Now Robotics

Le Parisien reports that Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister for digital transformation, is backing plans to deploy an 'army of robots' on the battlefield to reduce the number of soldiers exposed at the front. The initiative points to ground and aerial unmanned systems taking over dangerous combat tasks as Ukraine faces manpower shortages amid the war with Russia.

NASA reports that the Canadarm2, the International Space Station's large robotic arm, has stopped working and cannot be moved for the time being. Engineers are assessing the fault on the critical system used for capturing cargo vehicles and moving equipment around the station. Observers are watching closely for updates on whether operations can be restored and what the malfunction means for station logistics.

The American Enterprise Institute has published an analysis arguing that autonomous robot trucks offer a window into how artificial intelligence will reshape the labor market. The piece examines what automated freight means for drivers and workers more broadly as AI adoption accelerates across industries.

Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has reportedly reversed recent Russian gains, using robotic systems to carry out combat airdrops and clear minefields. Ars Technica reports that unmanned ground and aerial vehicles played a central role in defeating a Russian pincer manoeuvre, underlining how Kyiv is increasingly deploying robots for dangerous frontline tasks and reducing risks to its soldiers.

The International Federation of Robotics reports that the number of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide has exceeded 5 million, a new milestone for automation. The figure highlights the accelerating adoption of robotics in manufacturing, driven by labor shortages and demands for productivity across major industrial economies.

The large robotic arm on the International Space Station has stopped working, according to an Ars Technica report. The Canadarm2-style manipulator is a critical tool for capturing cargo spacecraft, moving equipment and supporting spacewalks, so any outage raises questions about station operations and resupply. Details on the cause of the failure and prospects for repair remain limited.

The global stock of industrial robots in operation has reached five million units, according to a report carried by technology trade press. The milestone reflects years of rising automation in manufacturing, driven by labour shortages and falling robot costs, with installations concentrated in Asia's automotive and electronics industries.

The Canadarm2, the large robotic arm on the International Space Station, has reportedly stopped working. The arm is critical for capturing cargo spacecraft, moving equipment and supporting spacewalks, so a failure would be a significant operational problem for the station's crews and their backers at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Details on the cause and possible fixes remain limited.

The US Food and Drug Administration has released draft guidance covering surgical robotics. The document, reported by MedTech Dive, outlines the agency's current thinking for developers and manufacturers of robotic surgical systems. Stakeholders in the medical device industry typically have the opportunity to comment on such drafts before final guidance is issued, which shapes approval expectations for robot-assisted surgery technologies.

NASA says it is troubleshooting a transporter mechanism that moves the International Space Station's robotic arm along the station's truss. The issue affects the mobile base that allows the Canadarm2 to reposition itself for station maintenance and operations. NASA reports the station and its crew remain safe while engineers work the problem, though the arm's mobility may be limited until a fix is found.

NASA says it is currently unable to move the International Space Station's large robotic arm, the Canadarm2, for the time being. The arm is essential for capturing cargo spacecraft, moving equipment and supporting spacewalks outside the orbiting laboratory. Few further details about the cause of the problem or expected repair timeline have been released, and observers are waiting for updates from the agency.

Autonomous weapons systems, often called killer robots, are drawing renewed attention as military AI capabilities advance rapidly. Debate is intensifying over machines that can select and engage targets without human intervention, with critics urging international limits and militaries investing heavily in the technology. The discussion reflects growing concern that warfare is entering a new automated era faster than regulation can keep up.

Amazon, once the largest customer of warehouse robotics vendors, is now designing and building robots in-house. The shift, highlighted in an industry analysis by the Association for Advancing Automation, reflects the company's growing internal robotics engineering capabilities as it automates its fulfilment network. Industry observers see it as a notable turning point for the robotics supply sector.

Tesla has reportedly increased production of its Optimus humanoid robot tenfold, but the robotic hands remain the weak point, lagging behind the rest of the program. The news has drawn attention from robotics watchers, who see the hand dexterity problem as a key hurdle for the robot doing useful work. Tesla has yet to give detailed public figures on production volumes or hand reliability.

NASA is reportedly developing infrastructure for a permanent Moon base ahead of sending astronauts back to the lunar surface. The approach focuses on robotic construction and pre-positioned systems so that future crews arrive at a functioning outpost rather than building one from scratch. Details on timelines and funding remain sparse, but the plans fit within NASA's broader Artemis programme to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.

