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Tech News
Meta is testing robot arms from suppliers including ABB, Kinova, and Watney Robotics to handle physical data center tasks like swapping network cables and power-cycling server racks. The effort is still in early trial stages, but an anonymous Meta employee said a Kinova robotic arm could eventually take over up to 80 percent of workers' current duties. Meta declined to comment when asked about the testing.
Galway Robot Park, a 16,500-square-meter venue near Seoul, South Korea, has opened with the goal of merging artificial intelligence and robotics with theme-park entertainment. The operating company says it wants to demonstrate how robots can serve as attractions rather than just novelties.
Tsubaki KabelSchlepp has introduced the Robotrax System, a three-dimensional cable carrier built for six-axis industrial robots that undergo rapid, multidirectional motion. The system uses a central steel cable running through each plastic link to absorb tensile forces during accelerations up to 10 g, while spherical snap-on connections allow flexible movement across three axes with radial rotation up to ±450 degrees per meter.
At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Roborock showcased an expanded lineup of home robots—including the Saros 20 Flow Complete and Saros 20 Neo vacuums—designed to reduce manual upkeep across vacuuming, mopping, lawn mowing and pool cleaning. The Saros 20 Flow Complete features 36,000 pa suction, lidar navigation, AI-based recognition of over 300 obstacle types, and a slim 8.98cm profile with a high-pressure roller mop. Roborock executives framed the release as part of a broader push toward hands-free home maintenance across multiple product categories.
Clips of humanoid robots tripping, falling and malfunctioning during demonstrations are drawing huge online audiences. Viewers are flocking to this footage for its slapstick appeal, finding humor in machines that were meant to impress instead failing in awkward, very human ways.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, set for October 13-15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, will split its AI programming into two stages, adding a new Real World AI Stage alongside the existing AI Stage. The new stage focuses on physical applications of AI, including autonomous hardware, robotics, defense systems, and de-extinction science, with confirmed speakers from Nvidia, Shield AI, Colossal Biosciences, FieldAI, and Foxglove.
Despite rapid advances in AI for knowledge work like chatbots, physical AI embodied in humanoid robots remains largely confined to test labs and curated demo videos rather than real-world deployment. Unlike ChatGPT, there is no widely accessible robot product, and demo footage is often edited or cherry-picked, making it hard to gauge true progress. Even public showcases like the World Humanoid Robot Games reveal a mix of impressive feats and notable failures.
Recent robotics showcases—from Tesla's Optimus serving drinks to Unitree robots performing synchronized martial arts and setting a sub-9-second 100-meter sprint record—have fueled public fears that humanoid robots will soon replace human workers. But researchers interviewed say these choreographed demonstrations are misleading indicators of real-world capability, since flashy acrobatics don't translate into the dexterity, adaptability, and reliability needed for everyday labor tasks.
A veteran smart-home reviewer argues that despite a wave of humanoid robots shown at CES and this week's IFA in Berlin, including 1X's $20,000 Neo, none are truly ready to handle household chores. She notes homes are cluttered, unpredictable, and full of stairs, conditions that heavy, leg-based machines struggle to navigate safely.
A Department of Homeland Security procurement filing shows ICE intends to purchase Boston Dynamics' Spot quadruped robots and accessories worth between $1 million and $2 million. The agency says the robots would be used for inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in risky environments before officers enter, not for making arrests. A senior DHS official reportedly confirmed the robots won't be used to apprehend people.
In July and August, the U.S. government tightened limits on foreign-made robotics and imposed new tariffs on drones and their components, citing national security. These measures extend the FCC's Covered List, which began in 2021 targeting Chinese telecom and surveillance firms, and now reaches advanced robotic devices as well.
Washington expanded its restrictions on foreign-made robotics and drones in July and August, citing national security, adding steep tariffs on imported drones that take effect this September, with component tariffs to follow in 2027. The rules extend the FCC's Covered List, which previously targeted telecom firms like Huawei and Hikvision, to now cover drones and advanced robotic devices, even as Chinese firms dominate global humanoid robot shipments.