Robotics Special: Apple eyes the home robotics market

Welcome back, Superhuman. China’s been up to a lot of whacky stuff lately. A Chinese tech company just unveiled a robot that can carry a fetus to term and deliver a live human baby. Meanwhile, China hosted the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing this week — a spectacular showcase of both robotic potential and epic fails.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. Nvidia drops new robotics world models: The company unveiled 'Cosmos Reason', a 7B-parameter AI model that gives robots "reasoning" abilities through memory and physics understanding. The chip giant also dropped 'Cosmos Transfer-2' for synthetic data generation, enabling developers to simulate the real world in 3D using sensor data. With new servers and cloud platforms rounding out the announcement, Nvidia is betting that robotics is the next goldmine for its AI chips beyond data centers.

2. Apple may be plotting an expansion into AI robots: The company is reportedly gearing up for an ambitious smart home push that includes a tabletop robot that looks like "an iPad mounted on a movable limb." The device would have a revamped, chattier Siri that acts like "an additional person" in your home. While the iPhone maker has lagged behind competitors like Google and Meta in the AI race, it’s betting big on home robotics, which could arrive as early as 2027, according to Bloomberg.

3. Robots go head-to-head in the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing: The three-day event featured 280 teams from 16 countries competing in everything from soccer to track and field. Humanoid robots crashed into tangled heaps during soccer matches, with many picking themselves back up to thunderous applause. The event reflects China's huge investment in robotics, with organizers claiming the tumbles provide valuable data for real-world applications, such as factory work. You can watch it here.

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ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

House Helper: Figure just dropped a video of its humanoid robot using the company’s Helix model to pick up laundry one by one, smooth the fabric, and stack it neatly in a basket — all while following simple voice commands. Helix allows robots to handle unfamiliar household items without extensive programming. Running on low-power GPUs, the system can even coordinate multiple robots working together on shared tasks.

Baby Bot: Chinese firm Kaiwa has unveiled plans for the world's first 'robot surrogate' — a life-sized humanoid with an artificial womb embedded in its abdomen that can carry a fetus for ten months and deliver a baby. Set to launch in 2026, the robot is designed for those seeking to bypass the physical demands of a nine-month pregnancy. Its development has sparked widespread debate, ranging from ethical concerns to optimistic prospects for individuals facing infertility.

Micro Medicine: Canadian researchers have developed a tiny magnetic "robot" that could revolutionize kidney stone treatment by delivering stone-dissolving enzymes directly to the problem spot. Inserted via catheter and tracked with ultrasound, the device could potentially replace painful surgeries and time-consuming oral medications with a faster, less invasive approach that lets stones pass naturally with significantly less pain.

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 has launched a Spotify integration for its robotaxis, allowing passengers to stream their personal playlists during rides in San Francisco.

• Pony AI says it's on track to produce 1,000 robotaxis this year after rolling out 200 vehicles in two months, while also scouting expansion opportunities in Europe.

• San Jose startup Tensor has unveiled the Tensor Robocar, billed as the first autonomous vehicle designed for personal ownership rather than ride-sharing.

• AgiBot, a Chinese robotics startup, has inked an agreement with automotive parts maker Fulin Precision to deploy close to 100 robots in its factories.

• Hugging Face researcher Remi Cadene is reportedly set to raise around $40M in seed funding for his startup Uma, which focuses on commercial robotics.

• DHL is investing £550M to deploy over 1,000 additional robots across the UK by 2030, including the first Boston Dynamics Stretch robots in the country.

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ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

Dnsys has dropped the Z1, a robotic knee exoskeleton that boosts leg power during movement. It uses AI to detect motion and provide real-time support on climbs, descents, and stairs. The lightweight frame reduces joint strain and improves stability during hiking, sports, and everyday use.

Check it out on Kickstarter.

ROBO REEL

Watch: Robot muralist gives Tesla Gigafactory a colorful graffiti glow-up

Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory is getting a graffiti makeover courtesy of a one-of-a-kind robot muralist. What started with local graffiti crews has evolved into a high-tech art project blending Berlin's street culture with Tesla's innovation, featuring designs from global artists and Tesla's in-house team across the factory's 1.2-square-mile exterior.

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Zain and the Superhuman AI team