Robotics Special: The age of generalist robotics

At Nvidia GTC this week, CEO Jensen Huang declared that the "age of generalist robotics is here," kicking things off with an impressive new AI model. Meanwhile, MIT engineers have figured out how to take biohybrid robots from sci-fi fantasy to real-world reality.

P.S. The Robotics Special is designed to help you stay on the cutting edge of the latest breakthroughs and products in the industry. Our regular AI and Tech updates will resume as usual on Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

A New Era: At the GTC this week, Nvidia unveiled Groot N1, an open-source foundation model designed for humanoid robots. The model features a "dual-system architecture" mimicking human cognition — a slow-thinking system for perception and planning, and a fast-thinking system for executing physical actions and object manipulation. Watch it in action here.

Peak Production: Figure AI announced BotQ, a high-volume factory set to churn out up to 12,000 humanoid robots per year. To ramp up efficiency, the company built its manufacturing infrastructure from scratch, including custom software systems, specialized testing equipment, and a supply chain that will scale to 100,000 robots in 4 years. Production is set to begin later this year, with plans to eventually use humanoid robots to build other humanoids.

Hop Hero: Robots may soon parkour their way to some of the world’s most unreachable places. UC Berkeley researchers have designed a squirrel-inspired robot that can hop and balance on narrow perches using advanced biomechanics. Mimicking squirrel movements, the one-legged robot adjusts mid-air to land perfectly on branches or pipes. Future applications range from disaster rescue to planetary exploration.

Power Play: Europe has been on the sidelines of the robotics race. Now, Germany's Neura Robotics is finally looking to take on China and the US with the launch of its third-generation humanoid robot, 4NE-1, in June 2025. Powered by Nvidia AI and equipped with adaptive sensor skin, the company claims the robot will be the best on the market, capable of handling both household and industrial tasks.

PRESENTED BY GUIDDE

Complex ideas? Turn static docs → How-To videos (instantly)

With Guidde, you can turn technical info into captivating How-To videos in less than 5 minutes–no skills needed.

Perfect for HR training, sales pitches, and small business owners:

1. Upload a PDF, slide deck, or screen recording

2. Guidde generates a video + captions and narration

3. Add your logos/branding (if desired)

4. Optimize your content with instant revisions

5. Share your guide in any language

Create your first guide today at no cost.

FROM THE FRONTIER

MIT engineers create artificial muscles that could be the secret sauce for biohybrid robots

The road to creating biohybrid robots has been a long, winding one. Traditional robotics relies on mechanical components that severely limit flexibility and adaptability. These systems are rigid, clunky, and generally lack the fluid, natural movement patterns seen in biological organisms. Engineers have tried to solve this bottleneck by turning to artificial muscle fibers for softer, more lifelike motion. But until now, replicating the multi-directional complexity of natural muscle tissue has been an uphill battle.

MIT researchers decided to take this challenge head-on. The team developed a "stamping" technique using microscopic grooves to grow artificial muscles that can flex in multiple directions. After pressing these stamps into hydrogels, the team was successfully able to recreate an artificial, muscle-powered structure that mimics the iris in the human eye in dilating and constricting the pupil. The stamps can be made with ordinary 3D printers, making this breakthrough technology widely accessible.

This has far-reaching implications:

• Opens doors for robots to move naturally like animals — revolutionizing fields from medical prosthetics to underwater robotics.

• The stamping method can be done using tabletop 3D printers, enabling scalable production of complex muscle patterns.

• Potential for fully biodegradable, energy-efficient robots capable of tasks impossible for rigid machines.

ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

Spy Bot: The U.S. Air Force just introduced "Venom," a tiny, ultra-durable robot designed to crawl into hazardous environments, transmitting real-time visuals to ensure that emergency responders can safely assess threats without putting lives at risk.

Deep Dive: Chinese researchers sent a tiny, shape-shifting robot to explore the Mariana Trench — the deepest point in the ocean. Capable of swimming, crawling, and gliding over 34,000 feet below the surface, the robot uses unique elastic-energy mechanisms to navigate extreme pressure and darkness. You can catch its journey here.

Plant Partner: Mercedes-Benz is testing Apollo — a humanoid robot from Apptronik — to ramp up efficiency at its factories in the US and Europe. Paired with DeepMind’s AI for quality control, Apollo roams freely between workstations, handling repetitive duties so humans can tackle more interesting work.

Cleaning Crew: For the first time, operators at the UK's Sellafield nuclear site just successfully tested a Boston Dynamics Spot robot that can be controlled remotely from outside the facility, helping with dangerous cleanup work and inspections without putting human workers at risk.

Robot Butler: Chinese appliance giant Midea unveiled its new humanoid robot, designed to handle household chores like gardening and cooking. While initially targeted at commercial uses, Midea aims to bring practical, affordable robot helpers into homes.

PRESENTED BY INNOVATING WITH AI

Want to become an AI Consultant?

Innovating with AI just welcomed 200 new students into The AI Consultancy Project, their new program that trains you to build a business as an AI consultant:

• Tools, frameworks, and a 6-month plan to build a 6-figure AI consulting business

Click here to request early access to The AI Consultancy Project

ROBO REEL

Watch: Robot elephants replace real ones in an Indian temple

Temples in Kerala, India are swapping tusks for tech.

An Indian temple in Kerala has replaced live elephants with an 11-foot-tall, 800-kilogram robotic elephant that flaps its ears, sprays water, and even carries people during religious ceremonies.

Donated by PETA India, the robot aims to end animal cruelty, preventing dangerous elephant-human interactions while preserving cultural traditions.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in Robotics on socials this week

⚔️ Dance Off: Unitree just dropped footage of its G1 humanoid robot pulling off an unreal sideflip. Feeling the heat, Boston Dynamics clapped back with a video showcasing their own robot walking, running, crawling, and more. Watch Unitree’s move here and Boston Dynamics’ reply here — then decide who did it better.

🎬 Fiction to Fact: Charles Diaz, a robotics enthusiast, built a real-life version of TARS, the iconic robot from the film "Interstellar", and it’s got X users smashing the like button. Watch it in action here.

🕺Tech Twirl: A video of China's EngineAI humanoid nailing the "Axe Gang" dance from Kung Fu Hustle flooded our socials this week. Truly impressive considering there’s no CGI or editing involved.

⛽ Pump Partner: A video of a robot pumping gas into a car at a gas station blew up on social media. X users are confused about the practicality of this application.

MARKET MOVEMENTS

Acquisitions, investments, funding, and more

Here are the biggest developments in the robotics space that you should know about:

• Nvidia is teaming up with Disney and DeepMind to launch Newton, an advanced physics engine designed to power realistic robotic movements —making theme park experiences more immersive starting next year.

• Tera AI just emerged from stealth mode with $7.8M in funding to develop zero-shot visual navigation software for robots — a bid to bring advanced robotic navigation to everyday settings.

• Stockholm-based startup Rerun just landed a $17M seed round to expand its open-source platform designed for robots, drones, and self-driving cars.

• Anyware Robotics snagged $12M in seed funding to ramp up production of Pixmo, its AI-powered robot designed to automate container and truck unloading.

Your opinion matters!

You’re the reason our team spends hundreds of hours every week researching and writing this email. Please let us know what you thought of today’s email to help us create better emails for you.

Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team