GoKawiil
Tech News
Boston Dynamics says it will proceed with supplying Spot robots to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, despite a petition signed by more than 300 employees opposing the deal. The roughly $2 million sale, intended for building searches, was approved by the government in late September and delivered through reseller Radeco with Cerberus software installed.
Robotics startup Tuesday Labs has opened reservations for Voxel, a bipedal household robot with articulated arms, gripper hands, and a dual-camera vision system. A $200 deposit secures a spot for the Series-1 model, which is expected to cost around $20,000 and ship in 2028.
Rohit Prasad, a veteran Amazon AI executive instrumental in developing Alexa, has been appointed as the new CEO of Boston Dynamics. His leadership comes as the robotics company prepares to scale up the production of humanoid robots.
A federal procurement notice reviewed by ABC News shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to spend up to $2 million on Boston Dynamics' SPOT robots, each priced around $120,000 with an extendable arm. The filing states the robots would provide remote inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment capabilities in risky environments. This follows earlier reporting that ICE sought $20 million worth of electric shock gloves.
A Department of Homeland Security procurement notice reveals plans to buy Boston Dynamics' Spot quadruped robots and accessories for between $1 million and $2 million. The robots would be used by ICE for inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in risky or hard-to-access environments before officers enter. A DHS official confirmed to NBC News that the robots would not be used for apprehending people or making arrests.
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said the automaker intends to use its existing dealer network to sell robots like Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid and Spot quadruped, alongside cars. Hyundai Capital, the company's auto financing arm, is also exploring ways to offer financing for these costly machines. Hyundai plans a factory to produce 30,000 Atlas units annually by 2028, with deployment starting at its Georgia plant.
Robotics startup Generalist has raised nearly $200 million more in an extension of its Series B round led by 8VC, pushing its valuation to $3 billion and total round funding to $600 million. The company, founded in 2024 by ex-Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics engineers, builds AI foundation models meant to control multiple types of robots, with its Gen 1.5 model reportedly learning new tasks from short video clips.