Robots

China's DEEP Robotics is about to add a new quadruped to its kennel called the Lynx. But rather than go for walkies on pads, the mid-sized pup rolls on four wheels and is built for all-terrain shenanigans – as you can see in the pre-launch promo.

The Harmonic Drive is a key part of countless robotic applications. Incredibly simple yet quite odd to watch, this gear system is extremely precise with an impressive torque-to-weight ratio, even if it does wobble. So how does it work?

Emerging startup Physical Intelligence has no interest in building robots. Instead, the team is powering the hardware with a foundational model AI 'brain', that enables existing machines to learn and dextrously perform many tasks – including housework.

Kepler took its Forerunner humanoid to CES 2024 back in January, taking aim at Tesla's Optimus in the process. The company has since been in talks with target customers and has now announced a follow-up that's "tailored for commercial applications."

From fire-breathers to sprinters, climbers and gymnasts, we've seen more than our fair share of impressive quadruped robots. Now the fourth-generation Honey Badger has added underwater walkies to the list of robodog capabilities.

Brand new videos on the Tesla and Unitree humanoids perfectly illustrate the different approaches behind these two cutting-edge robots. Optimus is clearly focused on useful work, ASAP – while the Unitree G1 is becoming surprisingly agile and athletic.

The Toyota Research Institute has been doing some incredible work teaching robots to rapidly learn and perform tasks autonomously – now, it's bringing its Large Behavior Model tech to the extraordinary Atlas humanoid in partnership with Boston Dynamics.

The last time we checked in at Serve Robotics, the Uber-backed company had partnered with Alphabet's Wing for a robot-to-drone delivery service in Dallas. That was with Serve's Gen2 bot, but a faster, smarter and more robust model has just launched.

A few months back, China's Robot Era demonstrated the strolling capabilities of its XBot-L humanoid by setting it loose on the Great Wall of China. Now the company has released video footage of two flagship Star1 models racing through the Gobi Desert.

The fastest any human has ever run on record was Usain Bolt. He was clocked at a ridiculously quick 27.79 mph (44.72 km/h) when he ran a 9.58-second 100-meter dash. Two-legged robots can run even faster, and it looks really weird.

At its core, this system uses a "simple" cross-spherical gear paired with a monopole gear to control pitch, roll, and yaw. With clever gearing, coupling, and sliding motions, however, the ABENICS gear is extremely precise in its movements.

It's a competitive field when it comes to robot mowers, but this one may be a cut above most, with a pleasing price point, supreme weather detection, lawn mapping and a host of other features that mean you won't have to babysit it in the yard.