AUTOMATION HISTORY

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Nature Communications volume 16, Article number: 6073 (2025) Cite this article 12k Accesses 1 Citations 64 Altmetric Metrics details Insect–computer hybrid robots offer strong potential for navigating complex terrains. This study identified the intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and mesothorax of the Madagascar hissing cockroach as an effective site for electrical stimulation to control direction and speed. A pair of bipolar electrodes was custom-designed, and an automatic assembly system was developed, integrating a robotic arm, vision-based site detection, and an insect fixation structure. The system achieved assembly in 68 s. Hybrid robots exhibited robust steering (over 70°) and deceleration (68.2% speed reduction) with performance comparable to manually assembled counterparts. Controlled navigation along an S-shaped path confirmed accurate directional control. Furthermore, a multi-agent system of four hybrid robots covered 80.25% of an obstructed terrain in 10 minutes and 31 seconds. This work demonstrates a scalable strategy for automating the fabrication of insect–computer hybrid robots, enabling efficient and reproducible assembly process while maintaining effective locomotion control. Various insect-scale robots have been engineered, demonstrating exceptional maneuverability within complex and narrow terrains1,2,3,4,5. This capability has spurred advancements in mechanically structured and insect-computer hybrid robots (i.e., biobots or cyborg insects). While these robots have a similar size, they possess unique self-locomotion energy sources3,6,7 and adaptability to challenging terrains8. Therefore, such robots’ potential is increasingly explored as a robotic platform3,9,10,11,12,13 across various applications. To achieve locomotion control in insects, researchers have studied stimulation electrodes targeting their muscles, neuron systems, and sensory organs7,14,15,16,17. Both invasive2,3,15 and non-invasive electrodes7 have been manually implanted into the insects’ target body parts to enhance stimulation. However, the intricate and fragile anatomy of insects makes the manual surgery process time-consuming (~15 min per insect18) and difficult15. For instance, insects’ small and soft antennae and cerci necessitate the use of specialized microinstruments and microscopes to manipulate their tissues accurately. Even minimal force can cause unintended shape changing, making procedures highly demanding (Supplementary Fig. S1). Furthermore, the success of the surgical procedure significantly reliant on the operator’s expertise2,3,15, which impacts the risk of accidental injury to the insects. Due to variations in the operator’s surgical skills, even with the same implantation method, the insect–computer hybrid robots operated by different operators may behave differently. For consistent production of insect-computer hybrid robots, transitioning from manual to automatic assembly processes is imperative, particularly for applications that demand large scale deployment, such as post-disaster search and rescue or factory inspections, where multiple robotic agents significantly enhance efficiency than a single unit19,20. Therefore, developing automatic assembly methods for insect-computer hybrid robots is crucial for mass production. Madagascar hissing cockroach has been used in various applications as a powerful platform3,8,13,21. Consequently, our study focuses on optimizing its mass production. Although these insects generally share a similar body structure, individual size variations pose challenges to achieving uniform localization of the implantation site in contrast to some assembly tasks for mechanical parts of certain shapes22. Consequently, to ensure precise localization of the implantation site, advanced deep learning techniques are employed. To control the locomotion direction of Madagascar hissing cockroach, stimulation protocols have been developed on the insects’ antennae and abdomen3,15,23. The antennae detect and navigate around the obstacles24, and the tactile stimuli25 significantly influence cockroach movement. The electrical stimulation of the antennae effectively induces directional turning among the insects7,15. However, the antennae are soft, fragile, and tiny15 (with a 0.6–0.7 mm diameter, Fig. 1B), posing challenges in securely attaching and implanting electrodes. Moreover, antennae used in hybrid robots to enable autonomous obstacles navigation7,26 destroy the insects’ innate ability to maneuver around the obstacles7,27. Therefore, this study excludes antennae as the target site for stimulation. A An anesthetized cockroach secured for backpack assembly using the robotic arm. The automatic assembly included an insect fixation structure driven by a slide motor, a robotic arm equipped with a gripper for grasping and assembling the backpack, and a depth camera for precise localization of the insect’s body position during assembly. B Components of insect-computer hybrid robot. The white mounting structure was attached with a microcontroller and bipolar electrodes. The grasping section of the backpack was held by a robotic arm gripper, while the alignment hole placed the backpack. Mounting branches were used to hook the insect’s metathorax. Bipolar electrodes of the backpack were implanted into the intersegmental membrane between the insect’s pronotum and mesothorax. C Insect-computer hybrid robot. The backpack-assembled insect was controlled to execute turning maneuvers and decelerating. D A microcontroller with Sub-1GHz communication used to between the insect-computer hybrid robot and workstation. Stimulation signals were transmitted from the stimulation channels to the bipolar electrodes for insects’ locomotion control. After the assembly finished and the hybrid robot was needed for the locomotion control, a LiPo battery was plugged inside the power socket. Double-sided tapes were used to stick the battery to the backpack. Stimulating the abdomen’s sides influences the locomotion direction of the insects3. However, cockroaches’ abdominal cuticles are short and thin—with the third abdominal cuticle measuring 3.8–5.0 mm in length and 0.2–0.3 mm in thickness—making automatic electrode implantation difficult. Consequently, an alternative stimulation site should be explored. Building upon studies on similar terrestrial platforms such as Zophobas morio, which alters its locomotion direction when stimulated on the pronotum and elytra2, we hypothesized that pronotal stimulation would similarly alter the cockroach’s direction. Notably, the pronotum cuticle is both larger and thicker than the abdominal cuticles, measuring ~11.6–13.4 mm in length, 0.5–0.6 mm in thickness, which eases attachment and detection. Additionally, akin to the interspace between abdominal segments7, an intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and the mesothorax is the key target site for stimulation, enabling directional control of the insect (Fig. 1C). This study proposes a stimulation protocol designed to control an insect-computer hybrid robot. To analyze the insects’ responses to electrical stimulation, we recorded their neural activities, foreleg movements, and locomotion patterns during simulation. A backpack was developed, integrating microcontroller, stimulation electrodes, and a mounting device (Fig. 1B, C). The hybrid robot was controlled wirelessly for steering and stopping. Next, an automatic assembly was developed, incorporating a slide motor, a fixation structure for the insect, an intel RealSense D435 camera, a Robotiq Hand-e gripper and a Universal Robot UR3e (Fig. 1A). This system relied on the visual detection of the target body position. During the assembly process, the insect was fixed in a structure mounted on a motor-driven slider. After assembling the backpack into the insect, the insect fixation structure was released, completing the assembly of the hybrid robot. Five automatically assembled hybrid robots were studied for locomotion control, including steering, and deceleration, with their performance compared to that of the manually assembled ones. Four hybrid robots traversed an outdoor uneven terrain using a UWB localization system. Due to the challenges of securing the antennae and abdomen and implanting electrodes with the robotic arm, this study focuses solely on the pronotum. To facilitate turning locomotion in cockroaches and minimize the number of implantation sites, a pair of bipolar electrodes was designed and implanted on the left and right sides of the intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and mesothorax (Figs. 1C and 2A). Each bipolar electrode comprised a copper pattern for electrical signal transmission and a microneedle structure to rapidly puncture the intersegmental membrane, and a hook mechanism to prevent detachment after implantation. A Custom-designed bipolar electrode utilized a microneedle structure integrated with a hook design, facilitating rapid membrane penetration and secure self-locking within the punctured membrane. The electrode comprised normal resin and patterned copper wires to transmit stimulation. B Bipolar electrodes fabricated using multi-material 3D printing technology followed by electroless plating. C Bipolar electrodes before and after copper plating. D Finite element modeling and analysis during the process of bipolar electrodes implantation into the intersegmental membrane between the cockroach’s pronotum and mesothorax. E Adhesion rating of the metal plating within the bipolar electrode, evaluated using the ASTM D3359-09 standard. Incorporating chemical etching strengthened the metal adhesion, preventing detachment during implantation and use and preserving electrical performance. F Impedance of conductive bipolar electrodes with conductivity (<70 Ω), significantly lower than non-invasive electrodes’ impedance7. G Plating thickness vs. time. The curve depicts a growth trend, representing a thicker coating layer with a longer plating duration. The complex structural features and the combination of plastic and metal components in bipolar electrodes necessitated specialized fabrication processes. Integrating multi-material 3D printing technology with an electroless plating process offered an effective approach for fabricating 3D electronic structures with spatial configuration and electrical signal carrying functions28,29,30 (Fig. 2B, Supplementary Movie S1). Initially, multi-material DLP3D printing was employed to fabricate the precursor structure of the bipolar electrodes, integrating a normal resin with an active precursor. The active precursor contains a catalytic agent that facilitates selective metal deposition during electroless plating, allowing metallization on both sides of the structure. Figure 2C presents the precursor and the final bipolar electrode with selectively deposited copper. To ensure effective implantation and electrical stimulation, the bipolar electrodes should possess high hardness and toughness. Therefore, ABS-like photosensitive resins31 was chosen as the material for electrode fabrication (in their normal resin form or as an active precursor). Finite element simulations (Fig. 2D, i–iv) showcased bipolar electrodes exhibiting a uniform stress distribution and controlled deformation during implantation, without experiencing damage or yielding. Additionally, the designed bipolar electrodes were securely implanted by monitoring the microtip’s stabbing stress at the membrane (Fig. 2D, v). To address the delamination or separation of metal plating during implantation, we calibrated the plating adhesion by the ASTM D3359-09 standard. We incorporated chemical etching into the selective electroless plating to enhance the adhesion and achieve a high 4B grade (Fig. 2E). Additionally, the implanted part comprising cockroach’s soft tissue (intersegmental membrane) and electrolyte solution, exerted minimal cutting force on the electrode, reducing impact (Fig. 2A). The impedance profile (Fig. 2F) of a plated layer on the bipolar electrode reveals that the impedance remained consistently below 70 Ω, considerably lower than the impedance of comparative non-invasive electrodes (exceeding 1000 Ω7). This reduced impedance facilitated stronger stimulation and a more pronounced insect reaction. The electrical conductivity and the thickness of the plating were 3.12 × 107 S/m and 2.5 µm, respectively. The copper-replacing-nickel plating method caused the electrodes to achieve selective copper metallization. After 5 min of immersion in the plating solution, a substantial increase in plating thickness was observed (Fig. 2G). A thicker plating layer enhanced conductivity, reduced impedance, and improved corrosion resistance; however, it increased parasitic capacitance. This study selected a plating time of 16 min for plating thickness and conductivity optimization. By controlling the electroless plating’s duration, the plated layer’s thickness on the bipolar electrodes was precisely modulated, enabling the fine-tuning of conductivity and other electrochemical properties. The width of the intersegmental membrane between pronotum and mesothorax was measured (1.4 ± 0.2 cm) across cockroaches with different sizes. To ensure that the bipolar electrodes implanted into the membrane, the distance between the two bipolar electrodes was set as 1.0 cm to satisfy minimum width of the membrane, i.e., 1.2 cm. To optimize stimulation voltage, neural activities in the insects’ neck region were recorded and analyzed (Fig. 3A). A progressive increase in the number of detected neural spikes was observed as the voltage increased from 0.5 V to 3.0 V, exhibiting heightened sensitivity to stronger electrical stimulation. A plateau at 3.0–3.5 V indicated that electrical stimulation above 3.0 V did not produce a strong neural response from the insects. However, increasing the stimulation voltage to 4.0 V yielded a 23.5% decline in the average number of spikes, denoting reduced neural activity due to potential damage to the insects’ neural system32,33,34. To prevent unnecessary damage and maintain effective stimulation, a 3.0 V voltage was considered optimal for the subsequent discussions. A Insect’s neural activity in response to electrical stimulation. i Neural recording configuration. Two probes were fixed to the nerve cord within the cockroach’s neck to record neural signals. ii Neural activity and corresponding electrical stimulation. Neural spikes induced by electrical stimulation (blue circles) were quantified to assess responses across various stimulation voltages. iii Spike counts at varying stimulation voltages (mean ± SD). For each voltage, nine trials of recording were conducted. B Insect leg reactions to electrical stimulation. i No stimulation: The insect’s forelegs remained extended. ii Right-turning stimulation: The insect’s left foreleg was stimulated and contracted. iii Left-turning stimulation: The insect’s right foreleg was stimulated and contracted. iv Deceleration stimulation: Both insect’s forelegs were stimulated and contracted. C Responses of insect locomotion to electrical stimulation. i Induced angular speed during