Articles tagged with "embodied-intelligence"
China unveils world’s first 'biomimetic AI robot' that smiles, winks
China’s robotics company DroidUp has unveiled Moya, described as the world’s first fully biomimetic embodied intelligent robot, in Shanghai. Moya is a humanoid robot designed to closely mimic human physical presence and behavior, featuring 92% accuracy in human-like walking, the ability to maintain eye contact, and replicate subtle facial micro-expressions such as smiling and winking. Standing 1.65 meters tall and weighing about 32 kilograms, Moya is engineered with human-like proportions and even maintains a body temperature between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius to enhance lifelike interaction. The robot’s design emphasizes natural locomotion and social engagement rather than industrial or cartoonish functions. Public reaction to Moya has been mixed, with some expressing fascination at its realism and others discomfort due to the “uncanny valley” effect, where robots appear almost but not fully human. Technical details remain limited, but Moya reportedly uses a “Walker 3” chassis platform and features a modular design allowing customization
robothumanoid-robotbiomimetic-AIartificial-intelligenceroboticshuman-like-robotembodied-intelligenceChina's LimX Dynamics raises funds to build humanoid robot 'brains'
Chinese robotics company LimX Dynamics has secured approximately $200 million in Series B funding to advance its development of embodied intelligence in humanoid robots. The funding round included investors such as UAE-based Stone Venture, Oriental Fortune Capital, JD.com, and others. LimX Dynamics focuses on integrating AI with physical machines, enabling robots to learn and adapt through interaction with their environment—a concept known as embodied intelligence, which is a subset of Physical AI. The company has developed two core technologies: COSA (Cognitive OS of Agents), a software platform serving as the robot’s “brain” that controls whole-body motion, and Tron 2, a modular hardware system for building humanoid robots. COSA functions similarly to the human cerebellum, enabling fluid, coordinated movements and real-time task reprioritization without human intervention. Their humanoid robot, Oli, stands 5 ft 4 in tall, weighs 121 pounds, and features dual arms with seven degrees of freedom, capable of handling objects up
roboticshumanoid-robotsAIembodied-intelligencemodular-roboticsautonomous-robotsphysical-AIChinese automaker debuts multipurpose humanoid and service robots
Chinese automaker Chery Group’s subsidiary AIMOGA Robotics unveiled a series of multipurpose humanoid and service robots at the “Technology Meets AI” 2026 Chery AI Night event in Wuhu on January 17. The showcase highlighted AIMOGA’s advancements in embodied intelligence, enabling robots to perform complex tasks across diverse real-world environments. Key models included the “Wuyou” Intelligent Police R001 and the “AiMOGA Care” RN001 medical service robot, both demonstrating capabilities such as seamless communication, intelligent guidance, and collaborative interaction. The flagship AiMOGA humanoid robot features 41 degrees of freedom and highly dexterous hands with 12 degrees of freedom each, allowing precise manipulation. It can walk at 1 meter per second, communicate in 10 languages with approximately 95% accuracy, and quickly learn industry-specific tasks within about an hour, making it adaptable for various scenarios. Powered by DeepSeek’s large language models, AiMOGA interprets natural language and gestures
roboticshumanoid-robotsAI-robotsservice-robotsintelligent-systemsembodied-intelligenceautomationEngineAI's CEO-kicking, combat-ready humanoid robots dazzle CES 2026
At CES 2026, Chinese robotics firm EngineAI unveiled two advanced humanoid robots, the PM01 and the T800, showcasing significant progress in embodied intelligence and practical robotics applications. The PM01 is a lightweight, versatile robot designed for scaled deployment in sectors such as public transportation support, retail, guided tours, and automated inspections, emphasizing stable and repeatable performance tailored to real-world operational needs. The T800, making its global debut, is a full-scale humanoid featuring a high-torque joint system capable of delivering up to 450 Nm of peak torque and 14,000W of instantaneous power, enabling it to perform dynamic tasks like running and martial arts with anthropomorphic mobility and load handling. EngineAI addressed skepticism surrounding the T800’s capabilities by releasing footage of the robot safely kicking its CEO, Zhao Tongyang, demonstrating precise, high-speed movements without CGI or video manipulation. This stunt reinforced the robot’s stability and combat-ready design, distinguishing EngineAI from competitors focused mainly on industrial
roboticshumanoid-robotsautonomous-robotsEngineAICES-2026embodied-intelligencecollaborative-robotsNew cyber pet for home companionship aims to strengthen family bonds
