Eli Lilly, Purdue to share field learnings on human robot interaction at RoboBusiness

therobotreport.com Oct 2, 2026

Eli Lilly, Purdue to share field learnings on human robot interaction at RoboBusiness

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 2, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

At RoboBusiness 2026 in Santa Clara, Eli Lilly’s senior principal robotics engineer Faraz Yousuf and Purdue University assistant professor Anastasia Ostrowski will present “Human‑Robot Interaction: Bridging Academia and Industry.” They will share results from field studies conducted with manufacturing and warehouse operators using live automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The talk will cover participants’ perceptions of robots on the production floor and a repeatable partnership playbook. The session is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. PT on the event’s first day.

💡 Why It Matters

· The session demonstrates how real‑world data can shape safer, more effective robot integration, moving beyond lab‑based findings.
· It offers a practical framework for companies seeking to deploy collaborative robots in complex industrial settings.

Capsules Robotics

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Boston Dynamics unveils new four-finger hand for Atlas humanoid robot

Boston Dynamics introduced a new four‑finger hand for its Atlas humanoid robot, featuring 13 degrees of freedom, including a four‑DOF opposable thumb. The design incorporates direct actuation and dense tactile pressure sensors across fingertips and palm. It enables Atlas to perform complex manipulation tasks—such as in‑hand reorientation, pinch and tripodal grasps, slip recovery, and operating tools like drills, grinders, nail guns, and welding torches—while maintaining strength comparable to its previous seven‑DOF hand. Boston Dynamics opted for four fingers to reduce cost, size, actuator count, and potential failure points, citing internal testing that a pinky added little functional benefit.

💡 The hand’s balance of dexterity and ruggedness positions Atlas for real‑world industrial tasks, moving humanoid robotics closer to practical deployment in human‑designed workspaces.

sitepronews.com · Oct 2

The Rise of the Robotaxi in the United States

The United States has moved robotaxis from testing to everyday use, with Waymo leading the market by operating in more than ten cities and delivering over 500,000 rides weekly. Tesla has begun deploying modified Model Y vehicles in Texas and Florida, while Amazon-backed Zoox runs services in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Operators face regulatory hurdles and public safety concerns, yet the sector has logged millions of miles and a study reports a 68% reduction in crashes compared to human drivers. The rapid expansion signals a transformative shift in American transportation.

💡 The robotaxi boom demonstrates that autonomous vehicles can outperform human drivers in safety, reshaping urban mobility and setting new standards for transportation efficiency.

spectrum.ieee.org · Oct 2

Video Friday: Albatross Falls, Spins, Self-Rights, and Sails Away

IEEE Spectrum’s Video Friday highlights the launch of ALBATROSS, a hybrid aerial‑marine robot from Singapore University of Technology and Design. The platform releases from the air, autorotates into water without a parachute, self‑right upon landing, and then uses its wings as sails for wind‑powered navigation. By integrating descent, landing, and propulsion into a single structure, ALBATROSS aims to combine rapid aerial deployment with energy‑efficient, persistent marine sensing. The work appears in Science Robotics and showcases a novel multi‑mode robotic design.

💡 ALBATROSS demonstrates a cost‑effective, low‑actuation strategy that could enable widespread autonomous ocean monitoring, reducing reliance on separate propulsion and deployment systems.

digitimes.com · Oct 2

Tesla cuts AI5, AI6 memory specs to protect Optimus

Tesla announced that it will reduce the memory specifications of its AI5 and AI6 chips to ensure sufficient memory for the mass production of its Optimus humanoid robot. The decision follows a prolonged memory supply crunch that threatened to delay Optimus development. By scaling back the memory capacity of the AI5 and AI6 processors, Tesla aims to reallocate resources and maintain production timelines for the robot. The move underscores the company’s prioritization of Optimus over other AI projects and highlights the challenges of sourcing high‑performance memory components.

💡 The adjustment signals Tesla’s commitment to delivering Optimus on schedule, potentially accelerating the robot’s entry into commercial use. It also illustrates how supply constraints can force strategic realignments in advanced AI hardware development.

en.sedaily.com · Oct 2

Boston Dynamics Unveils Next-Generation Robot Hand for Atlas

Boston Dynamics, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, introduced a new robotic hand for its Atlas humanoid robot, debuting it in a video on January 1. The hand features four fingers with 13 degrees of freedom—double the previous design—and includes tactile sensors and advanced proprioception for precise force control. Atlas demonstrated tasks such as drilling a hole, tightening a nut, spinning a drumstick, and manipulating golf balls, showcasing enhanced dexterity. The hand omits a little finger to balance complexity, power, and durability, and is modular for easier maintenance and potential mass production.

💡 The upgraded hand marks a leap in robotic manipulation, enabling Atlas to perform complex, fine‑motor tasks that were previously challenging for industrial robots. This capability positions the robot for deployment on automotive production lines, where precise, adaptable handling is critical.

therobotreport.com · Oct 2

Precision In Motion. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (VPG) to Showcase Custom Sensing…

Vishay Precision Group (VPG) will showcase custom force and torque sensors at RoboBusiness 2026, targeting the growing humanoid robotics market. The company emphasizes strain‑gage‑based solutions integrated directly into robot structures, offering miniature tactile sensors for fingertips, multi‑axis sensors for complex joints, and joint torque sensors for load management. VPG highlights the need for high‑speed, accurate, and thermally stable measurements to enable safe, precise human‑robot interaction in unpredictable environments. The presentation underscores VPG’s 60‑year heritage in aerospace‑grade sensing technology.

💡 By embedding precision sensors into humanoid robots, VPG addresses the critical gap between advanced AI perception and real‑time physical feedback, enabling safer, more reliable collaboration with humans in dynamic settings.