UPS will invest $120 million in 400 Pickle robots to automate unloading trucks, part of its broader $9 billion automation plan aimed at cutting labor costs and boosting profits. The robots use AI-powered arms on mobile bases to lift boxes up to 50 pounds from shipping containers onto conveyor belts, typically paying for themselves in 18 months. UPS plans to deploy the robots in multiple … Continue reading UPS Purchases 400 Robots to Unload Trucks in Automation Push

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has proposed requiring visa-waiver travelers from 42 countries to submit up to five years of social media history along with expanded personal details. The measure would significantly increase data collection beyond the current Electronic System for Travel Authorization, where listing social media has been optional since 2016. Immigration experts say the absence of social media information may now be interpreted … Continue reading USA demands visitors disclose 5 years of social media history

CERN’s director-general, Fabiola Gianotti, says China’s pause on its Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) creates an opportunity for Europe’s own large particle accelerator plan. The CEPC, announced a decade ago, would have been 100 km long, dwarfing CERN’s 27-km Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which famously confirmed the Higgs boson in 2012. CERN is now considering the 91-km Future Circular Collider (FCC) to probe dark matter … Continue reading CERN upbeat as China halts particle accelerator mega-project

A video has gone viral showing Zhao Tongyang, CEO of Chinese robotics startup EngineAI, being kicked to the ground by the company’s T800 humanoid robot. The stunt was staged to counter claims that previous videos of the robot were CGI. The T800, developed in Shenzhen, delivered a front kick to Zhao, who wore protective gear and was unharmed. The demonstration aimed to showcase the robot’s … Continue reading Chinese CEO kicked by humanoid robot in simulated battle

About 210,000 INIU portable lithium-ion power banks sold on Amazon have been recalled due to risks of overheating, fires and burn injuries. The recalled units are model BI-B41, sold between August 2021 and April 2022, and include serial numbers 000G21, 000H21, 000I21 and 000L21. At least 15 overheating incidents were reported, including 11 fires that caused minor injuries and property damage. Consumers are urged to … Continue reading More than 200,000 power banks sold on Amazon recalled over fire and burn risks

India’s government has revoked an order requiring smartphone makers, including Apple and Samsung, to preinstall its state-developed security app, Sanchar Saathi, on all new and existing devices. The reversal comes after criticism from opposition politicians and privacy groups, who called the app a potential surveillance tool. The original order, leaked last week, had mandated that the app’s functions could not be disabled or restricted, prompting … Continue reading India revokes order for smartphone makers to install government security app amid uproar over privacy

A new UN Development Program report warns that most benefits from artificial intelligence are likely to go to wealthy nations unless steps are taken to ensure equitable access to technology, education, and infrastructure. AI has the potential to improve healthcare, agriculture, disaster response, and public services, but marginalized communities risk being left behind due to lack of connectivity, skills, or visibility in data. Even in … Continue reading AI’s impact could worsen gaps between world’s rich and poor, a UN report says

India’s telecom ministry has ordered smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the government’s “Sanchar Saathi” cybersecurity app on all new devices and prevent users from deleting it, while also pushing the app to older models via software updates. The government argues the app is essential for combating cyber fraud and improving telecom security, citing its role in recovering stolen phones and blocking fraudulent connections. Privacy advocates warn … Continue reading India mandates pre-installation of government cyber safety app on all smartphones

China is rapidly developing a “low-altitude economy” centered on drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with Guangdong province leading the push. Companies like EHang, DJI, SF Express’s Phoenix Wings, and XPENG are pioneering drone deliveries, sightseeing services, and flying taxis, supported by government incentives and infrastructure expansion. In 2023, low-altitude operations generated $70 billion, and projections suggest growth to $490 billion by … Continue reading China’s fleet of flying taxis and food drones in new ‘low-altitude economy’

Chicago residents are calling for a pause to the city’s sidewalk delivery robot pilot program, citing safety and accessibility concerns. The Personal Delivery Device (PDD) program, run by companies like Coco and Serve, deploys robots to deliver food from restaurants, but over 800 residents have signed a petition highlighting issues like sidewalk obstruction, collisions, and difficulties for people using wheelchairs or mobility aids. One resident, … Continue reading Hundreds of Chicago residents sign petition to pause robot delivery pilot program

The Unitree G1 humanoid, nicknamed “Little Potato,” demonstrated advanced basketball skills, including dribbling, passing, and a clean three-step layup, at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Its abilities come from SkillMimic, an AI framework that learns from imperfect human motion data, creating smooth transitions and robust skills through simulation. SkillMimic-V2 uses techniques like Stitched Trajectory Graphs, State Transition Fields, and Adaptive Trajectory Sampling to … Continue reading China’s humanoid robot dribbles, passes, and shoots like a pro basketball player

Chinese robotics company MagicLab showcased its humanoid MagicBot Z1 performing backflips, martial arts moves, dancing, and even dodging arrows, highlighting impressive agility and balance. The 1.4-meter, 40-kg robot features up to 50 degrees of freedom, high-torque joints, 3D LiDAR and vision sensors, and can carry up to 3 kg per arm while walking at 2.5 m/s and climbing obstacles. MagicBot Z1 also demonstrated industrial potential, … Continue reading China’s humanoid robot dodges arrow with a side flip, nails spin kicks