Faraday's chairman has warned that moving too quickly to cut China out of the United States robotics supply chain could backfire, arguing that an abrupt separation risks disrupting production and raising costs faster than US industry can adapt. The comments, made in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Finance, add to the ongoing debate in Washington over how quickly to reduce American dependence on Chinese components for advanced manufacturing and robotics.

The Yuelu Conference 2026 opened in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, on September 23–24, drawing artificial intelligence companies, robotics developers, researchers and investors. The event featured an opening ceremony and ten themed "AI+" forums, positioning Changsha as a growing hub for China's AI and robotics sectors and giving firms a venue to showcase technology and strike partnerships.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have grown living human skin on a robotic finger, a step toward robots with lifelike appearance and touch. The cultured skin layer wrapped around the mechanical finger and reportedly healed and flexed like real tissue. Commentators say the work could advance humanoid robotics, prosthetics and skin-graft medicine, while raising questions about how lifelike machines should become.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, is moving to establish what officials describe as a 'Robot Army' programme intended to speed up the development and deployment of ground combat robots on the battlefield. The initiative aims to coordinate Ukrainian and allied defense tech firms to scale uncrewed systems as manpower shortages persist. Details on funding, timelines and specific systems remain limited so far.

Automated ball-strike systems being used in baseball are adding a bit of extra time to games, according to a Newser report. The robo-umps, introduced to improve accuracy behind the plate, appear to be slowing the pace slightly, prompting debate among fans and officials over whether the technology's precision is worth the trade-off in game length.

Engineers have developed a stacked AI chip that combines fast and slow processing layers to recognize changes in motion over time. The design pairs layers operating at different speeds, allowing the chip to detect both immediate movement and longer-term patterns. The approach could improve event-based vision systems used in robotics, surveillance and autonomous machines, and is drawing attention among researchers following neuromorphic and edge computing hardware.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased $1.3 million worth of robotic dogs from a Connecticut-based company. The acquisition, reportedly part of an effort dubbed Project Salt Box, adds quadruped robots to the agency's toolkit, raising questions about how the machines will be deployed in immigration enforcement operations.

A CNBC report on AI and robotics is drawing attention to worker anxieties about automation reshaping jobs. The piece weighs how robotic systems and AI tools are moving into workplaces, raising questions about job security and the changing role of human resources. Commenters are debating what the shift means for employees.

Industry commentary is highlighting robot field service — the maintenance and support of deployed automation in real-world environments — as a critical test for scaling robotics. As robots move from pilots into logistics, manufacturing and other operations at volume, companies face questions about reliability, servicing capacity and total cost of ownership, making after-deployment support a decisive factor in whether automation can truly scale.

Experts unveiled what is described as the world's first embodied AI robot built on a fully domestic electronic architecture. Analysts say the milestone marks a shift in robotics from developing key components individually toward achieving underlying autonomy at the system level. The announcement is drawing attention for its potential implications for self-reliance in robotics and artificial intelligence technology.

Robot dogs are expanding their role on farms beyond security and surveillance duties. Reports highlight how quadruped robots are being used for tasks like monitoring livestock, inspecting crops and equipment, and collecting data in rough terrain that wheels struggle with. The trend reflects growing interest in agricultural automation as farmers face labor shortages and look for new tools to manage operations more efficiently.

Gecko Robotics is working with NVIDIA to add security and control features for AI agents, according to The Robot Report. Gecko specializes in inspection robots for industrial infrastructure such as power plants and pipelines, and the partnership would pair its robots with NVIDIA's AI and computing technology. Further details on the scope and timeline of the collaboration were not provided in initial coverage.

Major League Baseball's average game length has increased by nearly four minutes to 2 hours and 42 minutes, with the robot umpire system cited as one contributing factor. The automated ball-strike system, introduced to improve accuracy, appears to be slowing the pace of play, reversing some of the gains from earlier rule changes aimed at shortening games.

Forbes reports on the emergence of robotic systems designed to draw blood from patients, a task traditionally performed by human phlebotomists. The piece highlights how automated blood-drawing technology is moving toward real clinical use, raising questions about accuracy, patient comfort, and the future of routine medical procedures performed by machines instead of trained staff.

China is trialling self-driving traffic cones that can reposition themselves at construction sites and roadworks without workers manually lifting them. The robotic cones are designed to move into place automatically, potentially improving safety for road crews and cutting labour costs. Coverage so far is limited to gadget news, with little detail on which agencies are involved or when the technology might be deployed widely.