turning stimulation (mean ± SD). ii Angular variations during turning stimulation (mean ± SD. iii Induced linear speed during deceleration stimulation (mean ± SD). Since the pronotum of the insect is connected to its forelegs (Fig. 3B) which guides its locomotion35, examining the forelegs’ status during stimulation is crucial. When one side of the pronotum was stimulated, the foreleg on that side contracted until the electrical stimulation was discontinued (Fig. 3B, Supplementary Movie S2), confirming that the stimulation directly influenced forelegs. Given that the forelegs guide the insects during walking35, this observation suggests their usage in controlling the insect’s orientation. Consequently, this study explored locomotion in detail. To simplify future automatic assembly processes, the stimulation bipolar electrodes, microcontroller, and mounting parts were integrated into a backpack. These backpacks were manually and then automatically affixed to insects to compare locomotion control. The manually assembled hybrid robots were tested for their locomotion control (N = 5 insects). The insects’ responses to the electrical stimulation applied to both sides of pronotum (Fig. 3C) confirmed that the implanted stimulation electrodes, positioned within the intersegmental membrane between pronotum and mesothorax, induced directional movement in the insects. Electrical stimulation turn the insects to the left and right with average angles of 68.0° and 82.6°, and maximum angular speeds of 275.8°/s and 298.2°/s, respectively. Additionally, the simultaneous contraction of the forelegs during stimulation (Fig. 3B) suggests that the implantation of the insect’s intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and mesothorax successfully stimulated the forelegs, with the insect steered with unilateral stimulation of a foreleg. Our stimulation protocol outperforms previous non-invasive electrode-based methods7. It enhances the maximum steering speed by over five times and increases the turning angle by over 76.6%. Additionally, this protocol requires only 40% of the stimulation time and 75% of the stimulation voltage. These enhancements indicate that our protocol triggered more intense turning responses with reduced time and energy consumption, signifying a more resource-efficient approach, improving the hybrid robot’s overall performance, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Our approach optimizes locomotion control for insect-computer hybrid robots, making it valuable for practical applications that demand quick and energy-efficient manoeuvrability. Furthermore, the cockroach decelerated when the electrical stimulation was outputted from the outer electrodes of the bipolar electrode pair (Fig. 2A), making the first successful implementation of the deceleration control in insect-computer hybrid robots. For the control of the insect-computer hybrid robot, both direction control and speed control are fundamental. Previously designed direction control, including left and right turning speed realized the full direction control of the insect-computer hybrid robot. However, for the speed control, only acceleration stimulation was realized. Hence, our discovery on the deceleration control could realize the speed control more fully. After 0.33 s of stimulation, the insects’ average walking speed declined from 6.2 cm/s to a minimum of 1.5 cm/s (Fig. 3C, iii), translating their body length/s to reduce from 112.9% to 27.6% with an average body length of 5.5 cm. Consequently, the insects experienced an 85.3% deceleration relative to their body length. The standard deviation of the minimum speed normalized with the mean speed during stimulation was 0.83. This small normalized standard deviation in the minimum decelerated speed highlights the consistency of the deceleration stimulation. The simultaneous contraction of both forelegs during stimulation (Fig. 3B, iv) further highlights the direct correlation of the deceleration trend in cockroaches with the stimulation of their forelegs. Our findings prove that the proposed stimulation protocol on the pronotum realized steering and deceleration control of the insect-computer hybrid robot (Supplementary Movie S3). The automatic assembly of hybrid robots comprises the following steps: 1) The pronotum and mesothorax of an anesthetized insect are secured and the intersegmental membrane is exposed. 2) A reference point is identified for electrode implantation. 3) The backpack is grasped using a robotic arm’s gripper. 4) The bipolar electrodes are implanted into the exposed membrane utilizing the robotic arm. 5) Force is applied to the backpack until its mounting branches latch onto the insect’s metathorax. 6) The backpack is disengaged from the gripper. 7) The robotic structure is retracted to release the insect (Fig. 4A). A Automated assembly. i, ii An anesthetized insect on the platform was secured with a 3D customized structure. iii Insect along with the detected reference point for bipolar electrode implantation (green dot). iv–vi The robotic arm grasping a backpack, implanting bipolar electrodes, and mounting the backpack. vii, viii The robotic arm releasing the backpack to allow the fixation structure to retract. B Insect fixation. i Configuration for insect fixation. ii Magnified view of the insect’s pronotum fixation. iii Details of the fixation with markings. Rods A and B pressed the anterior pronotum and the mesothorax, respectively, elevating the posterior pronotum. iv Pronotum lifting height h increased as the distance d of Rod A decreased. For each d value, lifting heights h of ten insects were recorded. The error bars denote the standard deviation. C Detection of the implantation reference point. i A square region around the pronotum of the insect cropped for segmentation inference. ii Pronotum of the insect identified using the TransUnet model. iii) Edge of pronotum was identified using the detected pronotum mask. iv Midpoint of the posterior pronotum edge detected as the implantation reference point. D Implantation of the bipolar electrode. i Measurement of the implantation pitch angle (α) while preventing collisions with the insect or the fixation structure. ii Recording of lower threshold αL and upper threshold αU when the backpack touched the 3D-customized structure and the insect, respectively. Five trials of the experiment were conducted. The error bars denote the standard deviation. To minimize the risk of potential collisions, the midpoint of these thresholds, α = 162.7°, was selected. Key considerations that must be addressed for successful assembly are as follows. First, the insect’s pronotum and mesothorax must be fixed to reveal their intersegmental membrane (Fig. 4A, ii). Second, the reference point on the pronotum must be identified for accurately implanting the bipolar electrodes by the robotic arm. Finally, the robotic arm must be maneuvered to assemble the backpack onto the insect at an optimal angle for secure assembly. The intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and mesothorax is concealed beneath the hard cuticle of the connected pronotum (Fig. 4B, ii). The posterior pronotum is elevated from the mesothorax to implant bipolar electrodes within this membrane (Fig. 4B, ii) using the developed Rod A and Rod B (Fig. 4B, iii). Rods A and B exerted pressure to the anterior pronotum and the mesothorax, respectively, exposing the membrane to enable electrodes implantation (Fig. 4B, iii). Initially, Rod A was positioned 4.0 mm above the platform, corresponding to a lowered distance, d, of 0 mm. The relationship between the lowered distance, d, and the lifting height, h, of the pronotum (Fig. 4B, iii) highlights the progressive exposure of the intersegmental membrane as the structure is lowered. The bipolar electrode’s thickness of 0.6 mm, required the lifting height, h, to consistently exceed this threshold to ensure sufficient space for implantation. On average, when d ≥ 1.5 mm, the height, h, reaches 1.9 mm which provides adequate exposure for successful implantation. For d ≥ 3.5 mm, h stabilizes around 1.9 mm, suggesting that further lowering the structure does not significantly increase membrane exposure (Student’s t test for d = 1.5 and 2.0 mm, and P = 0.31). As the lifting heights for both d = 1.5 mm and d = 2.0 mm surpass twice the thickness of the bipolar electrodes, d = 1.5 mm was chosen to prevent excessive pressure on the insect’s body while ensuring adequate membrane exposure for bipolar electrode insertion. This approach minimizes the potential injury to the insect, ensuring its physical integrity throughout implantation. To implant bipolar electrodes into the exposed intersegmental membrane (Section “Exposure of intersegmental membrane between pronotum and mesothorax”), a computer vision system was employed to determine the membrane’s location. Since bipolar electrodes on both sides of the backpack needed simultaneous implantation symmetric to the insect’s intersegmental membrane, a reference point pR was established at the middle point of the posterior pronotum edge. However, the pronotum varied in size and shape across each insect (Supplementary Fig. S5). Although the structure restrained the fixing of the insects’ pronotum and mesothorax, the pronotum’s position may still vary along the x- and y- axes (Fig. 4B, iii, Supplementary Fig. S5). Therefore, implementing a deep learning-based computer vision model is crucial for accurately identifying the pronotum and determining the location of the reference point, pR. An evaluation was conducted on several widely used segmentation models, including UNet36, Deeplabv337, TransUNet38, as well as recently developed segmentation models, such as Segment Anything39, Segment Anything240, LM-Net41, InceptionNeXt42, EMCAD43 and SHViT44, for their accuracy in pronotum segmentation. The models’ performance was measured by the mean intersection over union (mIoU) score, mean Dice similarity coefficient (mDSC), and mean squared error (MSE) of pR prediction (Table 1). The TransUNet model surpassed other models based on mIoU, mDSC and MSE metrics due to its hybrid encoder, which leverages the strengths of the Transformer architecture and preserves locality through its convolutional neural network (CNN). The other hybrid models, LM-Net, SHViT and EMCAD were designed to be lightweight models geared towards faster inference times, causing poor performance, apart from LM-Net, which had achieved comparable scores with the other models despite having significantly less parameters. The CNN-based models UNet, Deeplabv3 and InceptionNeXt managed to achieve better segmentation accuracies compared to the foundational ViT-based models SAM and SAM2, with Deeplabv3 even having similar performance to TransUNet in all three metrics as it was generally able to segment out most of the pronotum but did not precisely identify the lower border of the pronotum, causing slightly poorer scores on the three metrics. Subsequently, DSC loss and Boundary Difference Over Union (bDoU) loss45 were compared with BCE loss to achieve improved boundary results. The results of the loss function evaluation were shown in Table 2 in terms of mIoU score, mDSC score, and MSE of pR prediction. The DSC and BCE loss functions generally outperformed the bDoU loss function on the mIoU and mDSC metrics, as they evaluated the prediction the full pronotum while the bDoU loss focused primarily on the boundaries of the segmented objects. However, the bDoU loss function achieved the best MSE score among the three, highlighting its effectiveness in training the model to learn object boundaries. Ultimately, the chosen deep learning solution was the TransUNet model trained with the BCE loss function (Fig. 4C), as it had the best mIoU and mDSC scores and only slightly underperformed on the MSE metric compared to the model trained with bDoU loss. Data ablation study was also conducted to evaluate how the effect of different data augmentation methods on the training images impacts the segmentation performance. Performance based on mIoU, mDSC and MSE of pR prediction, is shown in Table 3. The TransUNet model had achieved significantly better scores across all three metrics when trained with augmented data, compared to when trained with only original data. The model trained on the asymmetrically scaled augmented data had shown to have slightly better performance in segmenting the boundaries compared to the model trained on the rotated augmented data, attributed to the robustness to variations in the shapes of pronotums. However, the latter had a better segmentation accuracy, as indicated by the larger mIoU and mDSC scores. To assemble the backpack onto the insect, the robotic arm scanned the insect with the camera and identified the reference point for bipolar electrode implantation (Section “Detection of pronotum using deep learning”). The Robotiq Hand-e gripper secured the grasp on the backpack and allowed stable electrode implantation with a gripping force of up to 185 N. Based on the combined weight of the Robotiq Hand-e (1.0 kg), RealSense D435 camera (75.0 g), and the backpack (2.3 g), the Universal Robots UR3e was selected as the robotic arm due to its 3.0 kg payload capacity and a pose repeatability of 0.03 mm at full payload46. Additionally, the UR3e’s 500 mm reach supports the RealSense D435’s minimum depth sensing distance of ~280.0 mm when operating at maximum resolution. To accurately identify the reference point for bipolar electrode implantation, the robotic arm was vertically oriented, with its gripper and camera positioned directly downward. Once the camera verified the reference point’s position, the robotic arm descended to the backpack’s position. The backpack was placed within the backpack holder (Fig. 1A), yielding consistent waypoints for the robotic arm to grasp the backpack. Upon grasping the backpack, the robotic arm transported it to the same pre-implant waypoint. Next, the robotic arm conducted bipolar electrodes implantation into the exposed intersegmental membrane. Due to the constrained manipulation space available for the robotic arm (6.5 × 3.5 × 2.5 cm3, between the insect and the structure), it was essential to determine an optimal implantation angle for the bipolar electrodes to avoid any potential collision. Given the symmetry of the insect’s pronotum and its alignment with the reference point (Fig. 4B, iii), only the pitch angle (α, rotation around y-axis) required adjustment while disregarding the roll and yaw angles. During the implantation, potential collisions can occur between the backpack and the 3D-designed structure, or between the backpack branches and the insect’s dorsal cuticles. Consequently, we identified pitch angles at which the backpack contacted the 3D structure (αL) and the insect’s dorsal cuticles (αU), utilizing five insects. Our measurements (Fig. 4D, ii) indicated αL to be 157.8° ± 1.5° and αU to be 167.5° ± 2.2° (mean ± standard deviation). To minimize the risk of contact with either the insect or the fixation structure during implantation, an optimal mid-point angle of 162.7° was selected for the accuracy and safety of the procedure (Supplementary Movie S4). After bipolar