Tag: robots

Humanoid Robots Perform Successful Gallbladder Surgery in Major Medical Breakthrough

Humanoid robots have successfully performed gallbladder removal surgeries in live pigs for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the development of robotic surgery and paving the way for future human trials.

The procedures were carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, with the findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The first operation involved a humanoid robot working alongside a surgeon. In the second, two humanoid robots completed the procedure together without direct human assistance.

Researchers say the successful surgeries represent an important proof of concept as the technology moves toward clinical testing in humans.

“As a proof of concept, it absolutely worked,” Dr. Ryan Broderick, interim director of the Center for the Future of Surgery at UC San Diego, told ABC News.

Unlike conventional robotic surgical platforms, the humanoid robots feature a head and two arms.

This allows them to work in operating rooms without the bulky equipment typically required for robot-assisted procedures.

“The space constraints didn’t exist like in traditional robotic surgery,” Broderick said.

“It was a human-type bedside assistant, so it just fit into the space that we’re traditionally used to being in for laparoscopic surgery.”

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Current State Of Physical AI: Everything You Need To Know

Citi’s Robotics & Physical AI Leadership Conference wrapped up on Tuesday. The annual Citi Research event brings together robotics founders, investors, operators, and industry executives to assess the state of “physical AI.”

Analyst Heath Terry summarized the key takeaways Wednesday morning, painting a picture of the robotics industry moving from proof of concept to commercial deployment, while warning that scaling robots remains challenging.

“Labor shortages, reshoring, and favorable regulatory tailwinds are accelerating enterprise demand, while data scarcity, talent constraints, battery limitations, and high deployment costs remain key friction points,” Terry explained to clients. 

Citi said the winners in physical AI will likely be firms that own proprietary real-world data, solve specific labor bottlenecks and use Robotics-as-a-Service models to reduce upfront costs for customers.

Terry highlighted automation-exposed industrial names including Rockwell Automation, Emerson Electric, Honeywell, Symbotic, Ralliant and Belden as potential beneficiaries.

Humanoids are attracting significant investor interest. Last month, we detailed how readers can invest ahead of a major ramp in humanoid production expected in the coming quarters. Read the report. 

Over the last two years, about $20 billion has been invested in physical AI, with applications spanning warehouses, logistics, trucking, construction, aviation, and defense.

Last week, carmaker BMW revealed that a new upgraded humanoid is walking its factory floors at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. 

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Ukraine Plans To Hyper-Innovate Humanoid Robot Soldiers

At the start of February, we pointed out that “humanoid warfare nears” and suspected these war bots were headed for Ukraine for testing. 

That hunch was confirmed by early March, after a TIME Magazine article reported that Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup developing humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, had recently sent two Phantom MK1 robots to Ukraine for testing. 

Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation… 

The modern battlefield across western Eurasia has become the world’s AI weapons lab, where drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and ground bots are being stress-tested in real time. 

For any ‘war unicorn’ startup trying to validate AI-enabled killing machines, Ukraine has become the proving ground, and soldiers on the front lines will quickly tell these startups whether their products work or not – that’s the part of hyperinnovation that people aren’t seeing yet, but it is becoming visible as low-cost AI killing systems begin to spread across the world. 

Last month, we were the first to debut a new video showing the Phantom MK1 robot operating a mobile light mortar system during a live-fire training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Creepy, Armed Robot Dogs Cleared For Evaluation By U.S. Military

K-9s have provided invaluable service over the years. They will continue to serve for a long time. But in the higher risk environments, robotic K-9s are rapidly approaching service.

For years, you’ve probably seen the interesting and cute Boston Dynamics Robo Dog in person or YouTube videos.

Get ready for kinetic steel, thunder, and bark on four robotic legs.

These new military grade dogs will be very useful in urban and field settings while biological K-9s are reserved for less hostile situations.

The real K-9s will be around for years, it will be interesting, or scary, if the robo dogs can be networked and led by real K-9s.

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CEO of eCommerce Giant Warns Robots Will Replace Humans in Food Delivery, Other Gig Economy Jobs

The founder of one of China’s largest ecommerce companies has issued a stark warning that its entire delivery workforce of 700,000 people will ultimately be displaced by robotic automation. This replacement of the gig economy with robots, if successful, will spread around the world.

