Naver Robots Head to Saudi Arabia as Lee Launches Smart City Push

en.sedaily.com Aug 5, 2026

Naver Robots Head to Saudi Arabia as Lee Launches Smart City Push

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Aug 5, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Naver is set to showcase its outdoor autonomous delivery robot NURI and indoor service robot Rookie2 at the Cityscape Global exhibition in Riyadh this November, aiming to secure a contract that would make it the first Korean firm to export a robot platform to the Middle East after Japan. NURI, built to withstand dust, water and high temperatures, is currently being field‑tested on Saudi pedestrian routes and is being discussed with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for deployment in new‑town and townhouse complexes. Rookie2, an upgraded version of the robot used in Naver’s “1784” office building, is designed to operate in both robot‑friendly and standard commercial spaces. Naver plans to integrate the two robots into a single platform that provides seamless indoor‑outdoor service, accelerating its smart‑city push in Saudi Arabia.

💡 Why It Matters

· Securing the Saudi deal would give Naver a foothold in a rapidly expanding smart‑city market, positioning it as a pioneer of Korean robotics abroad.

Capsules Robotics

Read full article on en.sedaily.com

Travis Kalanick’s robotics startup Atoms taps former Uber finance chief as CFO

Travis Kalanick’s robotics and industrial‑AI startup Atoms has hired Gautam Gupta, the former Uber finance chief, as its chief financial officer. Gupta, who left Uber in July 2017 after more than four years at the ride‑hailing firm, announced the move on social media. The appointment follows Atoms’ recent $1.7 billion funding round, in which Uber participated as an investor, and continues Kalanick’s pattern of recruiting former Uber executives, including the acquisition of ex‑Google self‑driving engineer Anthony Levandowski’s Pronto. Gupta, who co‑founded VC firm A in 2020, said the fund made its largest ever investment in Atoms and he is stepping down from A to assume the CFO role. Atoms, formerly CloudKitchens, aims to apply robotics to mining, food and global transportation.

💡 Gupta’s seasoned financial expertise and deep Uber network give Atoms the operational firepower needed to scale its robotics ambitions across heavy‑industry markets.

thebetterindia.com · Aug 5

From Precision Mechanics to Patient Outcomes: How This Visionary Engineer Is Rethinking…

Saurya Mishra, once a senior engineer at Philips, founded Articulus Surgical to develop affordable robotic systems tailored for India’s healthcare landscape. The company aims to broaden access to minimally invasive procedures, streamline surgeon training, and accelerate patient recovery. Articulus’s design focuses on cost‑effective hardware and intuitive software, addressing the high expense and steep learning curve that limit current robotic adoption. The venture seeks to bridge gaps in surgical care by delivering technology that fits local budgets and infrastructure constraints, potentially reshaping India’s operating rooms.

💡 By localizing robotic surgery, Articulus could reduce procedural costs and expand high‑quality care to underserved regions, reshaping the national surgical ecosystem.

techtimes.com · Aug 5

Construction Robots Can Frame Houses in Weekend: Inside Lab Closing BIM Gap

Autodesk and the University of Florida inaugurated the Autodesk Design and Make Laboratory, the United States’ most advanced robotics facility dedicated to industrialized construction. The lab targets the critical bottleneck between Building Information Models (BIM) and robot execution, which currently demands six minutes of programming per linear foot of wall—about 27 hours for a typical wall layout. Graduate researcher Frank Xie is creating a computer‑vision system that reads digital twins in Autodesk Fusion and instantly generates robot instructions, eliminating manual re‑programming. Early tests show the lab’s robots could frame an entire set of houses over a single weekend, a task that traditionally takes months. The initiative aims to accelerate the shift from on‑site labor to automated, factory‑like homebuilding.

💡 By erasing the BIM‑to‑robot translation lag, the lab could compress multi‑month construction cycles into days, reshaping labor demand and project timelines.

us.headtopics.com · Aug 5

Air Force-Backed Project Explores Wireless Power for Perched Drones

Reach Power and the University of Nebraska‑Lincoln’s NIMBUS Lab have been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I contract to investigate wireless power transmission for “perched” drones—small unmanned aircraft that remain stationary to provide communications or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services. The research will test whether beamed energy can keep these drones aloft and operational for extended periods, eliminating frequent battery swaps and reducing logistical burdens on deployed forces. The effort combines Reach Power’s wireless power‑beaming technology with NIMBUS Lab’s expertise in autonomous systems, robotics and communications. Phase I will assess technical feasibility in scenarios demanding continuous connectivity, with successful results positioning the team for larger follow‑on awards to develop and field prototypes.

💡 Extending drone endurance without ground‑based recharging could keep critical data links alive in contested zones, giving warfighters persistent situational awareness while freeing personnel from time‑consuming battery logistics.

notebookcheck.net · Aug 5

BYD confirms AI robot Xiao Di as US hits the brakes immediately

BYD confirmed that its first humanoid AI robot, Xiao Di, will debut in early August 2026 at the company’s Di Space experience center in Zhengzhou. The announcement followed a deleted social‑media post and reports from Chinese outlets, including the South China Morning Post and Cailian Press. BYD stated Xiao Di is a fully functional prototype, not a concept, and plans to deploy two to three units in each store to greet visitors, explain electric vehicles, and conduct demos. The news lifted BYD’s Hong Kong shares by over two percent. Meanwhile, the U.S. FCC is tightening import restrictions on Chinese AI robots over cybersecurity concerns.

💡 The launch signals China’s push into advanced robotics amid rising U.S. tech scrutiny, potentially reshaping retail customer engagement worldwide.

techcrunch.com · Aug 5

Waymo opens up robotaxi service in Dallas to everyone

Waymo has removed the waitlist for its robotaxi service in Dallas, allowing all residents and visitors to download the app and hail autonomous vehicles immediately. The move follows the company’s expansion across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Riders cannot yet request rides to Dallas Love Field Airport, though testing continues there. Waymo’s Dallas fleet consists of all‑electric Jaguar I‑Pace vehicles managed by Avis Budget Group for depot operations, charging, and maintenance. The service had previously paused in May due to heavy rain and flooding concerns.

💡 By opening its Dallas robotaxi to the public, Waymo demonstrates the scalability of autonomous mobility in diverse urban environments, setting a benchmark for regulatory and operational readiness in major cities.