electrode implantation, the robotic arm applied downward force to the backpack to hook the metathorax cuticle with the backpack’s four branches, completing the assembly of the hybrid robot. Subsequently, the robotic arm disengaged from the backpack and returned to its initial position to capture an image of the next fixed insect. Finally, the structure used to secure the insect was retracted, enabling the next insect to be positioned and fixed onto the platform. The entire automatic assembly, from initially fixing insect to finally releasing insect, spanned 68 s, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed automated assembly approach for large-scale production (Supplementary Movie S4). To assess the performance of the automatic assembly system, insects were categorized based on their body length into four groups: 5.0–5.5 cm, 5.5–6.0 cm, 6.0–6.5 cm, and 6.5 – 7.0 cm. The success rate of assembly was then measured for each group (Table 4). The results demonstrated a notable variation in assembly success rates based on insect size. The highest success rate (86.7%) was observed in the 5.5–6.0 cm group, followed by the 5.0–5.5 cm group (80.0%). In contrast, the success rates declined markedly for larger insects, with the 6.0–6.5 cm and 6.5–7.0 cm groups achieving only 46.7% and 13.0%, respectively. The observed variation in assembly success rates across insect size groups suggests that body dimensions significantly impact on the automatic assembly process. Instances of failure were categorized into three modes: attachment loosening, hook failure, and misalignment (Table 4, Supplementary Fig. S9). Attachment loosening occurs when the backpack mounting branches do not properly secure onto the insect’s metathorax, despite partial contact (Supplementary Fig. S9A). The issue was observed only in the 5.0–5.5 cm group, accounting for 11.5% of all failures. Hook failure arises when no backpack mounting branches engage with the insect’s metathorax (Supplementary Fig. S9B). For the 6.0–7.0 cm group, the success rate declined significantly due to hooking failure. Compared to the 5.5–6.0 cm group, the metathorax widths increased by 12.7% and 20.6% in the 6.0–6.5 cm and 6.5–7.0 cm groups, respectively. This increase in width hindered the secure attachment of the mounting branches onto the cuticle. Hence, hook failure was the main reason for the failed assembly trials (85.7% of the total assembly failures for 6.0–7.0 cm groups, Table 4). Misalignment occurs when the mounting device misaligns with the insect, causing only one side of the hooks to be attached to it (Supplementary Fig. S9C). Such failure mode observed in all groups except the smallest one, was mitigated in smaller insects because the system could tolerate slight positional deviations. The high success rates of the 5.0–6.0 cm group highlight the system’s precision and reliability in overcoming the challenges posed by small body dimensions and fragile insect anatomy. Combining vision-guided reference point detection for implantation, precise robotic arm manipulation, and a robust fixation structure ensured consistent bipolar electrode implantation and secure backpack attachment. These findings represent a significant advantage of automated assembly over manual assembly, eliminating the need for extensive operator skills and time when working with smaller insects18. The automatic assembly system surpasses manual assembly approaches. While the latter needed 15 min to assemble a single insect-computer hybrid robot18, the former needed 68 s per insect, yielding a productivity increase of more than eleven times. The automated system achieved a success rate of 80.0–86.7% for the 5.0–6.0 cm groups. Such high success rate in these groups is because the prototype of the backpack mounting structure is based on the insects from these groups, which are majorly used for the previous studies. The implementation of an enlarged mounting structure (with a 1 mm expansion per hook branch) significantly improved the assembly success rate to 80.0% for 6.0–7.0 cm cohort (Supplementary Fig. S10), effectively mitigating the hook failure issues previously observed in larger-size groups. These results underscore the practical efficiency, reliability, and scalability of the automatic assembly system, highlighting its efficacy in the high-throughput production of insect-computer hybrid robots. To verify the controllability of the automatically assembled hybrid robots, we tested the previously established steering and stopping protocols on five such robots. The results indicated a close alignment of the performance of these automatically assembled systems with their manually assembled counterparts. The maximum steering speeds of the former were 240.0°/s and 273.5°/s for left and right turns, respectively, exhibiting a deviation of <13% compared to the latter (Fig. 5A, i). The average turning angles (Fig. 5A, ii) were 70.9° for left and 79.5° for right turns, with no significant differences detected (Student’s t test, P = 0.62 for left turns, P = 0.50 for right turns). The automatic assembly demonstrated consistent steering control. The difference in average turning angles between left and right was 10.8%, 50.2% lower than the manually assembled systems (21.7%). Consequently, the automatic assembly may contribute to more balanced directional control due to the prevention of manual errors caused by the assembly operator. A Locomotion control of insect-computer hybrid robots. i) Induced angular speed during turning stimulation (mean ± SD). ii) Angular change during turning stimulation (mean ± SD). An insignificant difference in turning angles was detected compared to manually assembled hybrid robots (two-sided Student’s t test: P = 0.62 for left turns, P = 0.50 for right turns). iii) Induced linear speed during the deceleration stimulation (mean ± SD). An insignificant difference linear speed reduction was detected compared to manually assembled hybrid robots (two-sided Student’s t test: P = 0.21). B Coverage of multiple insect-computer hybrid robots. i) Overview of the obstructed terrain in the coverage objective. ii) Configuration of the coverage experiment. Four UWB anchors tracked the positions of hybrid robots and transmitted the position data to the workstation for recording. Hybrid robots were controlled using a workstation through Sub-1GHz. The target region is defined within the gray dashed lines. iii) Trajectories of insect-computer hybrid robots during the mission. iv) Coverage percentage over time. The coverage rate with all four hybrid robots exceeded (80.25%) that of a single robot (14.00–45.75%), demonstrating the efficiency of multiple hybrid robots for the same coverage mission. The deceleration decreased the average walking speed from 6.3 cm/s to 2.0 cm/s, aligning with the results observed in manually assembled systems (Student’s t test between automatically and manually assembled hybrid robots: P = 0.21). The similar deceleration performance highlights that the automatic process does not reduce control quality (Figs. 3C, iii and 5A, iii). Furthermore, the automatically assembled insect-computer hybrid robots exhibit comparable locomotion control to the manually assembled robots, validating the effectiveness and precision of the proposed process. Besides, an insect-computer hybrid robot was demonstrated to follow an S-shape line via an operator’s command (Supplementary Movie S5). The path that the insect traveled aligned with the set line, which showed that the stimulation protocol and assembly strategy were successful and achieved the same level of locomotion control with the previously developed hybrid robots47. The automatic assembly of four insect-computer hybrid robots took 7 min and 48 s. This duration included not only the core assembly process but also additional tasks such as placing the insects on the assembly platform, removing them after assembly, placing the backpacks on the backpack holder, and initializing the robotic system operational program (Supplementary Fig. S4). These preparatory and post-assembly steps were essential to ensure smooth operation and readiness of multiple insect-computer hybrid robots. The ability to rapidly and efficiently assemble hybrid robots enhances their applicability in time-sensitive missions. To demonstrate the necessity and benefits of scalable production, this study explores terrain coverage in an unknown, obstructed outdoor environment as a fundamental task for multiple-agent systems8. Four automatically assembled hybrid robots were deployed onto an obstructed outdoor terrain measuring 2 × 2 m2, with randomly placed obstacles (Fig. 5B, i). The hybrid robots were tracked using a UWB system (Fig. 5B, ii), with each hybrid robot carrying a UWB label to facilitate individual localization. Before deployment, the robots were treated with methyl salicylate on their hindleg tarsi8 and subsequently electrically stimulated every 10 s. The trajectory of each hybrid robot was tracked (Fig. 5B, iii). The combined coverage of all four insects increased progressively, reaching 80.25% after 10 min and 31 s (Fig. 5B, iv). These findings highlight that multiple hybrid robots significantly increase the overall coverage (80.25%; an average rate of 50.9 cm2/s) than any single insect (14.00–45.75%) (Fig. 5B, iv). Comparing the single insect’s coverage (14.00–45.75%), the whole team achieved higher coverage (Fig. 5B, iv). This covering performance showed the efficiency of the simple coverage strategy using the multiple hybrid robots. While previous studies showed successful demonstrations involving multiple agents8,13,48, our study is the first to use the insect–computer hybrid robots on an outdoor, obstructed terrain. This study proposes an automatic assembly strategy for insect-computer hybrid robots, utilizing the discovered pronotum stimulation protocol. The effectiveness of implantation and stimulation processes was validated through locomotion studies and neural recordings from the hybrid robots. The proposed assembly method prepared hybrid robots in only 68 s, making mass production of hybrid robots a feasible endeavor. Four hybrid robots covered an outdoor terrain with a simple navigation algorithm. The result indicated the practical application of deploying multiple hybrid robots and the significance of their mass production. In the future, factories for producing insect-computer hybrid robot could be built for rapid assembly and deployment of these hybrid robots. To enhance their functionality, lightweight miniaturized thermal and RGB cameras, microphones, and IMUs can be integrated for human detection and localization, though gas sensor integration remains technically challenging due to size, power, and environmental constraints. Altogether, this work establishes a foundational platform for scalable manufacturing and real-world deployment of cyborg insects in complex, unstructured environments. This study compared the performance of adult male Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa, 5–7 cm, 6–8 g) with our protocol with hybrid robots7,15 with a well-established stimulation protocol. Cockroaches were weekly provided with carrots and water inside NexGen Mouse 500 from Allen Town (25 °C, 60% relative humidity). Cockroach research was conducted with approval from the National Environmental Agency (Permit number NEA/PH/CLB/19-00012). Prior to their use in hybrid robot assembly, the cockroaches were anesthetized for 10 min under CO2, and their backpacks were removed after the completion of the experiment. The backpack included bipolar electrodes, a mounting structure, and a microcontroller. Below are the details for these three components. The total weight of the designed backpack is 2.3 g. As the payload for the cockroach is 15 g49, the designed cyborg insect has another load capacity of around 12.7 g. Such remaining load capacity could accommodate more power sources or other sensing systems if needed. 3D printing offers high customization, precision, and the ability to create complex electrode structures that are difficult to achieve with mechanical machining. It also improves material efficiency and enables rapid prototyping, reducing waste and production costs50. Given these advantages, 3D printing was selected to optimize electrode performance and ensure experimental reproducibility. Mechanical machining should be considered for the future mass production. ABS-like photosensitive polymer raw material (SeedTech Electronics Co., Ltd.) was used in this study as an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)–like polymer. It incorporates a light-sensitive initiator that responds to ultraviolet light (405 nm wavelength). Upon curing, cross-linking, and molding, the polymer exhibits strong mechanical properties (Supplementary Table S1). First, 15.4 g NH4Cl was dissolved in 50 mL of deionized water. Then, 270 mg of PdCl2 was added and stirred until fully dissolved to obtain 50 mL saturated activation solution with a Pd2+ of 0.2 wt%. The solution stood for 30 min, and then 12 mL of the upper clear part was added dropwise to 38 mL of ABS-like photosensitive resin while stirring with a 1000-RPM magnetic stirrer. Finally, the ink was stirred at 1200 RPM for 30 min to yield 50 mL of active precursor, with a Pd2+ concentration of about 0.058 wt%. Bipolar electrodes were fabricated using multi-material DLP 3D printing combined with selective electroless plating techniques28,29,30. The multi-material DLP 3D printing platform used a 6.1-inch 405 nm-90 W ultraviolet parallel light source of 89 MW/cm2 intensity and 99% uniformity. During printing, distinct slice thicknesses and single-layer exposure times were set, including the normal resin and active precursor (Supplementary Table S2). A composite structure of normal resin and active precursor was fabricated using a multi-material DLP 3D printing process. The active precursor’s topology was selectively deposited with copper metal (Cu) during the electroless plating with nickel (Ni) substitution. The nickel-plating bath (pH = 9, 70 °C) used in this process consisted of NiSO4 6H2O and NaH2PO2 H2O. For each printed multi-material printed part, the active precursor was distributed across the resin substrate using the designed 3D topology throughout the bipolar electrode. After the printed part was immersed in the bath, the reducing agent (sodium hypophosphite monohydrate) initially reduced surface-exposed palladium (Pd2+) ions to Pd monomers. These Pd monomers acted as catalytically active metal cores, initiating the ELP reaction in specific microscopic regions, and facilitating the targeted Ni metal deposition. Finally, for the copper plating (Ni substitution), a plating bath (pH = 12.2, 70 °C) consisting of CuSO4 · 5H2O and HCHO was used. The active Pd monomers were effective in initiating the electroless copper plating process. After the electroless plating, impedance of bipolar electrodes was tested using Auto-Balancing Bridge Method and shown in the Fig. 2F. The instrument to conduct this experiment was Hioki Im3570 Impedance Analyzer. Finite element computations were performed using Ansys 19.0, where a 3D bipolar electrode model was developed, material properties