collaborative robots

The US Air Force has taken delivery of its first robotic wingman aircraft, unmanned jets designed to fly alongside crewed fighters, as it begins trials of autonomous combat capabilities. The drones, often called collaborative combat aircraft, are meant to extend the reach and firepower of manned jets while testing how much decision-making can be handed to onboard software.

Gecko Robotics and Nvidia have announced a partnership to develop guardrails for artificial intelligence systems. Gecko Robotics, a company known for using robots to inspect critical infrastructure such as power plants and pipelines, will work with the chipmaker on safety measures for AI deployment. The collaboration highlights growing industry efforts to make AI systems more reliable in industrial settings.

Gecko Robotics is working with NVIDIA to add security and control features for AI agents, according to The Robot Report. Gecko builds inspection robots used in heavy industry, and the tie-up suggests its robotic systems will incorporate NVIDIA technology to govern how autonomous agents operate. Details on the scope and timeline of the collaboration were not provided.

A project backed by Honda is focusing on the relationship of trust between humans and robots, according to an announcement from Cal State Fullerton. The research initiative examines how people come to rely on robotic systems as robots become more common in daily life and work. The university highlighted the partnership as an example of industry collaboration supporting academic research into human-robot interaction.

A robotics commentator has published a piece arguing that so-called collaborative robotics, or cobots, does not live up to its name, questioning whether these machines genuinely work safely and effectively alongside people. The argument comes from a writer described as deeply literate in human-machine interaction, and it is being shared among robotics and human-robot interaction specialists, sparking debate over whether the cobot label reflects reality or is largely marketing.

A new market report projects growth in the robot dress packs market through 2035, driven largely by demand for collaborative robot safety suits. Dress packs protect robot cabling and joints, and their adoption is rising as cobots spread across manufacturing and logistics. Industry analysts point to rising automation investments as the main engine behind the forecast.

A large warehouse depot will take delivery of thirty autonomous mobile robots next spring. The robots will carry totes between pick faces and packing benches, working alongside roughly 120 people during busy shifts. A trial with six robots ran last winter, and the deployment follows its results.

Eindhoven University of Technology researchers are working on graph-based world models designed to make robot collaboration safer and more efficient. The approach aims to help multiple robots understand their shared environment and coordinate with each other more reliably, reducing the risk of errors in settings such as warehouses, factories, and other environments where machines must work alongside people and each other.

Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has created a new piece inspired by the Left and Right Twins, the robotic ballerina characters from the video game Atomic Heart. The project translates the game's retro-futuristic robot design into a horological object, drawing attention from both watch collectors and gaming fans interested in crossovers between the two worlds.