Robotics Special: UBTech takes on Tesla

Nothing captures the state of the humanoid robotics space like a couple of bots duking it out in the ring — which is precisely what happened at the world’s first robot boxing match in China this week. But the real battle is undoubtedly being waged in factories and boardrooms. A Chinese tech giant is taking a direct shot at Tesla with a $20K humanoid of its own, while an open-source company just dropped robots at a fraction of that price.

P.S. The Robotics Special is designed to help you stay on the cutting edge of the latest breakthroughs and products in the industry. Our regular AI and Tech updates will resume as usual on Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. Hugging Face’s latest offerings won’t burn a hole in your pocket: In a major leap for open-source robotics, the company unveiled two remarkably cheap humanoid robots: the $3,000 full-size HopeJR with 66 independent movements (including the ability to walk and move its arms) and the $250-$300 desktop Reachy Mini that can move its head, talk, and listen. Although the company doesn’t have an exact timeline for shipping these robots, the first few units are expected to roll out later this year.

2. UBTech takes aim at Tesla with home humanoid robot: The Chinese tech giant has announced a $20K humanoid robot launching later this year, directly pitting it against Tesla's Optimus in the emerging home humanoid market. Known for its industrial robots, UBTech Robotics is now pivoting to consumer applications, with plans to ship 1,000 units this year. With 2 major players now going for the same $20K price point, humanoid home robotics is making its way into the mainstream.

3. The world’s first robot kickboxing match has a winner: Four teleoperated Unitree G1 robots faced off in the world’s first humanoid kickboxing match in China. The bout took an unexpected turn when the black-helmeted "AI Strategist" robot celebrated a little too early after downing its opponent, only to trip and face-plant. It recovered and even went on to win the match, and later the entire tournament. It's the latest example of China's growing focus on robotic exhibitions, following last month's half-marathon.

PRESENTED BY YOU. COM

How I complete hours of deep research in just 5 minutes

How my AI Agent makes me an expert in any topic in minutes

While others waste time scrolling, I’m maximizing those minutes with deep research—tracking market shifts, dissecting competitors, and strategizing for Superhuman. 

And I like my research to be data-backed, thorough, and well-presented for my team.

In this video, I show you how I use ARI, the fully customizable Deep Research Agent. In 5 minutes, it can:

• Analyze 400+ sources at once

• Connect with my internal data, the public web, and premium databases

• Produce export-ready reports you can edit–logo, tone, format, tables, etc

Claim your ARI access at no cost and see why it beats OpenAI 76% of the time.

ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

🏸 Robot Rally: ETH Zurich researchers have created a 4-legged robot that plays badminton against human opponents. The ANYmal-D robot uses reinforcement learning to track fast-moving shuttlecocks, predict trajectories, and even rise on its hind legs for better visibility while maintaining balance. You can watch it on the court here.

😺 Purr-fect Friend: Some libraries in New South Wales have introduced MetaCats — life-size robotic cats with artificial heartbeats, glowing LED eyes, and touch-responsive sensors — that are proving surprisingly effective at reducing stress in children and tackling loneliness in older people.

🐴 Robot Remedy: UK scientists have built social robots that mimic therapy horses by responding to human emotions rather than just simply following commands. Unlike conventional robots, these machines only engage when users are calm and centered — potentially expanding access to equine-style therapy for those with PTSD, trauma, or autism.

🛡️ Space Shield: After two near-misses where Starlink satellites almost crashed into its Tiangong space station, China is developing robotic thrusters that can autonomously intercept, latch onto, and thrust away suspicious approaching spacecraft. The system is explicitly designed to counter potential threats to the country’s space infrastructure.

ROBO REEL

Watch: Engineer builds uniquely designed robot to give himself a haircut

If you thought letting your friend cut your hair was risky, imagine handing the scissors to a robot.

Inventor Shane Wighton did just that. He built a robot that offered various haircut styles and featured rotating scissors mounted on an adjustable lever — with safety features that measured distance from the scalp (wisely avoiding his ears).

Wighton built the robot about four years ago during the pandemic. It’s since resurfaced on X, and gone viral once again. Watch the entire process here.

PRESENTED BY SECTION SCHOOL

Virtual Summit for AI leaders and advocates (no charge)

10% of the workforce is proficient in AI – and their companies had a big role in making that happen.

On July 17, 12-4pm ET, Section is bringing together top AI-focused leaders from SAP, Moderna, Mayo Clinic, and more to share the real path to building an AI-native team.

Hear from heads of AI at some of the world’s leading companies on what went right in their AI deployments and how you can replicate that success in your own team at Section’s AI Readiness Summit.

Registration required. No charge to attend.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Everything else you need to know this week

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

• Tesla is set to launch its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin on June 12, with plans to start with 10 Cybercabs before scaling to 1,000 in a few months.

• ABI Research's survey claims 53% of global manufacturers are in the early stages of adopting industrial robots, with another 28% having already deployed them.

• Honor, the Chinese smartphone maker, is looking to invest $10B over a five-year investment plan in a bid to enter the humanoid robotics space.

• Arrive AI has secured $40M to build an autonomous delivery network — smart mailboxes designed to accept packages from drones and ground robots.

• Uber says its fleet of self-driving cars is "ready to go" in the UK, but regulatory hurdles will ensure it doesn’t roll out until 2027, a year later than announced.

• Rivr, a Zurich-based robotics startup, is launching its "dog-like" delivery robots in Austin to carry packages from Veho vans to doorsteps in a new pilot program.

ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

Conventional ball machines just got benched.

T-Apex has unveiled Tenniix, an AI-powered robotic tennis coach that shoots 75 mph serves and runs 1,000 customized drills tailored to players' skill levels. Unlike traditional ball machines, this 15-pound portable robot can move around the court and deliver a variety of shots — from baseline groundstrokes to high lobs.

Check it out on Kickstarter.

Your opinion matters!

You’re the reason our team spends hundreds of hours every week researching and writing this email. Please let us know what you thought of today’s email to help us create better emails for you.

Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team