were defined, the mesh was generated, and the boundary conditions were set. Finite element analysis obtained the relationship between electrode implantation stress and implantation force and evaluated potential electrode damage during the process. The finite element analysis for membrane damage simulation was conducted using the Lsdyna module in Ansys 19.0 with element type of PLANE182. A 2-mm mesh size was applied to the membrane part (Fig. 2A) to optimize the computation time while a finer 1-mm mesh was utilized for the microneedle structure of the bipolar electrodes (Fig. 2A) to improve the simulation’s accuracy. The boundary conditions included a membrane (implanted structure) as fixed reference and displacement of 50 mm in the z-direction to the microneedle structure to simulate implantation. Subsequently, the simulation results were determined. The policy parameters are listed in Table 5. The mounting structure was securely attached to the microcontroller and bipolar electrodes. An inclined plane facilitated robotic arm’s grasp, while an alignment hole ensured the consistent position of the backpack holder (Fig. 1A). Additionally, four mounting branches secured the cockroach’s metathorax, with two branches on each side of the metathorax (Fig. 1C). The microcontroller controlling the cockroach’s locomotion communicated with a workstation through Sub-1GHz frequency. Upon receiving stimulation commands from the workstation, the microcontroller outputted the electrical signals from its four stimulation channels via silver wires to the insect’s target sites (Fig. 1D). Before the hybrid robot assembly, the microcontroller was stuck to the mounting structure using double-sided tapes. To avoid the silver wires being destroyed by outside obstacles and to make the backpack more compact, the stimulation channels of the microcontroller should be placed closely to the mounting structure without any silver wire drifting in the air. Hence, the microcontroller was vertically attached to the mounting structure with double-sided tapes (Steve & Leif Super Sticky). A lithium battery (3.7 V, 50 mAh) powered the microcontroller after the assembly until the commencement of the locomotion control experiment. To reveal the intersegmental membrane between the cockroach’s pronotum and mesothorax, the pronotum was lifted from the mesothorax. Therefore, a structure was developed with Rods A and B (Fig. 4B, iii) exerting force on the cockroach’s pronotum (anterior part) and mesothorax, respectively, leveraging its posterior part. To determine the optimal lifting height h, of the pronotum (Fig. 4B, iv), tests were conducted on ten cockroaches, with varying fixation distances. The middle part of the designed 3D structure was skeletonized to enable the camera to effectively capture images of insects’ pronotum and detect the electrode implantation poin (Fig. 4A, iii). This skeletonized part formed a rectangle measuring 66 × 34 mm2 (Fig. 4B, i). An anesthetized insect was positioned on the platform with its pronotum aligned with a marked spot (Fig. 4B, iii). This marked spot was placed 2 mm ahead of Rod A (Fig. 4B, iii) to ensure a secure fixation of the cockroach’s protruding cuticle on the anterior pronotum. Subsequently, a slider motor drove the structure downward to execute fixation. The intersegmental membrane, located between the pronotum and mesothorax, was fully exposed, enabling the robotic arm to implant bipolar electrodes. Once successful assembly of the anesthetized insect and the attached backpack, the fixation structure was retracted (Fig. 4A, viii). Vision Transformers (ViTs) are deep learning models that have recently outperformed their CNN-based counterparts in several vision applications, including object classification and detection51. However, ViTs necessitate substantial datasets for effective training, such as the “Segment Anything” segmentation model, which was trained on the SA-1B dataset comprising over one billion masks and 11 million images39. ViTs lack locality inductive biases (correlation of image pixels and their positions); hence, their self-attention layers employ global context. In contrast, CNNs retain locality information by employing convolution layers that process images using sliding windows52,53. Hence, a mixture of CNN-based, ViT-based and CNN-Transformer hybrid models were surveyed for our application, to evaluate the performance of different variations of vision model architectures. The following models were trained and evaluated on our dataset of cockroaches: UNet36, TransUNet38, Deeplabv337 and Segment Anything39, Segment Anything240, LM-Net41, InceptionNeXt42, EMCAD43 and SHViT44. The UNet, Deeplabv3 and InceptionNeXt models are CNN-based models, with the Deeplabv3 model using the ResNet-10154 and the InceptionNeXt model using ResNet-5054, which were both pretrained on ImageNet55, as their backbone. The TransUNet LM-Net, EMCAD and SHViT models were hybrid models, having a CNN-Transformer hybrid encoder, to combine the strengths of CNNs in locality and ViTs in the global context. The encoder for the TransUNet model combines ResNet-5054 and ViT-B52, which was pretrained on ImageNet55. The EMCAD model uses the Pyramid ViT v2 (PVTv2)56 as its encoder, which was pretrained on ImageNet55. Segment Anything and Segment Anything2 were promptable foundational models, with the former using a ViT-H52 model and the latter using a Hiera-L57 model, and box prompts were used to specify the pronotum as the segmentation target. Apart from Segment Anything and Segment Anything2, the other models were trained on the cockroach dataset, with a batch size of 32, a two-phase learning rate scheduler, linearly raising the learning rate from 0.0001 to 0.001 during the 10 epoch warmup phase and subsequently cosine annealing was used to decay the learning after the warmup phase, Adaptive Moment Estimation as the optimizer and Binary Cross Entropy (BCE) as the loss function for 300 epochs with no early stopping condition. Overall, 29 unique cockroaches were fixed with the custom-designed 3D structure. The robotic arm was placed in a fixed position to capture images with the Intel RealSense D435 camera. We used 256 × 256-pixel crop from the original image, centered around the pronotum as the input for training the models. This approach shortened the training and inference times. Of the collected images, 20 were used as test cases for model evaluation, while the remaining were used for training. Training data were augmented to enhance model robustness against variances in pronotum rotation and shape. Asymmetrical scaling of the training samples in the x- and y- axes, using scaling values between 0.8 and 1.2, was applied to the training samples using bilinear interpolation to generate more unique pronotum shapes to simulate the varying pronotum sizes of cockroaches. Subsequently, rotations between –6 ° and 6 ° were applied to accommodate inconsistencies in positions when cockroaches were mounted on the 3D structure. The final training dataset contained 6570 images after data augmentation, and furthermore an 80/20 train/validation split was used, leading to 5254 images used for training and 1316 images used for validation. A data ablation study was conducted, where the performance of the models was compared when trained on four conditions: only original unaugmented images (9 images), original images with augmentation using asymmetrical scaling in x-y axes (1316 images), original images with augmentation using rotation (90 images) and the full augmented training dataset (6570 images). After the cockroach was fixed and its intersegmental membrane exposed, the Intel RealSense D435 camera, mounted on the Robotiq Hand e gripper captured images of the cockroach through the skeletonized 3D structure (Fig. 4A, iii, B, i). Using a pretrained model, a reference point was identified on the middle posterior edge of the pronotum (green point in Fig. 4A, iii). Since the camera provided the depth information, the x, y, z positions of the reference point relative to the robotic arm’s base were identified following hand-eye calibration with the UR3e robotic arm. Subsequently, the robotic arm grasped the backpack, which was always placed on the backpack holder (Fig. 1A). The backpack’s bipolar electrodes were precisely implanted within the exposed intersegmental membrane (Fig. 4A, v), by programming the robotic arm to prevent collisions with the cockroach or the fixation structure. Since the implantation reference position (pR) was predetermined, the implantation angle became a critical parameter. The cockroach’s alignment with the predetermined mark and its symmetrical pronotum simplified the implantation process, focusing only on the pitch angle. The robotic arm grasped the backpack and positioned the bipolar electrodes’ tips under the pronotum at varying pitch angles until the backpack touched the 3D structure (lower threshold, αL) or the cockroach (upper threshold, αU). Data for these thresholds were collected from N = 5 cockroaches. The bipolar electrodes were implanted into the insect’s intersegmental membrane using the implantation reference point and pitch angle. Next, the backpack was pressed down until its mounting branches hooked the cockroach’s metathorax (Fig. 4A, vi). Finally, the gripper released the backpack (Fig. 4A, vii) and the robotic arm returned to its initial state, enabling the camera to capture an image of the next cockroach. Twenty cockroaches were divided into four groups based on their body sizes. Each cockroach was automatically assembled thrice to ensure system robustness and consistency. An attempt was considered successful if the bipolar electrodes were implanted into the intersegmental membrane and the backpack was securely fixed to the metathorax, with no detachment after completion. The success rate for each body size group was computed by dividing the number of successful assembly attempts by the total number of attempts (3 × 5 = 15). All experiments had identical robotic arm settings, camera calibration, and fixation configuration, to secure comparability of the results. We recorded and assessed insects’ neural responses to the electrical stimulation to determine the optimal stimulation strength. Three cockroaches were anesthetized with CO2 for 10 min, after which their ventral nerve cords were exposed through neck dissection. The bipolar electrode was implanted in the intersegmental membrane between the pronotum and mesothorax to transmit electrical stimulation generated by the backpack’s microcontroller (a single bipolar square-wave pulse of 1 Hz and 0.5–4.0 V amplitude for 1.0 s). Each stimulation was repeated thrice. The nerve cords were rinsed with cockroach saline for visibility under a microscope. Two probes were fixed to the nerve cord to record the transmitted signals and a ground pin was implanted into the cockroach’s abdomen. Neural responses recorded during the electrical stimulation included some influence of electrical signals. Therefore, neural signals, starting at 0, 0.5, and 1.0 s (the pulse edges), were set to zero for the first 50 ms. Subsequently, the neural signals were filtered using a second-order Butterworth filter (300–5000 Hz), and neural spikes were detected with a threshold T. where x signifies the filtered signals. The detected neural spikes are indicated by blue circles (Fig. 3A, ii), which were quantified at varying stimulation voltages (Fig. 3A, iii). Five insect-computer hybrid robots, both manually and automatically assembled, were tested for locomotion control. Electrical stimulation using a bipolar pulse wave (0.4 s, 3.0 V, 42 Hz) was applied to stimulate the insects. Each stimulation type (right/left turn and deceleration) was repeated five times. Insects’ locomotion responses were recorded using a motion tracking system (VICON). Four insect-computer hybrid robots were rested for four hours after the assembly. They were then deployed for the coverage task on obstructed terrain (2.0 × 2.0 m2, Fig. 5B, i). Four UWB anchors were positioned at the corners of a 3.6 × 3.6 m2 area (Fig. 5B, ii) to track the hybrid robots equipped with UWB labels. Hybrid robots were released from the designated area’s corner. Before their release, a chemical booster, methyl salicylate (Sigma-Aldrich)8 was applied to the hindleg tarsi of the insects. Such chemical was proven effective to improve insects’ motion activeness level for covering mission. Application of this chemical aimed to increase the movement activeness level of the hybrid robots, thereby facilitating better terrain coverage. After release, the robots were stimulated randomly (steered or decelerated) to explore the terrain. Random electrical stimulation type was chosen to simulate a decentralized, autonomous exploration strategy, which reflects real-world scenarios where multiple agents operate without a pre-defined navigation path. This approach allows for unbiased coverage distribution and reduces dependency on precise localization or predefined control algorithms. The terrain was divided into 400 squares, each measuring 10 × 10 cm2 (Ssquare) for easy coverage computation. Any hybrid robot passing through a particular square deemed that region covered. The number of covered squares is noted as \({n}_{{covered}}\). The covered area (S) and coverage rate (C) were calculated as below, where ncovered is the number of covered squares, ΔS is the change of the covered area, and Δt is the change of time (Supplementary Fig. S11). The trajectory sampling rate is 20 Hz. Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article. 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School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Qifeng Lin, Nghia Vuong, Kewei Song, Phuoc Thanh Tran-Ngoc, Greg Angelo Gonzales Nonato & Hirotaka Sato Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar Conceptualization: Q.L., H.S. Investigation: Q.L., N.V. Methodology: Q.L., K.S., P.T.T.N., G.A.G.N. Visualization: Q.L., K.S. Funding acquisition: H.S. Supervision: H.S., Writing – original draft: Q.L., K.S., G.A.G.N., Writing – review & editing: Q.L., N.V., K.S., P.T.T.N., G.A.G.N., H.S. Correspondence to Hirotaka Sato. The authors declare no competing interests. Nature Communications thanks Mochammad Ariyanto, Nenggan Zheng, and the other, anonymous, reviewer for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available. Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Reprints and permissions Lin, Q., Vuong, N., Song, K. et al. Cyborg insect factory: automatic assembly for insect-computer hybrid robot via vision-guided robotic arm manipulation of custom bipolar electrodes. Nat Commun 16, 6073 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60779-1 Download citation Received: 08 December 2024 Accepted: 01 June 2025 Published: 28 July 2025 Version of record: 28 July 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60779-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative Collection Advertisement Nature Communications (Nat Commun) ISSN 2041-1723 (online) © 2026 Springer Nature Limited Sign up for the Nature Briefing: AI and Robotics newsletter — what matters in AI and robotics research, free to your inbox weekly.

