Robotics Special: New model gives robots a ‘human touch’

Welcome back, Superhuman. Robotics progress has been relentless over the past year, making it hard for any single demo to stand out. But Genesis AI’s latest release has broken through the noise. The viral video shocked social media users this week when it revealed the startup’s new robotic hand playing the piano score to its own demo, its fingers gliding across the keys with human-like skill.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. Genesis AI goes full-stack with new model and robotic hands: The startup just unveiled GENE-26.5, an AI model that can pilot robots from multiple manufacturers, alongside a human-like robotic hand. Unlike the two-finger grippers common in robots, the hand lets Genesis collect richer training data, closing what researchers call the "embodiment gap." The demo, which shows the robot cracking eggs, solving a Rubik’s Cube, and even playing the piano, went viral on social media. You can watch it here.

2. Roomba inventor makes comeback with a furry robot pet: Colin Angle, co-founder of iRobot, has grabbed the industry’s attention once again, unveiling a robotic pet built for emotional connection. Created by his new company Familiar Machines & Magic, the unnamed robot uses AI to learn about its owner and respond emotionally. A launch is expected sometime next year, with pricing still under wraps. See the robotic pet waddle around the home here.

3. Uber unveils plans to turn drivers into a sensor grid for AV makers: Having abandoned its own self-driving ambitions years ago, Uber is repositioning itself as the data layer for the AV industry. The company has unveiled plans to equip its millions of drivers' cars with sensors, creating a real-world training dataset no AV company can match. Partners can already run trained models in "shadow mode" against live Uber trips, simulating AV performance without putting a single self-driving car on the road.

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ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

🙏 Motor Monk: A humanoid robot named Gabi became the first non-human to participate in a Buddhist initiation ceremony in South Korea, joining monks in prayer, bowing, and formally pledging devotion. Temple organizers adapted the traditional Five Precepts for the robot with help from ChatGPT and Gemini — a symbolic step that Buddhist leaders say reflects serious thinking about humans and machines sharing spaces. Watch the robotic monk in action here.

🎶 Sing It Out: Humanoid robot Sophia took the stage with the Baptist University Symphony Orchestra in Hong Kong, performing at an AI-themed gala concert designed to merge classical music with emerging technology. The concert marked Sophia's first foray into live classical performance and signals a growing cultural ambition for humanoid robots to move into spaces previously reserved entirely for human expression. You can see the robot hit the high notes here.

📈 Playing to Win: A decade ago, China spotted the EV wave early, subsidized its way to dominance, and undercut every competitor on price. Now, Morgan Stanley claims the country is running the same playbook with humanoid robots. Chinese manufacturers already account for around 90% of global humanoid shipments, with costs running at least 20% below foreign equivalents. Analysts now project China's export share will rise from 15% to 16.5% by 2030.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Everything else you need to know this week

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

• OpenAI reportedly explored spinning off its robotics unit into a standalone company as it weighs an Alphabet Inc-style structure ahead of a potential IPO.

• California will begin issuing traffic tickets directly to companies like Waymo and Tesla when their driverless cars break the rules, starting in July.

• AGIBOT turned heads at the 2026 Met Gala, where its A2 humanoid robot made a surprise appearance in a collaboration with designer Alexander Wang.

• Linkerbot, which claims to control roughly 80% of the market for dexterous humanoid robot hands, is eying a $6B valuation in its next funding round.

• 1X has opened its 58,000-square-foot NEO factory in Hayward, launching what it says is the most vertically integrated humanoid robot production facility in the U.S.

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ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

No more lonely cooking sessions.

Vorwerk’s Thermomix TM7 isn't fully autonomous, but it's the closest thing to a reliable robot chef on the market. The countertop device blends, steams, bakes, proofs, weighs, and even orders your groceries via Instacart — all from a single touchscreen. However, the prep work and cleanup job will have to be all you (for now).

You can check it out here.

ROBO REELS

Watch: ‘Project Hail Mary’ fan builds alien Rocky robot that talks and gives fist bumps

Fans of the Ryan Gosling-starrer Project Hail Mary are in for a surprise.

Inspired by the movie, a fan spent months building a tabletop version of the iconic spider-like alien Rocky using 3D-printed parts, a Raspberry Pi 5, and Gemini AI for real-time conversation. The robot has no preset animations; every gesture is generated in context, making interactions feel surprisingly alive. It even delivers the movie’s iconic fist bump on request. You can watch Rocky come alive here.

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Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team