2025-12-12 Daily Robotics News

Source: Dev.to

Humanoid Robots in Logistics

Agility Robotics announced that its Digit humanoid is now deployed for MercadoLibre, its newest customer. The robot is being used to expand capacity and extend human potential in warehouses, marking a shift from prototype demonstrations to practical logistics operations.

Market analysts are bullish on the sector. Tuo Liu of TrendForce projects over 50,000 humanoid shipments worldwide in 2026, a 700 % increase over previous years, indicating that mass scaling is on the horizon.

Elderly‑Care Applications

Elderly care is emerging as a “killer app” for humanoid robots. ROBOTGYM’s recent demos showcased robots that can:

• Provide companionship
• Prepare meals and manage medication
• Fold beds and offer entertainment
• Monitor health and place emergency calls

Their Qijia Q1 model doubles as a wheelchair that can even microwave food for users, promising to transform aging‑in‑place support amid shifting global demographics.

Advances in Robotic Reasoning

Google DeepMind unveiled new agents that understand context and perform open‑ended reasoning, moving beyond scripted motions such as pre‑programmed backflips. In lab demonstrations, robots improvised actions rather than following rigid programs—a development praised by Apptronik, which highlighted its Apollo robot adapting to complex instructions.

“Pre‑programmed backflips are fun, but open‑ended reasoning is the real challenge for robots.” — Google DeepMind

Dexterous Datasets and Hand Designs

Large‑scale datasets are fueling progress in dexterous manipulation. The Humanoid Everyday collection contains more than 10 k trajectories of mobile manipulation recorded at 30 Hz, complete with depth sensor data and language annotations. Researchers consider it a gold‑standard for fine‑tuning vision‑language‑action models.

Chris Paxton and collaborators note ongoing debate over hand morphology: while Boston Dynamics and Sunday Robotics succeed with three‑finger designs, Paxton questions whether five fingers are necessary, yet celebrates the growing availability of high‑quality off‑the‑shelf options.

A visual roundup by Mehrdad M. F. catalogues 2025 dexterous hands with at least six active degrees of freedom, highlighting the diversity and rapid growth of this hardware niche.

Hardware Refinements for Humanoids

• Figure AI G1 Shoulder Socket – Harrison Kinsley detailed the inner workings of the G1’s shoulder joint, revealing engineering choices that deliver a human‑like range of motion.
• Boston Dynamics Atlas – The latest demo features custom batteries, 3D‑printed titanium and aluminum components, and whole‑body dynamic control for navigating complex terrain.
• NEO Robotics Teleoperation – An operator performed a VR backflip to keep the robot upright, demonstrating a blend of human intent with autonomous balance and safety layers.
• Unitree Robotics Service Manuals – A cautionary note from Kinsley advises minimal use to extend robot longevity; the manuals explicitly forbid weaponization.

Deployments Across Industries

• Kawasaki Robotics ZX‑165U – Paired with Kawasaki Motors Mexico and IEC, this arm automates hydrographic printing, reducing defects as part of Vision 2030 initiatives.
• FANUC America – Showcased Industry 4.0 automation at ACTE 2025, attracting career‑focused visitors to Booth 714.
• Hangzhou International Airport (China) – Deployed the nation’s first track‑guided bird‑dispersion robot for 24/7 runway patrols, using HD cameras and eco‑friendly deterrence methods.
• PADBOT S5 – An outdoor robot with a Cybertruck‑esque design that autonomously returns to its “house” for recharging.
• Pudu Robotics – Robot dogs and arm‑equipped quadcopters are being used for power‑plant inspections.

Safety and Human‑Robot Coexistence

TU Delft introduced the DRA‑MPPI planner, a risk‑aware trajectory sampling method that enables mobile robots to navigate dense pedestrian environments. The planner handles complex human motion predictions without freezing, outperforming baseline approaches in both simulation and real‑world tests with the Jackal robot.

Outlook

This week’s robotics pulse underscores a field accelerating toward ubiquity. From warehouse humanoids and elderly‑care assistants to open‑ended reasoning agents, high‑fidelity datasets, and robust hardware refinements, the ecosystem is rapidly maturing. Market forecasts and ongoing deployments suggest that 2026 could mark the beginning of widespread humanoid integration across multiple sectors.