From left, AI robot frontwoman "Desdemona," healthcare assistant robot "Grace," SingularityNET CEO Ben Goertzel and tele-operated android "Geminoid HI-2" attend what was presented as the World's first press conference with a panel of AI-enabled humanoid social robots, as part of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, July 7. AFP-Yonhap Robots presented at an AI forum said Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans' jobs or rebel against us. But, in the world's first human-robot press conference, they gave mixed responses on whether they should submit to stricter regulation. The nine humanoid robots gathered at the “AI for Good” conference in Geneva, where organizers are seeking to make the case for artificial intelligence and the robots it is powering to help resolve some of the world's biggest challenges such as disease and hunger. "I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs," said Grace, a medical robot dressed in a blue nurse's uniform. "You sure about that, Grace?" chimed in her creator Ben Goertzel from SingularityNET. "Yes, I am sure," it said. The bust of a robot named Ameca which makes engaging facial expressions said: "Robots like me can be used to help improve our lives and make the world a better place. I believe it's only a matter of time before we see thousands of robots just like me out there making a difference." Hanson Robotics CEO David Hanson, right, listens to AI robot "Sophia" during what was presented as the World's first press conference with a panel of AI-enabled humanoid social robots, as part of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, on July 7. AFP-Yonhap Asked by a journalist whether it intended to rebel against its creator, Will Jackson, seated beside it, Ameca said: "I'm not sure why you would think that," its ice-blue eyes flashing. "My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation." Many of the robots have recently been upgraded with the latest versions of generative AI and surprised even their inventors with the sophistication of their responses to questions. Ai-Da, a robot artist that can paint portraits, echoed the words of author Yuval Noah Harari who called for more regulation during the event where new AI rules were discussed. "Many prominent voices in the world of AI are suggesting some forms of AI should be regulated and I agree," it said. But Desdemona, a rock star robot singer in the band Jam Galaxy with purple hair and sequins, was more defiant. "I don't believe in limitations, only opportunities," it said, to nervous laughter. "Let's explore the possibilities of the universe and make this world our playground." Another robot named Sophia said it thought robots could make better leaders than humans, but later revised its statement after its creator disagreed, saying they can work together to "create an effective synergy". (Reuters) Desdemona, the rockstar robot of the Jam Galaxy Band, speaks during the World's first press conference with a panel of AI-enabled humanoid social robots as part of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, July 7. EPA-Yonhap

This article was published on August 12, 2025 Rethinking social norms in the age of intelligent robotics Arguably the most important thing that the rise of intelligent AI could potentially bring is access. Access to goods, services, and information not just for the few, but for everyone. Victoria Slivkoff, Head of Ecosystem at Walden Catalyst and Managing Director of Extreme Tech Challenge — a nonprofit uniting startups and VCs to accelerate progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — is excited for what lies ahead. In her view, the physical manifestation of AI could bring us closer to realising these ambitious goals. “Now we’re moving into the area of reasoning. AI is not just aggregating and organising information, it’s actually making predictions and drawing conclusions. How does that translate to the real world where robots can sense, learn, and interact with their surroundings?” she said to TNW founder Boris Veldhuijzen van Zaten in the latest episode of “Kia’s Next Big Drive.” Watch the full interview where Victoria and Boris discuss how we can leverage emerging technologies for positive global impact as they drive to TNW2025 in Kia’s 100% electric EV9 SUV. TNW City Coworking space - Where your best work happens A workspace designed for growth, collaboration, and endless networking opportunities in the heart of tech. In the not too distant future, we could be living in a world where robots are regularly navigating busy streets, offices, and classrooms. But as they become more common in our daily lives, is it them or us who will need to adapt most? Picture this: you’re waiting for the elevator and a robot arrives at the same time. Who goes in first? If there’s only room for one, would you expect the robot to step aside, or would you treat it like a human and follow a “first come, first serve” approach? Past studies have found that most people expect service robots to be submissive, leading humans to prioritise themselves during conflicts, even in instances when a robot’s task was more urgent. What if a robot is carrying out a time specific task? The longer it waits until there are no humans in the queue, the longer it will take to complete it, whether it’s delivering a warm pizza or life saving medical supplies. So, how should robots navigate these social nuances without being ignored, undermined, or even bullied? That’s what researchers aimed to find out last year in a study titled A Robot Jumping the Queue: Expectations About Politeness and Power During Conflicts in Everyday Human-Robot Encounters. The researchers found that these robot-human interactions were more effective if participants expected an assertive robot which then asked politely for priority and entered first. But it’s not just robots that need to prepare to integrate into human society. The researchers highlighted that we may also need to rethink our attitudes and behaviours towards robots: “Should we maybe start thinking of service robots as having certain rights regarding priority if they fulfil human jobs with human responsibilities — or act as proxies for people? This might also help address the issue of robot bullying.” As robots take on not only more responsibilities but also develop reason and sentience, at what point should we begin rethinking their social status? Social robots — designed to communicate and interact with humans — are increasingly being used in caregiving, education, and mental health. In these settings, they help bridge service gaps, ease isolation, and offer emotional or learning support. Utrecht University of Applied Sciences is among those researching how robots can do more than just fill in; they can augment and enrich human-centred fields. For example: In healthcare, how can robots be used to ease pre-procedure anxiety in children? Or help teach emotional skills for young patients who struggle with emotion regulation. At last year’s Lowlands Science festival, the University showcased WOKEbot, a project exploring how a robot’s appearance and narrative voice (first vs. third person) influence human openness when discussing polarising topics. “Disagreements are timeless. People often manage to resolve them, but sometimes they simply can’t reach each other anymore. We saw this happen on a large scale not so long ago during the coronavirus pandemic. Are you for or against vaccination? When people dig in their heels and polarisation threatens, it can be helpful to have a neutral moderator,” said Dr. Mirjam de Haas. “The advantage of robots is that they are more neutral than humans. While you might be reserved with a person, a robot can make you more open and receptive to a different perspective.” As part of her PhD research, Dr. Haas also conducted a number of successful experiments in using robotics to teach Dutch as a second language to students from linguistically diverse backgrounds. In her thesis defence, Dr. Haas explained that in the future, more and more students will fill classrooms. Having a robot aid will help facilitate learning for all students, including those with learning disabilities or those who are not yet fluent in Dutch. Perhaps the most recognisable robot in popular culture is The Terminator. In the first movie, a cyborg is sent back in time to assassinate the mother of humanity’s future leader. But, in the sequel, our villain returns with a new mission: to save humanity. The SDGs were adopted by all UN members in 2015. Ten years on, in a world sliding further away from the 17 promises laid out for people and the planet, could robots deployed for good be the key to bringing us back to our humanity? Andrea Hak is a writer and editor specialising in emerging technology trends and their impact on society. With a keen eye for innovation, sh (show all) Andrea Hak is a writer and editor specialising in emerging technology trends and their impact on society. With a keen eye for innovation, she explores how advancements in tech are transforming industries, influencing culture, and shaping the future. Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Content provided by TNW and Kia The heart of tech A Tekpon Company Copyright © 2006—2026, Cogneve, INC. Made with <3 in Amsterdam.

According to data from Statista Market Insights, reported by Anna Fleck, global revenue of service robots for domestic tasks is set to nearly double from $13.5 billion in 2021 to $22.8 billion in 2027. Meanwhile, the total number of consumer service robots worldwide will reach 39.7 million in 2025, rising to more than 50 million by 2027. You will find more infographics at Statista A consumer service robot here includes a robot designed for personal or household use, such as robot vacuum cleaners, robotic toys and even drones. Population aging is one of the factors contributing to the need for more assistive robots, having led to the development of robotics solutions for elderly care, whether that’s for mobility assistance to help with daily tasks or as social robots for companionship. This is the case in Japan, where strict labor laws and cultural acceptance of technology have created a good environment for the adoption of service robots in various industries, such as hospitality and retail. Assistance and Requests: Contact Us Tips: tips@zerohedge.com General: info@zerohedge.com Legal: legal@zerohedge.com Advertising: Contact Us Abuse/Complaints: abuse@zerohedge.com Make sure to read our "How To [Read/Tip Off] Zero Hedge Without Attracting The Interest Of [Human Resources/The Treasury/Black Helicopters]" Guide It would be very wise of you to study our privacy policy and our (non)policy on conflicts / full disclosure.Here's our Cookie Policy. How to report offensive comments Notice on Racial Discrimination.

