Welcome back, Superhuman. It’s been another tumultuous week for robots. Some took a big leap forward and took on full 8-hour shifts. Some learned to stock supermarket shelves. And some, well, tried their best but had to be carried away on a stretcher. Full details and videos on everything below.
The Robotics Special is designed to help you stay on the cutting edge of breakthroughs and products in robotics. Regular AI updates resume on Monday.
WHAT’S NEXT
The most important news in robotics this week
Click here to see Xiaomi’s humanoid robots work an 8-hour factory shift. Source: Xiaomi
1. Xiaomi’s humanoid robots clock in for a full 8-hour factory shift: The Chinese tech giant just released footage of its humanoid robots working an entire shift at its EV factory, sorting car parts from bins into storage racks. Xiaomi claims the robots worked autonomously, fixed their own mistakes, and handled the workstation’s full day of production. See the robots at work here.
2. MIT gives robots a way to fix their own faulty memories: Even robots can misremember what they’ve seen. Now, MIT researchers have developed a system that flags uncertain object descriptions, compares images from different angles, and corrects mistakes in a robot’s memory. In testing, it resolved ambiguities for about 92% of objects in the robot’s environment. The advance could help future household and factory robots follow instructions more reliably, from finding misplaced items to helping assemble machinery.
3. Waymo is ending its exclusive Uber deal: The robotaxi company has confirmed plans to let riders in Austin and Atlanta book through its own app from January 2028. Currently, requesting a ride through Uber doesn’t guarantee a driverless car. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana says customers want a more consistent experience and a direct relationship with Waymo. Uber says Waymo rides could remain available through its app if the companies agree.
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ROBOTS IN ACTION
How robots are transforming the world around us
Click to see AGIBOT robots working in a convenience store. Source: AGIBOT
🛒 Night Shift: Your next late-night snack could come with a robotic encounter. AGIBOT put six humanoids to work in a convenience store during a 24-hour livestream, stocking shelves, preparing coffee and hot food, greeting customers, and clearing rubbish. The challenge tested everything from rush-hour crowds to overnight operations.
🚁 Crash Course: For most drones, hitting a wall can end the mission. ETH Zurich researchers have built FlexiQuad, a drone with a flexible frame that bends on impact and keeps flying. It survived collisions at around 25 km/h in testing, potentially making it useful for searching collapsed buildings or inspecting cramped spaces.
🏪 Aisle Assist: Moving heavy merchandise around a supermarket is tiring, repetitive work. Japanese startup MUSE’s Armo robot helps transport stock and can also scan shelves and guide shoppers. Operations are already underway in Japan and a New York grocery store. See it in action here.
INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT
Everything else you need to know this week
Image source: Agility Robotics
Chinese regulators have blocked SoftBank’s acquisition of ABB’s Chinese robotics operations, jeopardizing the wider $5.4B deal amid concerns about robotics data being transferred overseas.
Agility Robotics has completed its merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI, clearing the way for Digit’s maker to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker AGLT.
Tutor Intelligence has raised $75M in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz to expand its robot workforce, which learns from real industrial jobs with help from remote human operators.
Beijing-based RoboScience has reportedly closed another funding round worth several hundred million yuan to develop robot AI and expand trials in logistics, retail, and industrial settings.
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ROBOT OF THE WEEK
A robot that caught our eye this week
This robot remembers to take the trash out.
Forgetting bin day could eventually become someone else’s problem. Revere Robotics is developing Curbie, a small robot that attaches to an ordinary trash bin and drives it to the curb, then brings it back after collection. It’s still undergoing field testing, with no announced price or launch date, but the appeal of automating this particular chore is pretty easy to understand.
You can check it out here.
ROBO REELS
Watch: Humanoid robot overheats on a mountain and leaves on a stretcher
Even robots have bad days.
A Unitree G1 humanoid attempting to climb China’s Mount Tai reportedly overheated partway through the competition, prompting its operator to withdraw it for safety. Staff then carried the robot away on a stretcher, producing a scene that quickly became meme material. It’s a memorable reminder that managing heat matters just as much as mastering the next step.
See the unfortunate mountain outing here.
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Until next time,
Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team