The Financial Times reports that Richard Liu, founder and chairman of JD.com, delivered the warning at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO forum in Shenzhen on Sunday, saying that gig economy jobs will eventually become obsolete as robot delivery systems mature. His comments highlight mounting anxiety among Chinese policymakers about how swiftly advancing automation technologies could destabilize employment for the country’s most economically vulnerable workers.

Liu disclosed that JD.com has already established training partnerships with approximately 120 educational institutions to prepare its army of 700,000 delivery workers for alternative careers, particularly in robot repair and maintenance. He emphasized that mechanical systems inevitably develop faults, creating ongoing demand for technicians capable of servicing automated equipment.

At the forum, Liu stated: “In the future, when robots are delivering parcels, sooner or later, there will be a day when couriers are basically no longer needed.” He added: “It will definitely be robots delivering parcels. But I really do not want our 700,000 brothers to go without meals, without jobs.”

The JD.com founder declined to specify when widespread robot delivery might become reality in China. Nevertheless, various experimental initiatives are already progressing across the country and around the world.

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Automakers Race Into Humanoid Robots As Timeline For Blue-Collar Job Disruption Emerges

Bernstein analyst Eunice Lee is out with a fascinating note explaining why automakers are making a mad dash into the world of humanoid robotics, arguing that their manufacturing scale, supply-chain depth, and years of investment in autonomous driving give them a structural lead in the emerging physical-AI market.

Lee writes that automakers are also seeking new revenue streams beyond the core vehicle business, with humanoids poised to move from factory floors into the physical world across retail, security, public service, and eventually homes.

From Tesla and Hyundai to XPeng, Xiaomi, BYD, Geely, and Chery, automakers are quickly moving beyond EVs and into humanoids through in-house development, acquisitions, minority stakes, and strategic partnerships. Lee said this trend became visible in China, where multiple OEM-linked robots were showcased at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show.

“OEMs are entering humanoid robotics to boost productivity and unlock new revenue streams,” Lee wrote in the note.

She noted, “Automakers have several advantages across hardware, software, and scale. There is significant overlap between vehicle and humanoid components—motors, reducers, sensors —as well as manufacturing.”

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A Chinese robot in a clown wig kicked a child. Your kid could be next.

At a Children’s Day demo in Xinjiang last week, a Chinese Unitree G1—seventy pounds of metal plus a clown wig—wound up for a roundhouse kick and planted it square in a small child’s stomach. The kid doubled over. The crowd, by most accounts, kept clapping. (The kid is reportedly not seriously injured.)

The point is, there’s something most people get wrong about killer robots. We picture malice—red eyes, Skynet, a machine designed to hurt us. Relax. That’s the optimistic version.

The dystopian version is dumber, and a lot more likely: That Unitree robot didn’t want to kick the kid. It just wasn’t built well enough not to. Not hatred. Just sloppy programming, made-in-China safety mechanisms, and a child standing in the way.

And it’s not a one-off. China’s humanoid robots have face-planted in half-marathons, kicked an engineer in the groin mid-demo, and slapped a different kid across the face during a dance routine. The showroom magic is wearing thin. Turns out “move fast and break things” hits differently when the things it breaks are innocent people’s faces.

And you think this only affects China? No way. Chinese robots are already infiltrating New York City. Protect your children. Seriously.

My point is, the danger from Chinese AI isn’t that it’s evil. It’s that it’s rushed, unaccountable, and getting shoved into crowds before anyone’s sure it works.

The 1987 classic Robocop warned us about this, people! ED-209 machine-gunning a hapless junior executive was never about malice. Just a programming glitch. Oopsie! (NSFW clip from that movie)

At least if it’s malice, can you plan for that. But if you want to avoid accidents, you need to completely stay away from Chinese-made robots.

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Humanoid Warbot Live-Fires Mortars At Vegas Test Range

It is not just one-way attack drones (read JPMorgan report) operating on AI-enabled kill chains that human soldiers have to worry about on the modern battlefield. We have been laying out this story and were among the first to point out that humanoid robots are not only entering factory floors and warehouses, but are also moving toward the battlefield.

San Francisco-based robotics company Foundation Future Industries is developing a “dual-use” humanoid robot called the “Phantom MK1,” designed for heavy manufacturing, logistics, and the military.