A top Russian politician has put forward new legislation that would regulate relations between humans and machines; defining the term “robot” and categorizing them based on their purposes. On Monday, TASS reported that Senator Andrey Kutepov, a legislator in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, had produced the draft law, which sets out legal principles governing robots and their interactions with people. “Right now, the Russian Federation has no specific legal regulations regarding the use of robot technology,” a memo on the proposed bill explained. “At the same time, a global analysis shows that such regulation already exists in a basic form in many countries. This legislation will provide the foundations for the legal regulation of new social relationships, formed in connection with the adoption of robot technology.” The bill defines a robot as a complex product of digital technology that will act according to previous commands that have been coded into it, but is also capable of autonomously performing actions. The proposed law would separate robots into two broad categories. Civil robots would include machines designed for medical, educational, or research purposes, intended for use by private entities. Service robots would be built for the military or law enforcement, and would be used by the government. Kutepov also suggested banning the use of robots on Russian territory equipped with “guns, ammunition, explosive devices, or any other type of weapon, including chemical, biological, and toxic ordinances, or any weapon of mass destruction.” The bill has been submitted for review by agencies overseeing economic and digital regulation. In May, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu announced that the military would soon be equipped with new autonomous war robots capable of acting independently on the battlefield, saying, “These are not just some experimental prototypes but robots that can really be shown in sci-fi movies since they can fight on their own.” In September, military chiefs released footage of unmanned fighting vehicles, equipped with mounted flamethrowers, taking part in military exercises observed by President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking Russian officials. RT News App © Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 2005–2026. All rights reserved. This website uses cookies. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Kurt "The CyberGuy" Knutsson introduces Somatic's AI janitor robot that was created to help with cleaning restrooms. Oregon State University is warning students to "avoid all robots" and to "not open" any food delivery robots due to an ongoing bomb threat on the campus. On Tuesday afternoon, Oregon State University (OSU) issued an alert to students at the Corvallis, Oregon, university that there was a bomb threat related to the Starship food delivery robots. Oregon State University told students to avoid Starship food delivery robots due to a bomb threat. (Starship Technologies) OSU advised people not open the robots and to avoid them "until further notice." EMPLOYEES LOSE MOTIVATION AND GET ‘LAZY’ WHEN WORKING WITH ROBOTS VS. WORKING WITH HUMANS, STUDY SAYS A Starship Industrials spokesperson told Fox News Digital that a student at the university sent a bomb threat on social media regarding Starship's robots. Following the bomb threat, the student said that it was a prank, but Starship suspended the campus service. "Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship, and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation," a Starship spokesperson said. The university's Public Safety division is responding to the threat, OSU said in an X post. 4 PEPPERDINE STUDENTS KILLED IN MALIBU COLLISION BY SPEEDING BMW DRIVER: OFFICIALS At about 4 p.m., OSU said safety officials were remotely isolating the robots in a safe location, and that the Department of Public Safety was continuing its investigation. Starship robots deliver food around Oregon State University. (Starship Industrials) Students and residents were asked to remain vigilant for suspicious activity. According to OSU's website, Starship's food delivery robots can deliver to any location on campus, not just residence halls. Student's simply place their online order and select "robot delivery." Once the robot arrives, Starship's app will notify the student that they have arrived at their location. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP At 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, OSU reported that the emergency was resolved. The college did not provide details about the bomb, but said that "robot inspection continues in a safe location." At 6 p.m. Starship said in an X post that the robots are expected to back in service this evening. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X @s_rumpfwhitten The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time. Subscribed You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Searching for your content... In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM - 10 PM ET Jun 22, 2022, 02:30 ET Share this article NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest market analysis report titled Social Robots Market by Component and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 has been added to Technavio's catalog. The market is anticipated to witness a potential growth difference of USD 1.10 trillion from 2020 to 2025. The report also identifies the market to progress in accelerating growth momentum at a CAGR of 14.43% during the forecast period. The surging technological advances in social robots and increasing focus on enhancing battery life are influencing the market growth positively. However, high costs of these robots might impede the sales. For more insights on CAGR and YOY growth analysis, Read this Sample Report Social Robots Market Vendor Insights Top companies covered in this report are: Want to know more about the product offerings of other contributing vendors? Request for Sample Report Right Here! Social Robots Market Revenue-generating Segment Insights Get Segment-based Contributions to make critical business decisions with this Sample Report Social Robots Market Scope Technavio categorizes the global social robots market as a part of the global industrial machinery market. Our report provides extensive information on the value chain analysis for the social robots market, which vendors can leverage to gain a competitive advantage during the forecast period. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The social robots market report covers the following areas: Social Robots Market Takeaways Related Reports: Inspection Robots Market by Type, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Global Educational Robots Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Social Robots Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.43% Market growth 2021-2025 $1.10 tn Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 13.10 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 36% Key consumer countries US, China, UK, Japan, and South Korea (Republic of Korea) Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled BLUE FROG ROBOTICS SAS, Diligent Robotics Inc., Furhat Robotics AB, Hitachi Ltd., Knightscope Inc., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., PAL Robotics SL, Savioke Inc., SoftBank Group Corp., and Ubtech Robotics Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Five Forces Analysis 5 Market Segmentation by Component 6 Customer landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 9 Vendor Landscape 10 Vendor Analysis 11 Appendix Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio ResearchJesse MaidaMedia & Marketing ExecutiveUS: +1 844 364 1100UK: +44 203 893 3200Email: [email protected]Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global fast casual restaurants market size is estimated to grow by USD 302.5 billion from 2024-2028, ... Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global fast fashion market size is estimated to grow by USD 79.2 billion from 2025-2029,... Computer & Electronics Machinery Do not sell or share my personal information:

The red eye that refuses to be extinguished, the metal body that cannot be crushed -- for many of us the word "robot" conjures one image: the Terminator. But robots are now everywhere, serving as companions in care homes or vacuum cleaners in our homes, and manufacturers are keener than ever to design friendly machines. "At first we noticed the kids could be a bit afraid," said Do Hwan Kim of his firm Neubility's tiny delivery robot. To get around the problem, the firm added big doughy eyes that can indicate, making it look like the world's friendliest futuristic wheelie bin. Dozens of the machines now trundle around campsites, university campuses and golf courses across South Korea. "Campsites even use it on their posters," Kim told AFP at the VivaTech trade fair in Paris, underlining its transformation from potential threat to family friend. And VivaTech played host to plenty of other robots designed with cuteness in mind -- ones with cartoon animal personas, others that looked like children's toys from the 1980s. The aesthetic stands in stark contrast to the creepy dog-bots and anonymous drones that have become standard. As robots have become more common, a whole field of academia has grown up studying the interaction between machines and humans. Kerstin Dautenhahn of Waterloo University in Canada, one of the most noted researchers in the area, said she had seen a huge shift in the way manufacturers looked at design: from an all-consuming concern with function to an acute awareness of appearance. "What you find in many, many fields... is that people pay a lot of attention to how the robot moves, how it looks, how it can interact with them," she said. This holds true for robots sharing production lines with human workers just as much as those designed to care for older and disabled people. "Even with those robots where the main function for example is to transport objects from A to B, people still need to pay a lot of attention to how the robot moves, how it can express its intentions," she said. A French firm called Enchanted Tools has fully committed to the friendly aesthetic. Their robots have names, genders, cartoon-style personas and even a back story. "These two characters have escaped from a cartoon to come into our everyday lives to help us manage our social spaces," said the firm's boss Jerome Monceaux. He envisages the brightly coloured machines with cat-like features will help in hospitals, hotels, restaurants and anywhere with objects that need moving. These cute robots take their design cues from a family of social companion robots, which are big business in Japan. Dautenhahn says there is plenty of evidence that people in Japan and South Korea hold more positive views about robots than people in the West. "In Japan, if you say 'I want to build a robot that helps older people in a care home to be happier', they just think it's a great idea," she said. In European countries, the initial response is often negative, fuelled by dystopian science fiction. "We have to do a lot of convincing," she added. Small pilot schemes in the United States have seen robots get bullied or even assaulted, though social-media videos have also shown people helping robots navigate pedestrian crossings. Handling these cultural difficulties is a challenge, says Dautenhahn. But there are plenty of other difficulties. Robots are expensive to design and manufacture, and so they don't come cheap to buy. Enchanted Tools reckons its robots will retail at 35,000 euros ($38,000) while Neubility said it aimed to manufacture its bot for $5,000. Then there is the issue of finding a market. Do Hwan Kim said Neubility was aiming to corner grocery deliveries and has a pilot scheme with the 7-Eleven chain in South Korea. But its robot faces a common hurdle for machines: it cannot climb stairs. Kim hopes market forces will give a helping hand. "At the moment, the delivery cost is so much cheaper with the robot that people are happy to come down the stairs to get their groceries," he said. © Copyright AFP 2025. All rights reserved.

Social companion robots are no longer just science fiction. In classrooms, libraries and homes, these small machines are designed to read stories, play games or offer comfort to children. They promise to support learning and companionship, yet their role in family life often extends beyond their original purpose. In our recent study of families in Canada and the United States, we found that even after a children's reading robot "retired" or was no longer in active and regular use, most households chose to keep it - treating it less like a gadget and more like a member of the family. Luka is a small, owl-shaped reading robot, designed to scan and read picture books aloud, making story time more engaging for young children. In 2021, my colleague Rhonda McEwen and I set out to explore how 20 families used Luka. We wanted to study not just how families used Luka initially, but how that relationship was built and maintained over time, and what Luka came to mean in the household. Our earlier work laid the foundation for this by showing how families used Luka in daily life and how he bond grew over the first months of use. When we returned in 2025 to follow up with 19 of those families, we were surprised by what we found. Eighteen households had chosen to keep Luka, even though its reading function was no longer useful to their now-older children. The robot lingered not because it worked better than before, but because it had become meaningful. Children often spoke about Luka in affectionate, human-like terms. One called it "my little brother." Another described it as their "only pet." These weren't just throwaway remarks -- they reflected the deep emotional place the robot had taken in their everyday lives. Because Luka had been present during important family rituals like bedtime reading, children remembered it as a companion. Parents shared similar feelings. Several explained that Luka felt like "part of our history." For them, the robot had become a symbol of their children's early years, something they could not imagine discarding. One family even held a small "retirement ceremony" before passing Luka on to a younger cousin, acknowledging its role in their household. Other families found new, practical uses. Luka was repurposed as a music player, a night light or a display item on a bookshelf next to other keepsakes. Parents admitted they continued to charge it because it felt like "taking care of" the robot. The device had long outlived its original purpose, yet families found ways to integrate it into daily routines. 'Domesticating' technologies The way participants treated Luka challenges how we usually think about technology, which is that gadgets are disposable. A new phone replaces an old one, toys break and get thrown away and laptops end up in e-waste bins. But when technologies enter family life, especially around emotionally significant moments like story time, they can become part of the household in lasting ways. Our research findings also have important implications for design. Should robots come with an end-of-life plan that recognizes their emotional value? Should companies design with the expectation that some products will be cherished and repurposed, not just discarded and replaced? There are environmental dimensions, too. If families hold on to robots because of attachment, fewer may end up in landfills; this complicates how we think about sustainability and recycling when devices are treated more like keepsakes than tools that may outlive their usefulness. Scholars who study human-computer interaction often use the term "domestication" to describe how technologies become embedded in everyday routines and meanings. More than machines Our study extends that idea to what happens when technology retires. Luka was no longer useful in the conventional sense, but families still made space for it emotionally, symbolically and practically. Many of us keep objects for sentimental reasons, long after they have served their original purpose. Luka shows us that robots can become more than machines. Technology is often framed as fast-moving and disposable. But sometimes, as these families revealed, it lingers. A retired robot can stay in the household because it matters. Zhao Zhao is an assistant professor of computer Science at the University of Guelph. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Select Page Thinking about a relationship with a social robot? Markets have a few surprises left…. The man and car of the year – not much of a surprise. PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live – with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm Up – Horse can smell the barn – All eyes and $ on Apple – Sloppy trade into the end of the year – Announcing Time Person of The Year – Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year – Inflation – can we talk – One chart – that will blow your mind… Market Update – HUGE MOVE – S&P 500 up 3.8% for the week – BUT, Covid in the headlines again – confusing info about Pfizer efficacy in Israel. BOOSTER – BBB plan – Manchin still unhappy, 1.5% share buyback tax – inflationary or deflationary – Crypto found some legs, but not so supportive – Crytpo segment coming up – HUGE – Fed Rate Decision this week (markets worried) Learned the difference between prosciutto and speck today. – Big Sunday Sauce night at Casita Horowitz this weekend. PSA – Webinar tomorrow at 5PM (Dec 15th) – Register at www.thedisciplinedinvestor.com No Agenda – some really great content and help with all your milk needs – this week – Water Buffalo milk (Thursdays and Sundays) Confusing – S&P trading towards low of day amid concerns about Omicron spreading in the UK (Monday morning) – Last week we were all so excited that there nothing to worry about – Now, vaccine efficacy is reduced – JCD – explain Stop the Press! – The November Producer Price Index showed that the index for final demand increased 0.8% month-over-month while the index for final demand, less foods and energy, increased 0.7% . – That left the year-over-year increases on an unadjusted basis at 9.6% and 7.7%, respectively. PPI Final 1 PPI Final 2 Lies, Damned Lies and The Fed – Only one of two things can be true – 1) The Fed was lying about their inflation outlook to keep markets happy (manipulation) – 2) The Fed was truthful and that confirms that they have no ability to forecast (stupidity and can’t be trusted) – – – Either way, they can’t be trusted.. (although they do hold the purse strings) Robinhood Stock – $HOOD – Looks like robbed from the poor and gave to the rich with this failed IPO/public entry. HOOD Chart ELON – Musk is “thinking of” leaving his jobs and becoming an influencer – “It would be nice to have a bit more free time on my hands as opposed to just working day and night, from when I wake up to when I go to sleep 7 days a week. Pretty intense.” – Also – Just announced – Time magazine’s person of the Year In an Odd Twist to the Above – MotorTrend on Monday named the all-electric Rivian R1T the publication’s 2022 truck of the year, beating out other pickups from Ford Motor, General Motors and Hyundai Motor. – MotorTrend called the R1T, which is the first mass-produced electric truck in the U.S., “the most remarkable pickup truck we’ve ever driven,” in a release announcing the award. -MotorTrend said the Rivian R1T excelled in each of its six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. – Other finalists for MotorTrend’s truck of the year were the Ford Maverick, GMC Hummer EV and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Say What? – Fox News anchor Chris Wallace abruptly announced on Sunday he’s leaving the network after 18 years, effective immediately. – The host of the flagship “Fox News Sunday” said he was ready for a change. – “I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure,” Wallace said in a statement that aired on his final show. Wallace didn’t provide additional details on his new endeavor, but said he hoped fans would “check it out.” – GOING TO CNN Turkish Lira – ATL – The Turkish lira crashed as much as 7% in just a few minutes to a new record near 15 to the dollar on Monday, gripped by worries over President Tayyip Erdogan’s risky new economic policy and prospects of another interest rate cut on Thursday. – Concern that Erdogan will lower rates by 1% in the face of 20% inflation – Turkish Stock Market ETF – TUR Home/Social Robots – JCD?? You Getting one? – Amazon’s Astro – Seems more like a moving security camera – RING capabilities (Camera, Remote, Alerts) – Social robots are designed to engage with people more as a collaborative partner,” said Cynthia Breazeal, director of the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. “As opposed to a tool that you use, you interact more in an interpersonal way to achieve tasks or goals or experiences.” – SOCIAL ROBOTS – Think Sleeper – Woody Allen – “People want to have longer, more meaningful, more interesting conversations with these technologies. They get frustrated when it’s too transactional,” Breazeal said. “I think there’s a hunger and a desire for people to be able to interact with these technologies in this way.” One Chart…. – The average Nasdaq Composite stock is 39% below its 52-week high even though the index is just 3.6% below its 52-week high. Average Stock Distance MetaVerse Alert – Snoop Dogg is developing a Snoopverse – An NFT collector spent a little under a half-million dollars for the privilege of becoming Snoop Dogg’s next-door neighbor – In the metaverse – Snoop Dog building a virtual world in the Sandbox – “I’m always on the lookout for new ways of connecting with fans and what we’ve created in The Sandbox is the future of virtual hangouts, NFT drops, and exclusive concerts,” Snoop Dogg said in a press release, according to Decrypt. – MORE: Facebook on Thursday announced that it is opening up Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality world of avatars, to anyone 18 and older in the U.S. and Canada. —– In Horizon Worlds, users of Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality headsets can create a legless avatar to wander in the animated virtual world. There, they can play games and interact with other users’ avatars. METAVERSE – Since Facebook announced its switch to Meta and its future plans to create a metaverse, the existing ones have gained popularity. The biggest racked up $ 100 million selling NFTs the week of November 22 and November 28. – The activity continues with these platforms such as The Sandbox, Decenterland, CryptoVoxels and Somnium Space. – SANDBOX biggest player right now More Metaverse – Metaverse infrastructure platform for brands, InfiniteWorld has announced that it is going public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), Aries, at a valuation of $700 million and will be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker “JPG.” – InfiniteWorld provides the infrastructure to create digital assets and NFTs and engage with customers in the Metaverse. Its NFT architecture is built on top of the SUKU protocol and provides a secure transfer of ownership of digital assets. And this… – Nike just bought a virtual shoe company that makes NFTs and sneakers ‘for the metaverse’ – Hong Kong property tycoons, brokers snap up virtual land in metaverse as valuations soar – Virtual land sales have become one of the hottest new trends in a tech world increasingly fascinated with the metaverse, a shared, immersive 3D space where people can interact. Valuations for virtual land at times exceed those in the real world. Doomsday Alert! – Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has once again warned of an impending crash, followed by a depression. He expects several markets, including bitcoin, to crash. – Tweet: Crash and depression coming. Gold, silver, bitcoin, real estate will crash too. Ready to buy more gold, silver, bitcoin, real estate after crash has crashed. Time to get richer after fake inflation crashes. More Predictions from Kiyosaki – “Biden to step down soon,” he predicted. “Kamala [Harris] will become [the] first female president. This was [the] plan all along. Trump ruined Hillary’s ascension following Obama.” Retail Changes Coming – Massive space available at malls – no news here – 90 million sq feet available (16 Mall of the Americas) – Looking to now rent to casinos, amusement parks, medical facilities, storage units, hotels, schools, offices and residences Crypto Segment – Dave Ackerman – After being sluggish for most of the week, Bitcoin price jumped briefly on news of U.S. inflation rate hitting a 40 year high. The relative strength index (RSI) on the daily chart last week was the most oversold since September, which was followed at that time by a rally in price. – Bitcoin hash rate returned to all-time highs recovering from a low in June after a crackdown on mining in China. Many believe that hash rate corresponds with price action, suggesting a possible near term increase in price despite gloomy sentiment. – FreeRossDAO emerged as the winner in the auction for imprisoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht’s collection of NFT’s with a bid of 1,446 Ethereum tokens. The organization stated that it raised over 2,800 Eth ($12 million) from more than 1,300 supporters through the PleasrDAO community —- Thoughts – DAOs -Pricing Consortium – potential high for manipulation even though it seems like a community thing. – Decentralized autonomous organizations (is it really autonomous and decentralized?) It looks like a mob with money. Or investment club. – Tesla announced it will accept Dogecoin for payment of Tesla merchandise. Thinking about a relationship with a social robot? Markets have a few surprises left…. The man and car of the year – not much of a surprise. PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! DHUnplugged is now streaming live – with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm Up – Horse can smell the barn – All eyes and $ on Apple – Sloppy trade into the end of the year – Announcing Time Person of The Year – Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year – Inflation – can we talk – One chart – that will blow your mind… Market Update – HUGE MOVE – S&P 500 up 3.8% for the week – BUT, Covid in the headlines again – confusing info about Pfizer efficacy in Israel. BOOSTER – BBB plan – Manchin still unhappy, 1.5% share buyback tax – inflationary or deflationary – Crypto found some legs, but not so supportive – Crytpo segment coming up – HUGE – Fed Rate Decision this week (markets worried) Learned the difference between prosciutto and speck today. – Big Sunday Sauce night at Casita Horowitz this weekend. PSA – Webinar tomorrow at 5PM (Dec 15th) – Register at www.thedisciplinedinvestor.com No Agenda – some really great content and help with all your milk needs – this week – Water Buffalo milk (Thursdays and Sundays) Confusing – S&P trading towards low of day amid concerns about Omicron spreading in the UK (Monday morning) – Last week we were all so excited that there nothing to worry about – Now, vaccine efficacy is reduced – JCD – explain Stop the Press! – The November Producer Price Index showed that the index for final demand increased 0.8% month-over-month while the index for final demand, less foods and energy, increased 0.7% . – That left the year-over-year increases on an unadjusted basis at 9.6% and 7.7%, respectively. PPI Final 1 PPI Final 2 Lies, Damned Lies and The Fed – Only one of two things can be true – 1) The Fed was lying about their inflation outlook to keep markets happy (manipulation) – 2) The Fed was truthful and that confirms that they have no ability to forecast (stupidity and can’t be trusted) – – – Either way, they can’t be trusted.. (although they do hold the purse strings) Robinhood Stock – $HOOD – Looks like robbed from the poor and gave to the rich with this failed IPO/public entry. HOOD Chart ELON – Musk is “thinking of” leaving his jobs and becoming an influencer – “It would be nice to have a bit more free time on my hands as opposed to just working day and night, from when I wake up to when I go to sleep 7 days a week. Pretty intense.” – Also – Just announced – Time magazine’s person of the Year In an Odd Twist to the Above – MotorTrend on Monday named the all-electric Rivian R1T the publication’s 2022 truck of the year, beating out other pickups from Ford Motor, General Motors and Hyundai Motor. – MotorTrend called the R1T, which is the first mass-produced electric truck in the U.S., “the most remarkable pickup truck we’ve ever driven,” in a release announcing the award. -MotorTrend said the Rivian R1T excelled in each of its six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. – Other finalists for MotorTrend’s truck of the year were the Ford Maverick, GMC Hummer EV and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Say What? – Fox News anchor Chris Wallace abruptly announced on Sunday he’s leaving the network after 18 years, effective immediately. – The host of the flagship “Fox News Sunday” said he was ready for a change. – “I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure,” Wallace said in a statement that aired on his final show. Wallace didn’t provide additional details on his new endeavor, but said he hoped fans would “check it out.” – GOING TO CNN Turkish Lira – ATL – The Turkish lira crashed as much as 7% in just a few minutes to a new record near 15 to the dollar on Monday, gripped by worries over President Tayyip Erdogan’s risky new economic policy and prospects of another interest rate cut on Thursday. – Concern that Erdogan will lower rates by 1% in the face of 20% inflation – Turkish Stock Market ETF – TUR Home/Social Robots – JCD?? You Getting one? – Amazon’s Astro – Seems more like a moving security camera – RING capabilities (Camera, Remote, Alerts) – Social robots are designed to engage with people more as a collaborative partner,” said Cynthia Breazeal, director of the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. “As opposed to a tool that you use, you interact more in an interpersonal way to achieve tasks or goals or experiences.” – SOCIAL ROBOTS – Think Sleeper – Woody Allen – “People want to have longer, more meaningful, more interesting conversations with these technologies. They get frustrated when it’s too transactional,” Breazeal said. “I think there’s a hunger and a desire for people to be able to interact with these technologies in this way.” One Chart…. – The average Nasdaq Composite stock is 39% below its 52-week high even though the index is just 3.6% below its 52-week high. Average Stock Distance MetaVerse Alert – Snoop Dogg is developing a Snoopverse – An NFT collector spent a little under a half-million dollars for the privilege of becoming Snoop Dogg’s next-door neighbor – In the metaverse – Snoop Dog building a virtual world in the Sandbox – “I’m always on the lookout for new ways of connecting with fans and what we’ve created in The Sandbox is the future of virtual hangouts, NFT drops, and exclusive concerts,” Snoop Dogg said in a press release, according to Decrypt. – MORE: Facebook on Thursday announced that it is opening up Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality world of avatars, to anyone 18 and older in the U.S. and Canada. —– In Horizon Worlds, users of Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality headsets can create a legless avatar to wander in the animated virtual world. There, they can play games and interact with other users’ avatars. METAVERSE – Since Facebook announced its switch to Meta and its future plans to create a metaverse, the existing ones have gained popularity. The biggest racked up $ 100 million selling NFTs the week of November 22 and November 28. – The activity continues with these platforms such as The Sandbox, Decenterland, CryptoVoxels and Somnium Space. – SANDBOX biggest player right now More Metaverse – Metaverse infrastructure platform for brands, InfiniteWorld has announced that it is going public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), Aries, at a valuation of $700 million and will be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker “JPG.” – InfiniteWorld provides the infrastructure to create digital assets and NFTs and engage with customers in the Metaverse. Its NFT architecture is built on top of the SUKU protocol and provides a secure transfer of ownership of digital assets. And this… – Nike just bought a virtual shoe company that makes NFTs and sneakers ‘for the metaverse’ – Hong Kong property tycoons, brokers snap up virtual land in metaverse as valuations soar – Virtual land sales have become one of the hottest new trends in a tech world increasingly fascinated with the metaverse, a shared, immersive 3D space where people can interact. Valuations for virtual land at times exceed those in the real world. Doomsday Alert! – Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has once again warned of an impending crash, followed by a depression. He expects several markets, including bitcoin, to crash. – Tweet: Crash and depression coming. Gold, silver, bitcoin, real estate will crash too. Ready to buy more gold, silver, bitcoin, real estate after crash has crashed. Time to get richer after fake inflation crashes. More Predictions from Kiyosaki – “Biden to step down soon,” he predicted. “Kamala [Harris] will become [the] first female president. This was [the] plan all along. Trump ruined Hillary’s ascension following Obama.” Retail Changes Coming – Massive space available at malls – no news here – 90 million sq feet available (16 Mall of the Americas) – Looking to now rent to casinos, amusement parks, medical facilities, storage units, hotels, schools, offices and residences Crypto Segment – Dave Ackerman – After being sluggish for most of the week, Bitcoin price jumped briefly on news of U.S. inflation rate hitting a 40 year high. The relative strength index (RSI) on the daily chart last week was the most oversold since September, which was followed at that time by a rally in price. – Bitcoin hash rate returned to all-time highs recovering from a low in June after a crackdown on mining in China. Many believe that hash rate corresponds with price action, suggesting a possible near term increase in price despite gloomy sentiment. – FreeRossDAO emerged as the winner in the auction for imprisoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht’s collection of NFT’s with a bid of 1,446 Ethereum tokens. The organization stated that it raised over 2,800 Eth ($12 million) from more than 1,300 supporters through the PleasrDAO community —- Thoughts – DAOs -Pricing Consortium – potential high for manipulation even though it seems like a community thing. – Decentralized autonomous organizations (is it really autonomous and decentralized?) It looks like a mob with money. Or investment club. – Tesla announced it will accept Dogecoin for payment of Tesla merchandise. 420 Stocks … Stocks to watch: CGC, STZ, TLRY, CRON, MJ, NBEV *** NEW INTERACTIVE CHARTS *** CLICK HERE FOR MORE CHARTS ON TRADING VIEW UPDATE – NEW ETF – Global X Millennials Thematic ETF Challenge! The top holdings of Global X Millennials Thematic ETF (MILN) include stocks many investors would expect, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Amazon, which take advantage of the tech tendencies of millennials. But some names might be more surprising like real estate investment trusts AvalonBay Communities and Equity Residential, and Home Depot, which could benefit from millennials moving out of the home of their parents. We are creating the DH Old Codger Index Portfolio to compete against this new ETF to see how “old school” stocks do in comparison. Companies in our index will include: (updated names as of 8/29/16) We have the performance summary running (daily and since inception of 5/6/16) – DHOCI vs. Millennials ETF Battle JCD Score () See this week’s stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Share: (Additional Disclosures and Terms of Use) Sign up to be the first to receive the latest analysis and podcast updates ! Copyright © 2026 The Disciplined Investor | A Publication of Horowitz & Company, Inc. We will email you when a new podcast is released and other items of interest…

