Robotics Special: The world's first centaur robot

Welcome back, Superhuman. Christopher Nolan isn’t the only one resurrecting Greek mythology this week. A Chinese startup has unveiled what it’s claiming is the world’s first robotic centaur of its kind. Meanwhile, a new FDA approval is threatening to redraw the competitive map for robotic surgery, one of medical technology’s most lucrative markets.

1. China unveils explosion-proof centaur robot for rough terrain: Shanghai-based Run Robotics debuted a hybrid robot at WAIC 2026, pairing a four-wheel all-terrain chassis with a human-like upper body in one of the most unique robotic designs we’ve seen. The robot can carry up to 265 pounds, navigate rugged terrain, and operate equipment in environments too dangerous for humans, including steel mills, oil fields, and nuclear facilities. See the unique design in action here.

2. Travis Kalanick’s robotics company picks up $1.7B in funding: The Uber co-founder's new company, Atoms, has closed a $1.7B funding round led by a16z, with Uber itself participating, reuniting Kalanick with the company that ousted him in 2017. Built atop his ghost kitchen venture Cloud Kitchens, Atoms is targeting mining and physical world automation. Kalanick describes his vision as building a "wheelbase for robots" — an operating layer for the physical world.

3. J&J nabs FDA clearance to enter the robotic surgery market: Johnson & Johnson's Ottava robotic surgical system has received FDA marketing authorization for general surgery procedures, pitting the company against Intuitive Surgical's dominant da Vinci system. Ottava's robotic arms, however, can integrate directly into the operating table, taking up 30-50% less space than da Vinci, and potentially opening robotic surgery to hospitals that couldn't previously accommodate it.

A new Forrester Total Economic Impact study revealed that enterprise orgs using Slack’s all-in-one work operating system made their money back in just six months.

The biggest benefit? $50M in efficiency gains from cutting out costly tool switching, manual coordination, and slow email threads.

See the stats on Slack’s work operating system here.

Flippin Kebabs: Grilling kebabs and stretching hand-pulled noodle dough requires precise force control and constant adjustment. A humanoid in Xinjiang, China just attempted both during a live public demo, completing basic cooking operations after less than a week of training. The performance gap with human chefs remains large, but each session generates important data for future improvement. See the robot in action here.

Kill Switch: Foundation Future Industries, a robotics company that counts Eric Trump as chief strategy advisor and investor, is developing its Phantom humanoid for military applications, including "lethal capabilities" it plans to unveil in the coming months. The company has tested its robot with Ukrainian forces, but robotics experts caution that reliable autonomous combat robots remain at least a decade away.

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

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Mondo Robotics’ Beni is an $800 two-legged robot camera built to follow, film, and entertain. Created by former DJI engineers, it races at nearly 18 mph, jumps 10 inches, climbs stairs, and captures stabilized 4K HDR video. It’s durable, expressive, and combines the personality of a robot pet with the versatility of an action camera. See it in action here.

You can check it out here.

Sometimes, help (literally) comes from the skies.

Footage from China's state media shows a flood victim being strapped into a harness and lifted to safety by a large quadcopter drone after Typhoon Maysak submerged much of Guangxi under several feet of water. The stunning rescue came as over 130,000 people were evacuated across the region, with rainfall reaching 35 inches in just a few days.

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Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team