Robotics

The US decision to end the   de minimis   tariff exemption on packages under $800 has upended small package trade and set off a chain reaction in global shipping. Postal operators across Europe, Asia and the Pacific have suspended deliveries to the US, leading to backlogs, surges in returns and rerouted freight. For e-commerce retailers and warehouse operators, the sudden disruption is exposing just how fragile supply chains can be. As trade routes shift and parcels pile up, automation is emerging as a stabilizing force. AI-driven robotics, supported by human-in-the-loop systems, give warehouses the flexibility to handle unpredictable spikes in volume without grinding to a halt. In a moment when traditional processes are under strain, automation is proving essential to keeping goods moving. Tariffs, trade and turmoil Previously, millions of low-value items entered the US duty-free. Now, importers must prepay duties at rates that can exceed 25 percent, plus fixed surcharges ran...

A globally connected ecosystem of autonomous laboratories could redefine how science is conducted, accelerating discovery while lowering barriers to participation, according to a new expert viewpoint published in   Science Robotics , a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the   American Association for the Advancement of Science . The article titled, “Accelerating Discovery in Natural Science Laboratories with AI and Robotics: Perspectives and Challenges”, brings together leading voices from academia, industry, and government to explore how artificial intelligence, robotics, and laboratory automation can drive breakthroughs in chemistry, biology, and materials science. With authors from Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Toronto and other world-leading organizations, it highlights both the transformative potential and the technical and societal challe...

Estimates of the size of the global market for robotic and autonomous delivery vary widely, but most analysts agree that the category is growing fast from a relatively small base. MarketsandMarkets projects the global delivery robots market at about $796 million in 2025, reaching $3.24 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 32 percent. Some analysts peg the segment more conservatively – $400 million in 2025 growing to $770 million by 2029 at a CAGR of around 18 percent – illustrating the uncertainty around scale, scope (food v parcel), and definitions (sidewalk v road-going pods). For last-mile “robot” studies that bundle multiple form factors, estimates range higher (into the low billions by 2030), but methodologies differ. All that said, for engineers and investors, the upshot is clear: deployments are still concentrated in specific use cases (campuses, select neighborhoods), but the commercial curve is bending upward as autonomy stacks improve a...

NASA   is continuing the Astrobee mission through a collaboration with   Arkisys , of Los Alamitos, California, which was awarded a reimbursable Space Act Agreement to sustain and maintain the robotic platform aboard the International Space Station. As the agency returns astronauts to the Moon, robotic helpers like Astrobee could one day take over routine maintenance tasks and support future spacecraft at the Moon and Mars without relying on humans for continuous operation. In March, the agency issued a call for partnership proposals to support its ongoing space research initiatives. Arkisys was selected to maintain the platform and continue enabling partners to use the Astrobee system as a means to experiment with new technologies in the microgravity environment of the space station. NASA launched the Astrobee mission to the space station in 2018. Since then, the free-flying robots have marked multiple first-in-space milestones for robots working alongside astronauts to accom...

1X , a pioneer in humanoid robotics, has unveiled its NEO Beta, a prototype of its bipedal humanoid designed for home use. The release came just before news emerged that the company is looking to raise $1 billion in new funding, according to   The Information . NEO Beta represents a significant advancement in robotics, moving beyond traditional, stiff robots to humanoids with bio-inspired designs that can safely work among people. The NEO Beta launch marks a major milestone for 1X as the company transitions from conceptual development to bringing humanoid robots into consumer households. In the video released (see below), the company shows how NEO is “safe to work among people”. NEO has been designed to be produced at scale in the company’s factory in Moss, Norway. Bernt Børnich, CEO at 1X, says: “Our priority is safety. Safety is the cornerstone that allows us to confidently introduce NEO Beta into homes, where it will gather essential feedback and demonstrate its capabilities in ...

