Astrall Dynamics, a Shenzhen-based embodied AI robotics startup, has secured investment from SAIC Motor and Dongfang Precision, increasing its registered capital to 67.33 million yuan. Founded in June 2024, the company specializes in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of smart robots and motor control systems. Astrall Dynamics has also partnered with China Life Property & Casualty Insurance to develop dedicated insurance products for quadruped robots, aiming to drive innovation in smart equipment and establish a new model for

Chinese firm Alibaba has unveiled its first embodied AI model family, the Qwen-Robot suite, which links large language models with real-world robotic actions. The suite comprises three models focused on navigation, manipulation, and world modeling for robots operating in physical environments. Developed by Alibaba's Tongyi Lab, the Qwen-Robot suite enables machines to perceive, reason, and interact with the real world, joining a growing global push to advance embodied AI beyond traditional chatbot applications. The models are currently [...]

Leju Robot, a major player in the humanoid robotics sector, has formed a strategic partnership with Huaxi Intelligence to collaborate on high-computing main control platforms, edge-side model deployment, industry solutions, and benchmark projects. The partnership focuses on four key areas, including co-developing domestic high-computing main control solutions, driving efficient deployment of embodied AI large models, and creating benchmark solutions for the industry. Leju Robot and Huaxi Intelligence aim to build a developer open-source ecosystem to boost scenario [...]

Researchers evaluated humanoids for surface finishing applications, examining features such as legs, hands, and heads. Legs are inefficient for factory floor locomotion and add complexity, while multi-fingered hands are expensive and may not provide a strong grasp. Heads offer limited value due to restricted camera placement. Dual arms are useful, but a configuration with general-purpose robot arms, rails, and cameras is more effective. This configuration can operate faster and apply higher forces, making humanoids unlikely to be [...]

Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corp. has achieved "world-class performance" in a complex wire-plugging task with a global Tier 1 automotive supplier, resulting in a 99.5%+ task success rate at a cycle time of 2.54 seconds. The milestone reflects the company's evolved strategy to deploy its physical AI on existing and next-generation industrial robots. Sanctuary AI's proof of concept involved a plug-insertion task requiring manipulation of materials on a conveyor, matching the production line's throughput speed and meeting industrial

Autonomique, a company spun out of SRI International, is deploying its semi-humanoid robots and AI platform at a Tier 1 automotive supplier in Canada. The AI platform, designed to address labor shortages and production complexity, features human-like dexterity and reasoning. It uses hardware-agnostic software to integrate with various robotic embodiments and has been tested in real-world environments. Autonomique claims its platform can adapt quickly to new tasks without major retraining, making it suitable for complex manufacturing processes.

PSYONIC, a San Diego-based startup, is partnering with ABB Robotics to equip robotic arms with its prosthetic Ability Hand. The goal is to give robots humanlike dexterity for complex assembly work, potentially involving irregularly shaped parts. Founded in 2015, PSYONIC initially developed advanced prosthetic hands for amputees, providing muscle control and touch feedback. The Ability Hand features touch sensors that allow users to feel vibrations on their skin when touching objects. This technology is now being used [...]