in 2026 with Mobileye-equipped vehicles, gearing up to scale thousands of autonomous cars across multiple cities.
Boston Dynamics just dropped a wild video showing its electric humanoid robot Atlas pulling off cartwheels, forward rolls, and slick breakdancing coffee-grinder spins. Teaming up with the Robotics and AI Institute, the team trained the bot via motion-capture suits and reinforcement learning. Why it matters: As humanoid competition heats up globally, Boston Dynamics is pushing extreme agility, even while under heavy pressure to turn parlor tricks into real commercial revenue.
Nvidia just teamed up with Google DeepMind and Disney Research to build Newton, an open-source physics engine designed to help robots learn complex physical tasks with higher precision. Disney plans to plug Newton into its next-generation entertainment animatronics, starting with Star Wars-inspired BDX droids.
Google DeepMind just launched Gemini Robotics and Gemini Robotics-ER, two models built on Gemini 2.0 designed to bring AI reasoning into physical actions. The models can handle delicate chores like origami and zip-bag packing, and DeepMind is already teaming up with Apptronik to power Apollo humanoid robots.
Johns Hopkins researchers just developed a biomimetic prosthetic hand blending rigid 3D-printed bones with soft silicone joints. Multi-layered fingertip sensors allow it to recognize everyday objects with 99.69% accuracy and hold a full water cup without crushing it. The prototype still requires an air compressor and awaits clinical amputee trials.
