Robotics Special: A rental platform for robotics

Welcome back, Superhuman. Do you want to hire a robot for your wedding or graduation, but can’t afford to buy one? Don’t sweat it. A startup is building a new robot rental platform that lets you hire a robot for roughly the price of a fancy dinner.

Meanwhile, a humanoid just pulled off a feat experts thought was still years away. Here’s a hint: The video has robots in "stitches."

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. The White House’s ban on new foreign-made drones finally kicks off: The FCC has added all foreign-made drones to its national security "Covered List," effectively blocking new models from DJI and other international makers from US distribution. The move hits hard as DJI dominates global drone sales and remains one of America's most popular consumer brands. The decision follows President Trump's June executive order to build a "strong domestic drone sector."

2. Chinese firm AgiBot now lets you rent out humanoid robots: The company just rolled out Qingtian Rent, a rental platform that lets you hire robots for weddings, concerts, trade shows, and business meetings. AgiBot’s advanced Yuanzheng A2 model rents for $1,380 per day, while budget options like the Unitree Go2 robot dog start at $138 daily. The move could potentially reshape the global robotics market: China's rental sector hit $140M in 2025 and is projected to explode to $1.4B next year.

3. Chinese humanoid completes world's first two-handed embroidery: In a world-first, robotics startup TARS just showcased a humanoid robot threading a needle and stitching embroidery with sub-millimeter precision using both hands. It’s a massive breakthrough and tackles one of automation's hardest challenges, opening doors to a kind of precision manufacturing previously reserved for skilled human workers. Watch the groundbreaking moment here.

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ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

🫡 Reporting for Duty: Chinese startup UBTECH Robotics just snagged a $37M contract to deploy its Walker S2 humanoid robots at the China-Vietnam border in Fangchenggang, where they'll guide passenger queues, direct vehicles, patrol corridors, and inspect cargo containers. The deployment follows China's 2023 directive to build a national humanoid robotics innovation system by 2025.

🧑‍🏫 Teachers’ Pet: Norwegian company No Isolation's 12-inch AV1 robot is helping chronically ill students in the UK stay connected to classrooms from homes and hospitals through encrypted livestreams. The device sits on a desk, transmits audio and video, and rotates 360 degrees so students can look around the room. Early data shows promise, reporting a 21% attendance boost among students using the robots.

💊 Drug Droid: University of York researchers are using robotics to build potential antibiotics in days. They used automated synthesis to test 700+ metal-based compounds in under seven days (work that traditionally takes months), uncovering an iridium-based antibiotic candidate in the process. The breakthrough combines robotics with "click" chemistry to screen for antibacterial activity while avoiding human cell toxicity.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Everything else you need to know this week

Here are the biggest developments in the robotics space that you should know about:

• Waymo is set to update its self-driving software after a citywide power outage in San Francisco caused its robotaxis to freeze mid-street.

• Chinese researchers warn that a single spoken command can hijack networked humanoid robots in China, letting one compromised unit wirelessly infect others.

• Waymo is reportedly testing Gemini as an in-car AI assistant that chats with riders, controls cabin features, and reassures passengers inside its robotaxis.

• LG is set to unveil CLOiD, a home robot designed to manage household tasks. It’s packed with AI and sensors that learn and personalize help over time.

• Uber and Lyft will begin testing Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis in London in 2026, accelerating the city’s transformation into a global proving ground for AVs.

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ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

They look like they came straight out of Doc Ock’s toy cabinet.

Lume is a robotic lamp designed to blend into home decor while assisting with household chores. It features a sleek design that transforms from a lamp into a functional robot, aiming to address privacy and safety concerns associated with most humanoid robots. Set to ship in 2026. Watch it in action here.

You can check it out here.

ROBO REEL

Watch: Humanoid robot recreates iconic gift-wrapping scene from Christmas classic

Robots also got into the Christmas spirit this week.

Robotics startup Humanoid's HMND 01 just starred in a holiday video recreating Rowan Atkinson's iconic gift-wrapping scene from the 2003 Christmas classic 'Love Actually'. The 90-second clip shows the robot working as a shop clerk, absurdly over-decorating a gift with stars, pine cones, and candy canes before swapping it for a simple red package. When customers ask the robot to hurry it up, it responds, "I've only had hands for a week."

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Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team