The International Space Station’s robotic powerhouse, Canadarm2, took centre stage this morning as it captured and installed Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship, delivering over 11,000 pounds of critical science and supplies. At 7.24 am EDT, on September 18, astronaut Jonny Kim (with Zena Cardman as backup) used Canadarm2 to grapple the Cygnus XL, then manoeuvred it into position for installation at the ISS’s Unity module. The supply ship launched from Cape Canaveral on September 14, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. It will stay docked until March 2026, when it will depart carrying waste to burn up during re-entry. The Canadarm2: robotics details and capabilities The robotic operations were handled by Canadarm2 (officially the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, SSRMS), a key part of the ISS’s Mobile Servicing System. Here are its salient specifications and features: Length and mass : Approximately 17 meters long (57.7 feet) and weighing around 1,500-1,800 kg depending on configurati...

Marine litter is a major environmental problem around the world. As part of the EU project   SeaClear 2.0 , a research team at the   Technical University of Munich   (TUM) has now developed an autonomous diving robot that can detect and retrieve litter. It uses an AI system to analyze objects with ultrasound and cameras, picks them up and brings them to the surface. The autonomous underwater waste collection system demonstrated its capabilities for the first time in the port of Marseille in France. In countless ports worldwide, divers regularly retrieve e-scooters, bicycles, lost fishing nets and old tires from the harbor basins. In Dubrovnik, researchers counted over 1,000 pieces of rubbish in an area of 100 square meters. Autonomous waste disposal will soon provide a remedy. The entire system consists of an unmanned service boat with a dinghy, a drone, a small underwater search robot and the TUM diving robot. According to Dr Stefan Sosnowski of the Chair of Information ...

People who are visually impaired and cannot afford or care for service animals might have a practical alternative in a robotic guide dog being developed at   Georgia Tech . Before launching its prototype, a research team within Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, led by Professor Bruce Walker and Assistant Professor Sehoon Ha, is working to improve its methods and designs based on research within blind and visually impaired (BVI) communities. “There’s been research on the technical aspects and functionality of robotic guide dogs, but not a lot of emphasis on the aesthetics or form factors,” says Avery Gong, a recent master’s graduate who worked in Walker’s lab. “We wanted to fill this gap.” Training a guide dog can cost up to $50,000, and while there are nonprofit organizations that can cover these costs for potential owners, there is still a gap between the amount of available guide dogs and BVI individuals who need them. Not all BVI individuals are able to care for a ...

Outrider , a specialist developer of autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, has received an “industry-first” SOC 2 Type 2 certification for its technology after an audit conducted by Prescient Security, a security and compliance attestation company for B2B SaaS firms worldwide. The certification ensures that Outrider’s policies, governance, and controls meet the highest standards of security and compliance demanded by the chief information security officers (CISOs) of Fortune 500 logistics-dependent companies. Bob Hall, CEO at Outrider, says: “As cyber threats become more frequent and sophisticated, enterprises need assurance that AI-powered logistics systems are built with security at their core. “While security and compliance for indoor warehouse automation are well established, the emerging category of industrial-grade autonomous systems for use outdoors, adjacent to logistics facilities, introduces yet another set of data security concerns to address. “By securing SOC 2 Typ...

Regal Rexnord   has joined forces with automation giant   ABB Robotics   to simplify integration of its GoFa cobots into 7th Axis Cobot Transfer Units (CTUs) from Thomson, one of Regal Rexnord’s linear motion brands. This collaboration makes the Thomson Movotrak CTU the first cobot 7th axis technology that ABB Robotics has certified for use in its partner ecosystem. Kevin Zaba, EVP and president, automation and motion control segment of Regal Rexnord, says: “Until now, anyone wanting to use a single, plug-and-play ABB cobot on multiple workstations faced what could be days of programming and communications challenges. “As part of the ABB Robotics partner ecosystem, we have preconfigured our Movotrak CTU, ensuring rapid deployment with ABB cobots right out of the box. “Integrators, distributors, and end-users can now invest more time using the 7th axis to solve productivity problems than dealing with complex integration details.” The Thomson Movotrak CTU 7th axis offers: E...