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Chinese brand OLLOBOT introduced a new type of emotionally supportive robot designed as a cyber-pet for home companionship. Unlike traditional humanoid robots, OLLOBOT focuses on creating warm, humorous, and emotionally engaging interactions to strengthen family bonds. The robot adapts easily to users through an embodied intelligence system powered by a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model, which processes multimodal inputs—such as sight, sound, and touch—in real time. This allows the cyber-pet to perceive user moods, activities, and environmental factors, enabling proactive assistance like reminders and personalized interactions. OLLOBOT aims to bridge the gap between technology and family life by encouraging intentional interaction, especially among children who might otherwise be absorbed by screens. It communicates in a unique “pet language” that sparks curiosity and prompts parent-child conversations. The robot also functions as a digital assistant, offering timely reminders to help maintain family connections. Privacy is a key feature, with all
robotembodied-intelligencehome-companionshipAI-assistantcyber-pethuman-robot-interactionCES-2026Genie Sim 3.0 launches as AGIBOT expands open robotics simulation
AGIBOT has launched Genie Sim 3.0, an advanced open-source robot simulation platform unveiled at CES 2026, designed to accelerate the development and evaluation of embodied intelligence in robotics. The platform integrates tightly with NVIDIA Isaac Sim on NVIDIA Omniverse, creating a unified pipeline that combines digital asset creation, scene generation, data collection, automated evaluation, and physics-based simulation. Central to Genie Sim 3.0 is the Genie Sim Benchmark, a standardized evaluation system covering over 200 tasks across 100,000+ simulated scenarios, aiming to provide comprehensive capability profiles for robotic models rather than narrow metrics. A key feature of Genie Sim 3.0 is its extensive open-source dataset, which includes more than 10,000 hours of synthetic data reflecting real-world robot operations across multiple sensor modalities such as RGB-D, stereo vision, and whole-body kinematics. The platform incorporates automated data collection with teleoperation, scripted task execution, auto-annotation, and failure recovery to reduce time and
roboticsrobot-simulationembodied-intelligencedigital-twinsAI-simulationNVIDIA-Isaac-Simopen-source-roboticsThe science of human touch – and why it’s so hard to replicate in robots - Robohub
The article by Perla Maiolino from the University of Oxford explores the complexity of human touch and the challenges in replicating it in robots. While robots have advanced significantly in visual perception and navigation, their ability to touch objects gently, safely, and meaningfully remains limited. Human touch is highly sophisticated, involving multiple types of mechanoreceptors in the skin that detect various stimuli such as vibration, stretch, and texture. Moreover, touch is an active sense, involving constant movement and adjustment to transform raw sensory input into perception. Replicating this dynamic and distributed sensory system across a robot’s entire soft body, and enabling it to interpret the rich sensory data, presents a formidable challenge. The article also highlights the concept of distributed or embodied intelligence, where behavior emerges from the interaction between body, material, and environment rather than centralized brain control. The octopus is cited as an example, with most of its neurons located in its limbs, allowing local adaptation and movement. This principle is influential in soft robotics,
roboticssoft-roboticstactile-sensorsartificial-skinembodied-intelligencehuman-robot-interactionsensor-technologyHumanoid robots to train in China’s first droid-friendly city zone
China is establishing its first robot-friendly urban demonstration zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, to advance the integration of humanoid robots into everyday city life. Unveiled at the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area AI and Robotics Industry Conference, the Guangdong Embodied Intelligence Training Ground “1+1+N” framework aims to create coordinated training grounds for embodied intelligent robots. The framework includes a main provincial training ground, a management center, and the Shenzhen Embodied Intelligence Demonstration Zone, where robots will move from controlled environments to real-world urban settings. Multiple specialized sub-training grounds across cities and sectors will collaborate with local governments and industries to address practical challenges and foster innovation, accelerating the development and deployment of humanoid robots in manufacturing, public services, and other fields. Guangdong Province has become a national leader in robotics and AI, supported by strong manufacturing capabilities and targeted policies promoting innovation. Recent government measures include financial incentives and initiatives to boost core technology breakthroughs and expand application scenarios.
