Robot

Tesla’s Optimus robot is now available through the company’s online store, but in a version that’s even less capable than the ones at its recent Cybercab reveal. The $40, 1:10-scale Tesla Bot Action Figure stands 7.16 inches tall and is assembled from over 40 parts offering 20 points of articulation. It includes a tiny matching charging stand and a CyberHammer.

Although the robot dog can see the world in 3D, it can’t always understand it, so a recent software update now allows Spot to recognize and avoid hazards like wires, ladders, and rolling carts using AI foundation models.

After shedding its bulky hydraulics, the new all-electric version of the humanoid robot Atlas is now small enough to wear Halloween costumes. In a follow-up to a video demonstrating the robot’s autonomous capabilities, Atlas — dressed up as a hot dog — manages to avoid being tricked when the dolly it’s loading with car parts is moved without the robot realizing.

While Tesla’s Optimus bot can now hand out drinks, Agility Robotics’ Digit has been available to actually buy since 2020. It’s been deployed in environments like Amazon warehouses and Agility’s own RoboFab, where it’s used to move, load, and unload boxes.

Check out our video highlighting the most important parts.

One called Elon the “Technoking.”

It’s wearing a cowboy hat, for some reason.

I’m not sure if this counts as Hollywood magic yet, but this is how Tesla’s promoting its robotaxi unveiling event. Elon Musk had announced an August date for the event, but then it was pushed back until October 10th.

The 3i S10 Ultra is claimed to be the first robotic mop and vacuum that never needs to be refilled or connected to a water source. It instead cleans and recycles its wastewater, while also extracting all the clean water it needs from the air.

At IFA this week, Roborock and SharkNinja showed off robot vacuums that can lift themselves up to get over high room transitions, but Dreame went “a step” further.

Disney Imagineering debuted its bipedal BD-X droids at its theme parks last year which can remain balanced even while autonomously walking over uneven terrain.

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra ($1,499.99) uses two cameras to constantly scan while cleaning and adapt to what it spots.

Everything from the speed of the recording to the tasks being performed (such as carrying boxes or sorting objects) may be misrepresenting what these bipedal bots are actually capable of right now.

We haven’t seen much of Boston Dynamics’ new all-electric version of Atlas since its debut back in April. But today the company shared another brief look at the highly articulated humanoid doing a quick round of pushups.

Mineral, which Alphabet shut down last month, says it has sold some of its technology to John Deere to support the company’s See & Spray product, according to a memo posted last week. The startup also confirms that the berry company Driscoll will use Mineral’s tech to “better forecast yields, optimize quality inspections, and reduce food waste.”

The new Aibo Kinako Edition is the first to feature a two-tone finish on its face and will include two new eye color options.

AES has given its Atlas solar robot some AWS smarts and redubbed it “Maximo.” It helped complete an Amazon-backed solar farm in Louisiana and is now moving on to Bellefield, California, home of the largest solar-plus-storage project in the US. According to Amazon, it can “reduce solar installation timelines and costs by as much 50 percent:”