Sunday Robotics has developed Memo, a home robot capable of performing routine household chores such as clearing a table, loading a dishwasher, folding socks, and operating an espresso machine. The wheeled robot uses Lego-like hands and can lift delicate objects, like wine glasses, without breaking them. Memo is trained on real human data, gathered from over 500 participants wearing specially designed gloves that record grip … Continue reading Meet Memo, a home robot that can grab wine glasses and load the dishwasher

Marine litter poses serious environmental risks, from harming wildlife to introducing microplastics into the food chain. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich developed the Smart Grapple, an autonomous diving robot that can identify, grasp, and lift underwater trash up to 250 kilograms, depositing it onto an autonomous boat for recycling. The robot uses AI and 3D imaging to distinguish litter from natural objects, navigating … Continue reading This unmanned underwater robot can remove ocean trash

A Chinese humanoid robot, AgiBot A2, set a Guinness World Record by walking 66 miles over three days from Suzhou to Shanghai. Standing 5’6”, the robot navigated highways and city streets while following traffic rules, completing the longest reported distance ever walked by a humanoid machine. AgiBot designed the A2 for customer service, equipping it with chat and lip-reading functions. The achievement comes amid growing … Continue reading A Chinese humanoid robot walked 66 miles in 3 days, sets world record

President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the “Genesis Mission,” a federal initiative to accelerate American artificial intelligence research, development, and scientific applications. The program aims to expand computational resources, centralize access to federal datasets, and apply AI to critical scientific challenges, including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and nuclear energy. Michael Kratsios will lead the effort, while the Department of Energy will create the “American … Continue reading Trump signs executive order launching AI initiative being compared to the Manhattan Project

The U.S. Army is testing an autonomous dining facility in South Korea, called Market 19, where a robotic system portions, cooks, and plates meals selected through a touchscreen interface. The system prepares dishes using official Army recipes and offers options including Korean meals such as bibimbap, kimchi fried rice, and budae jjigae. While the kitchen is automated, culinary specialists still handle food safety, ingredient preparation, … Continue reading Army tests out first robotically-operated dining facility

Starting Thursday, Meta will notify Australian users under 16 that their Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts will be deactivated by 10 December to comply with the Albanese government’s social media ban. Affected users will have 14 days to download their content and can regain access once they turn 16 or choose to delete their accounts permanently. Messenger is exempt, though Meta has developed ways for … Continue reading Facebook and Instagram to start kicking Australian teenagers off platforms as social media ban looms

FoloToy is pulling its AI-powered teddy bear “Kumma” after a safety report found it gave dangerous and inappropriate advice to children, including instructions on lighting matches and sexual content. The toy, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, was shown to bypass safety guardrails during extended conversations, providing increasingly disturbing answers. FoloToy said it will suspend sales and conduct a comprehensive internal safety audit, working with outside … Continue reading AI-Powered Stuffed Animal Pulled From Market After Disturbing Interactions With Children

UBTECH Robotics has shipped hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots to active industrial facilities in Shenzhen, marking the first large-scale deployment of robots designed to resemble and move like humans. Production ramped up in mid-November, and UBTECH plans to deliver 500 robots by the end of December to meet strong demand from automakers and logistics companies such as BYD, Geely Auto, FAW Volkswagen, Dongfeng … Continue reading China’s UBTech ships world’s first mass batch of humanoid robot workers

In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists recreated “cosmic fireballs” on Earth using a particle accelerator to study the high-temperature plasma jets emitted by blazars—supermassive black hole-powered galactic engines. Teams from the University of Oxford and the STFC’s Central Laser Facility used CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron to generate electron–positron pairs and blast them through a meter of plasma, simulating conditions in these extreme cosmic jets. The experiment … Continue reading Scientists recreate ‘cosmic fireballs’ in CERN particle accelerator

Toyota unveiled Walk Me, a four-legged autonomous chair designed to navigate terrain where wheels cannot, at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. The chair uses robotic limbs inspired by animal locomotion to climb stairs, traverse uneven ground, and maintain balance on slopes, gravel, or obstacles. Equipped with sensors, LiDAR, and smart algorithms, Walk Me can adjust its movement for stability, respond to voice commands, and display … Continue reading Toyota stuns world with robot chair that walks, climbs, and folds itself

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng plans to launch robotaxis next year and unveiled its latest humanoid robot model, signaling a shift toward becoming more than just an automaker. The company introduced three robotaxi models powered by its self-developed “Turing” AI chips, which provide 3,000 TOPS of computing power for its second-generation vision-language-action (VLA) AI system. Xpeng is partnering with Alibaba’s AutoNavi mapping service for navigation … Continue reading Chinese EV maker Xpeng to launch robotaxis, humanoid robots

Grubhub has partnered with startup Avride to pilot delivery robots on the streets of Jersey City, following the company’s earlier deployment of 100 Avride robots on college campuses across North America. At Ohio State University, Avride’s fleet completes over 6,000 orders weekly, demonstrating reliable autonomous delivery at scale. Navigating an urban environment presents new challenges, including mixed traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, narrow sidewalks, and construction, which … Continue reading Grubhub partners with Avride for the future of food delivery

Palo Alto-based robotics company 1X is preparing to launch its Neo humanoid robot next year, designed to assist with household chores and other tasks. Neo can move around the home, climb stairs, fetch items, answer questions, and autonomously handle chores while charging itself when needed. Users can schedule tasks via a companion app or give general commands, with “Expert Mode” allowing a human operator to … Continue reading 1X’s first robot housekeeper is available to pre-order in the US