roboticshumanoid-robotsAI-integrationembodied-intelligencerobot-trainingsmart-cityGuangdong-robotics-zoneROBOTERA gets Series A funding, partners with UNIDO on embodied intelligence - The Robot Report
ROBOTERA, a Beijing-based robotics company founded in 2023, recently secured nearly RMB 1 billion (approximately $140 million USD) in Series A+ funding to advance its development of humanoid and service robots. The company focuses on embodied intelligence—the integration of robotics and artificial intelligence—and operates three main product lines: bipedal humanoid robots, wheeled service robots, and dexterous robotic hands. ROBOTERA’s humanoid robots have demonstrated notable real-world capabilities, including autonomous walking in snow and record-setting jumps at the 2024 World Humanoid Robot Games. Its XHAND 1 dexterous hand, optimized for reinforcement learning, is widely used in research labs globally. In a strategic move to promote industrial development aligned with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, ROBOTERA signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This partnership focuses on deploying embodied intelligence technologies in manufacturing, logistics, and commercial services to improve efficiency, working
roboticshumanoid-robotsembodied-intelligenceservice-robotsindustrial-automationAI-roboticsUNIDO-partnershipWorld-first convertible robot switches between biped, quadruped forms
Direct Drive Technology, a Hong Kong-based robotics firm, has introduced the world’s first fully modular embodied intelligence robot called the D1. This innovative robot can autonomously reconfigure itself to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal forms, allowing it to adapt to various terrains and tasks. The quadruped mode offers stability and is suited for uneven or chaotic terrain, while the biped mode is lighter and more efficient on flat surfaces. The D1 demonstrates versatile capabilities such as rolling over smooth terrain for scouting, walking on rough terrain while carrying payloads up to 100 kg, and even recovering from falls with precision. Each biped section weighs 24.3 kg, can roll at speeds up to 11 km/h, and operates for over five hours on a two-hour charge, powered by a Jetson Orin NX 8GB processor running Ubuntu 22.04. The D1’s modular design allows two biped units to combine into a quadruped, expanding its functional
robotmodular-robotbiped-robotquadruped-robotautonomous-robotDirect-Drive-Technologyembodied-intelligencePartner Robotics picks up funding to deploy more construction robots - The Robot Report
Partner Robotics, a Dongguan-based company founded in 2023 by Kecheng Wang, recently closed a Series A funding round in the eight-figure RMB range (around $1.4 million USD), contributing to a total of approximately RMB 100 million ($14 million) raised since inception. The new capital will support the development and commercialization of embodied intelligence technologies for construction, expansion into overseas markets including Europe, North America, and the Middle East, and strengthening its supply chain for improved quality and cost efficiency. The funding round was led by China Growth Capital with participation from existing investors Cowin Capital and Redpoint China Ventures. The company currently focuses on two main robotic products: the Floor Tile Paving Robot P900 and the Intelligent Scribing Robot L3000. The P900 automates indoor tile laying with precision controls, reportedly working five to six times faster than human labor while reducing defects like hollow spots. The L3000 supports multiple construction phases with accuracy to within 2 mm and efficiency gains
roboticsconstruction-robotsautomationembodied-intelligencemulti-sensor-perceptioncloud-based-simulationrobotic-armsChina to build robot 'boot camps' as gyms to power next-gen humanoids
China plans to establish a network of robot "boot camps"—large-scale training facilities acting as gyms or obstacle courses for humanoid robots—in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai. The largest facility, located in Beijing’s Shijingshan district, will span over 108,000 square feet and generate more than 6 million data points annually. These camps will simulate real-world environments such as factories, retail shops, elderly care centers, and smart homes, enabling robots to practice tasks and gather standardized, high-quality training data. This initiative aims to address the current bottleneck in China’s robotics industry caused by inconsistent and costly data collection methods, facilitating improved AI development and data sharing among robotics companies. This effort is part of China’s broader strategic push to lead in embodied intelligence—AI integrated into physical robots—and to compete with the United States, which currently deploys far fewer industrial robots annually (about one-tenth of China’s 300,000). The boot camps will form a national network linked across
roboticshumanoid-robotsAI-trainingrobotics-industryChina-technologyrobot-boot-campsembodied-intelligenceFigure AI raises $1B in Series C funding toward humanoid robot development - The Robot Report