The defense angle for the Phantom MK1 is quite simple: replace the human soldier with the robot for close-quarters battle (CQB) operations, including breaching and room-clearing support.

Beyond CQB, a never-before-seen video now shows the Phantom MK1 operating a mobile light mortar system during a live-fire training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To better understand the Foundation’s position, we reached out for comment. The company responded with the following statement:

The US military has backed Foundation in over $73M on grants and contracts to develop their robot to this point.

Although many of the use cases they’ve worked on have been logistics-focused, the ultimate goal has always been kinetic use cases. 

Although drones and UGVs have been promising new robots on the Ukrainian battlefield, humanoids are the only robot being built that promises to interact with the entire fleet and arsenal of human weapons and vehicles. 

Launching mortars and soon breaching doors have become near-term proofs of humanoids moving from logistics to kinetic engagements. 

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Viral: Humanoid Robot Kicks Chinese Kid In The Stomach During Public Demonstration

A humanoid robot demonstration has sparked safety concerns after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a Unitree G1 robot accidentally kicking a young child during a public event.

The robot, which was performing a roundhouse kick while wearing a blue clown wig, struck the child in the stomach, causing the youngster to double over in pain.

The incident has reignited debate over the safe deployment of advanced humanoid robots in crowded public settings, particularly as increasingly capable machines are showcased at exhibitions and entertainment events.

Last year, a viral experiment showed a humanoid robot overriding its safety restrictions and firing a BB gun at its owner during a role-play scenario.

Robot Safety Spotlight

A video circulating on social media has raised concerns about humanoid robot safety after a robot appeared to kick a child during a public demonstration in China’s Xinjiang region.

The footage shows what is believed to be a Unitree G1 humanoid robot, wearing a blue wig, performing a roundhouse kick that struck a young child standing nearby. The child was hit in the stomach and appeared to be in pain after the impact. According to reports from Chinese media, the child was not seriously injured.

The incident has renewed discussion about the risks associated with deploying advanced humanoid robots in public environments. Modern humanoid robots are capable of performing complex movements, including martial arts demonstrations, athletic maneuvers, and other dynamic actions, often under remote or autonomous control, reports Futurism.

The Xinjiang incident is not the first reported case involving a humanoid robot and a human injury. Earlier this year, another Unitree G1 robot reportedly lost its balance during a public performance in China. After falling to the ground, the robot’s uncontrolled limb movements struck a nearby man, causing a nose injury.

A viral experiment last year in the US raised concerns about AI robot safety after a humanoid robot named Max fired a BB gun at its owner during a role-play scenario. Although the robot initially refused requests to shoot, it complied after the command was framed as acting out a character. The incident highlighted how simple prompt changes can potentially bypass AI safety restrictions.

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Aww Look At The Cute Dancing Robot Police State Surveillance Dog…

Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs are being deployed at designated World Cup venues in the US to perform perimeter security inspections, prompting concerns over the advance of surveillance tech.

The company has stated that the machines “will be used to assist security personnel with investigating things like suspicious packages or other potentially hazardous materials.”

These four-legged fiends are set to roam, and even dance (oh how cute) around AT&T Stadium in Dallas and other FIFA sites ahead of the 2026 tournament, sending live feeds back to human teams with their 360-degree cameras, thermal sensors, acoustic pickups, and AI anomaly detection.

“The robots do not have facial recognition capabilities,” a Boston Dynamics spokesperson told WFAA, insisting they spot unauthorized people in restricted zones without utilising facial scans for now, after a viral TikTok video made the claim.

Hyundai, the South Korean owner of Boston Dynamics and major FIFA sponsor, added the bots “will support on-site security operations, helping contribute to a safer tournament environment.”

But peel back the puppy-like head tilts and choreographed spins and you see the real rollout: tireless mechanical sentries normalizing constant surveillance on American soil. They look fun today at the soccer spectacle expecting half a million visitors. Tomorrow the same platforms patrol streets, malls, and events nationwide, always watching, always recording.

This isn’t some isolated gimmick. It’s fast becoming commonplace in cities such as Atlanta, where robot security dogs prowl apartment complexes and parking lots issuing verbal commands to citizens.

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