Figure AI Inc. has raised over $1 billion in its Series C funding round, pushing its valuation to $39 billion. The San Jose-based company aims to accelerate the development and large-scale deployment of general-purpose humanoid robots through its Helix embodied intelligence platform and BotQ high-volume manufacturing environment. Figure plans to produce and ship 100,000 humanoid robots over the next four years to assist with household and commercial tasks. Recent demonstrations showcased the robots’ capabilities, including folding laundry and loading a dishwasher, powered by the Helix vision-language-action (VLA) model and supported by a next-generation GPU infrastructure developed in partnership with NVIDIA. The funding round was led by Parkway Venture Capital with participation from major investors such as NVIDIA, Intel Capital, LG Technology Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures. Figure AI is expanding its workforce across manufacturing, software, and systems integration to support commercialization efforts. The company has already delivered Figure 02 systems to paying customers and won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation
robothumanoid-robotsAI-roboticsrobotics-manufacturingembodied-intelligencerobot-automationrobotics-fundingOli: LimX’s new humanoid robot masters gym, warehouse, dance floor
LimX Dynamics, a Chinese robotics company, has unveiled its full-sized humanoid robot named LimX Oli, designed to advance embodied AI and automation in manufacturing, warehousing, and research. Available in three variants—Lite, EDU, and Super—starting at about $21,800, Oli features a modular arm system with interchangeable attachments such as standard hands, precision grippers, and dexterous robotic hands. This modularity allows the robot to perform a wide range of tasks across different environments, from lifting dumbbells in a gym to sorting items in a warehouse and even performing Chinese kung fu and dancing, showcasing its strength, agility, balance, and full-body disturbance recovery capabilities. Standing 1.65 meters tall with 31 degrees of freedom, Oli is tailored for AI researchers, robotics engineers, and system integrators, offering an open SDK that provides full access to sensor data, joint control, and task scheduling. This flexible hardware-software design and scalable development toolchain make it a powerful
robothumanoid-robotAI-roboticsmodular-roboticswarehouse-automationreinforcement-learningembodied-intelligenceHumanoids, AVs, and what’s next in AI hardware at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place from October 27 to 29 at Moscone West in San Francisco, will gather over 10,000 startup and venture capital leaders to explore cutting-edge technology and future trends. A highlight of the event is a session on AI hardware featuring Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi, and Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. These industry pioneers will discuss the evolving landscape of AI hardware, emphasizing its critical role in enabling advanced applications in humanoid robotics and autonomous vehicles. The session promises live demonstrations and in-depth technical insights into how AI hardware facilitates the transition from simulation and conceptual models to real-world deployment of embodied intelligence. Jeff Cardenas leads Apptronik in creating practical, human-centered humanoid robots through strategic partnerships with companies like Google DeepMind, NVIDIA, and Mercedes-Benz, aiming to make robotics commercially viable and safe for human collaboration. Meanwhile, Raquel Urtasun is advancing autonomous vehicle
roboticshumanoid-robotsautonomous-vehiclesAI-hardwaresimulation-technologyembodied-intelligenceautonomous-systemsWayve CEO Alex Kendall brings the future of autonomous AI to TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place from October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco, Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, will be featured on an AI-focused panel discussing the future of autonomous AI. Kendall, who founded Wayve in 2017, has pioneered a new approach to autonomous driving that relies on embodied intelligence powered by deep learning and computer vision, rather than traditional handcrafted rules or maps. His work demonstrated that machines can interpret their environment and make real-time driving decisions without manual coding, marking a significant breakthrough in self-driving technology. Currently, Kendall is spearheading the development of AV2.0, a next-generation autonomous vehicle architecture designed for global scalability. His role as CEO involves integrating strategy, research, partnerships, and commercialization efforts to bring intelligent driving systems to market. With a strong academic background, including a PhD in Computer Vision and Robotics and recognition on Forbes 30 Under 30, Kendall brings a unique combination of scientific expertise
robotautonomous-vehiclesAIdeep-learningcomputer-visionembodied-intelligenceself-driving-systems