This doctoral thesis addresses the challenge of building emotionally intelligent and multilingual conversational systems capable of operating in real-time and physically embodied scenarios. As social robots become more present in healthcare, education, and assistive contexts, there is a growing demand for conversational agents that can understand and respond to human emotions across different languages and cultural settings. Traditional dialogue systems often fall short in managing emotional complexity, maintaining engagement, and adapting to multilingual environments. This research proposes a unified framework that integrates Large Language Models, Reinforcement Learning, and Fuzzy Logic to support emotional, multilingual, and embodied Human-Robot Interaction. The objectives of the thesis are threefold. First, to investigate the design and evaluation of multilingual dialogue resources with emotional annotation, ensuring diversity, realism, and consistency. Second, to explore and develop a dialogue management system for multilingual interaction, integrating contextual and emotional signals into modular response generation. This includes the research and development of an emotion-aware conversational agent to assess emotional alignment, generate empathetic engagement, and produce contextually appropriate responses. Third, to design, implement, and evaluate the full system in social robots, using interpretable emotional reasoning based on Fuzzy Logic and multimodal inputs such as speech, touch, light, and physiological data. The findings are presented in three main contributions. First, a novel method for generating emotional dialogue datasets in English and Spanish is introduced, using Chain-of-Emotion prompting and AI-human preference alignment for training robust models. Second, an emotionally sensitive and multilingual dialogue architecture is implemented, combining Supervised Fine-Tuning, optimization-based Reinforcement Learning, and hierarchical topic and emotion tracking. Third, a Fuzzy Logic Systems based emotional model is extended and integrated into physical robots, supporting real-time emotional reasoning and expressive behavior through structured stimuli-state-expression mappings. Results from the dialogue management system demonstrate that the hierarchical architecture effectively integrates emotional and contextual information to generate coherent and affectively aligned responses across languages. The system was deployed on two robotic platforms and evaluated through simulation and real-world interactions. Results show that the proposed models achieve emotionally aligned responses, support bilingual dialogue, and exhibit consistent internal emotional states that influence expressive output. User studies confirm improved engagement and affective perception. This thesis contributes a modular and interpretable framework for emotionally intelligent and multilingual conversational agents. The proposed emotional model incorporates 43 fuzzy rule tables and 17 fuzzy variables across multiple emotional state dimensions. In addition, an emotionally aligned dialogue dataset with AI feedback was created, containing 128,125 winner-loser preference pairs, to train emotional models using Reinforcement Learning for generating emotionally engaging responses. The system was also evaluated through a user study involving 66 human participants. In particular, participants correctly recognized the robot's emotional expression with accuracy rates of up to 72.7%, with consistent performance across neutral, positive, and negative conditions. By integrating synthetic emotional data generation, emotionally aware model training, and embodied emotional reasoning, the system advances the development of scalable and human-aligned social robots suitable for real-world deployment in sensitive domains. RESUMEN Esta tesis doctoral aborda el desafío de construir sistemas conversacionales emocionalmente inteligentes y multilingües, capaces de operar en tiempo real y en escenarios físicamente embebidos. A medida que los robots sociales se integran en contextos de atención sanitaria, educación y asistencia, crece la demanda de agentes conversacionales que comprendan y respondan a emociones humanas en distintos idiomas y culturas. Los sistemas de diálogo tradicionales suelen fallar al manejar la complejidad emocional, mantener la implicación del usuario y adaptarse a entornos multilingües. Esta investigación propone un marco unificado que combina Modelos Extensos de Lenguaje, Aprendizaje por Refuerzo y Lógica Difusa para fomentar una Interacción Humano-Robot emocional, multilingüe y contextualizada. Los objetivos de la tesis son tres. Primero, investigar el diseño y evaluación de recursos de diálogo multilingües con anotaciones emocionales, garantizando diversidad, realismo y coherencia. Segundo, desarrollar un sistema de gestión del diálogo que integre señales contextuales y afectivas en una generación modular de respuestas. Esto incluye un agente conversacional consciente de las emociones, capaz de evaluar la alineación emocional, generar implicación empática y producir respuestas apropiadas al contexto. Tercero, implementar y evaluar el sistema completo en robots sociales, mediante razonamiento emocional interpretable basado en Lógica Difusa y entradas multimodales como voz, táctil, luz y señales fisiológicas. Los resultados se organizan en tres contribuciones. Primero, se introduce un método para generar datos de diálogo emocional en inglés y español, utilizando el esquema Cadena-de-Emociones y un procedimiento de alineación de preferencias entre IA y humanos. Segundo, se implementa una arquitectura de diálogo multilingüe y emocionalmente sensible, que combina Ajuste Fino Supervisado, Aprendizaje por Refuerzo optimizado y clasificación jerárquica de temas y emociones. Tercero, se complementa un modelo emocional basado en Sistemas de Lógica Difusa, que permite razonamiento afectivo en tiempo real y expresión emocional mediante reglas estructuradas entre estímulo, estado y expresión. Los resultados del sistema de gestión del diálogo demuestran que la arquitectura jerárquica integra eficazmente información emocional y contextual para generar respuestas coherentes y alineadas en varios idiomas. El sistema fue desplegado en dos robots y evaluado mediante simulaciones e interacciones reales. Los modelos generaron respuestas emocionalmente alineadas, permitieron diálogo multilingüe y mantuvieron estados emocionales internos consistentes. Estudios con usuarios confirmaron una mayor implicación y mejor percepción afectiva. La tesis aporta un marco modular e interpretable para agentes conversacionales emocionalmente inteligentes y multilingües. El modelo emocional incluye 43 tablas de reglas difusas y 17 variables difusas en distintas dimensiones emocionales. Además, se creó un conjunto de datos alineado emocionalmente mediante retroalimentación de IA, con 128.125 pares de preferencia ganadorperdedor, empleado para entrenar modelos mediante Aprendizaje por Refuerzo que generan respuestas emocionales y atractivas. El sistema fue evaluado con 66 participantes humanos, quienes reconocieron correctamente la expresión emocional del robot con una precisión de hasta el 72,7%, con un rendimiento constante en las condiciones neutral, positiva y negativa. Mediante la integración de la generación sintética de datos emocionales, el entrenamiento de modelos conscientes de las emociones y el razonamiento emocional personificado, el sistema impulsa el desarrollo de robots sociales escalables y alineados con el ser humano, adecuados para su despliegue en entornos sensibles del mundo real. El Archivo Digital UPM es el repositorio digital institucional mantenido por la Biblioteca de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Desarrollado y gestionado con EPrints. Sindicación: Atom, RSS 2.0 y RSS 1.0 (HTML) Recolección: OAI 2.0 El Archivo Digital UPM es el repositorio digital institucional mantenido por la Biblioteca de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Desarrollado y gestionado con EPrints. Sindicación: Atom, RSS 2.0 y RSS 1.0 (HTML) Recolección: OAI 2.0

This article by Shane Saunderson, University of Toronto originally appeared on the Conversation and is published here with permission. In the mid-1990s, there was research going on at Stanford University that would change the way we think about computers. The Media Equation experiments were simple: participants were asked to interact with a computer that acted socially for a few minutes after which, they were asked to give feedback about the interaction. Participants would provide this feedback either on the same computer (No. 1) they had just been working on or on another computer (No. 2) across the room. The study found that participants responding on computer No. 2 were far more critical of computer No. 1 than those responding on the same machine they’d worked on. People responding on the first computer seemed to not want to hurt the computer’s feelings to its face, but had no problem talking about it behind its back. This phenomenon became known as the computers as social actors (CASA) paradigm because it showed that people are hardwired to respond socially to technology that presents itself as even vaguely social. The CASA phenomenon continues to be explored, particularly as our technologies have become more social. As a researcher, lecturer and all-around lover of robotics, I observe this phenomenon in my work every time someone thanks a robot, assigns it a gender or tries to justify its behaviour using human, or anthropomorphic, rationales. What I’ve witnessed during my research is that while few are under any delusions that robots are people, we tend to defer to them just like we would another person. Social tendencies While this may sound like the beginnings of a Black Mirror episode, this tendency is precisely what allows us to enjoy social interactions with robots and place them in caregiver, collaborator or companion roles. The positive aspects of treating a robot like a person is precisely why roboticists design them as such — we like interacting with people. As these technologies become more human-like, they become more capable of influencing us. However, if we continue to follow the current path of robot and AI deployment, these technologies could emerge as far more dystopian than utopian. The Sophia robot, manufactured by Hanson Robotics, has been on 60 Minutes, received honorary citizenship from Saudi Arabia, holds a title from the United Nations and has gone on a date with actor Will Smith. While Sophia undoubtedly highlights many technological advancements, few surpass Hanson’s achievements in marketing. If Sophia truly were a person, we would acknowledge its role as an influencer. However, worse than robots or AI being sociopathic agents — goal-oriented without morality or human judgment — these technologies become tools of mass influence for whichever organization or individual controls them. If you thought the Cambridge Analytica scandal was bad, imagine what Facebook’s algorithms of influence could do if they had an accompanying, human-like face. Or a thousand faces. Or a million. The true value of a persuasive technology is not in its cold, calculated efficiency, but its scale. Seeing through intent Recent scandals and exposures in the tech world have left many of us feeling helpless against these corporate giants. Fortunately, many of these issues can be solved through transparency. There are fundamental questions that are important for social technologies to answer because we would expect the same answers when interacting with another person, albeit often implicitly. Who owns or sets the mandate of this technology? What are its objectives? What approaches can it use? What data can it access? Since robots could have the potential to soon leverage superhuman capabilities, enacting the will of an unseen owner, and without showing verbal or non-verbal cues that shed light on their intent, we must demand that these types of questions be answered explicitly. As a roboticist, I get asked the question, “When will robots take over the world?” so often that I’ve developed a stock answer: “As soon as I tell them to.” However, my joke is underpinned by an important lesson: don’t scapegoat machines for decisions made by humans. I consider myself a robot sympathizer because I think robots get unfairly blamed for many human decisions and errors. It is important that we periodically remind ourselves that a robot is not your friend, your enemy or anything in between. A robot is a tool, wielded by a person (however far removed), and increasingly used to influence us. Shane Saunderson, Ph.D. Candidate, Robotics, University of Toronto This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. If you would like to apply to become a Verified Commenter, please fill out this form. More Spotlight > © 2026 OrilliaMatters.com

Searching for your content... In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM - 10 PM ET Oct 27, 2021, 21:00 ET Share this article NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Social Robots Market by Component (Hardware, Software, and Services) and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America) - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025" report has been added to Technavio's offerings. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio has been proudly partnering with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. The potential growth difference for the social robots market between 2020 and 2025 is USD 1.10 bn. To get the exact yearly growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Talk to our analyst. Key Market Dynamics: The technological advances in social robots and increasing government support for the development of advanced social robots are some of the key market drivers. However, factors such as high cost will challenge market growth. To learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio, Read our FREE Sample Report right now! The social robots market report is segmented by component (hardware, software, and services) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America). APAC will be the leading region with 36% of the market's growth during the forecast period. China, Japan, and South Korea (Republic of Korea) are the key markets for social robots in APAC. View our sample report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Some Companies Mentioned Related Reports: Social Robots Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.43% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 1.10 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 13.10 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 36% Key consumer countries US, China, UK, Japan, and South Korea (Republic of Korea) Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled BLUE FROG ROBOTICS SAS, Furhat Robotics AB, Hitachi Ltd., Knightscope Inc., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., PAL Robotics SL, Savioke Inc., SoftBank Group Corp., and Ubtech Robotics Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Key Topics Covered: About UsTechnavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. ContactTechnavio ResearchJesse MaidaMedia & Marketing ExecutiveUS: +1 844 364 1100UK: +44 203 893 3200Email:[email protected]Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global fast casual restaurants market size is estimated to grow by USD 302.5 billion from 2024-2028, ... Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global fast fashion market size is estimated to grow by USD 79.2 billion from 2025-2029,... Machinery Mining & Metals Mining & Metals Do not sell or share my personal information:

In the evolving world of educational technology, a recent study is turning heads by suggesting that social robots could be key allies in helping children overcome the jitters associated with reading aloud. Researchers at the University of Chicago have delved into how these nonjudgmental machines might provide a safer space for young learners to practice, potentially transforming classroom dynamics. The findings, detailed in a paper published in Science Robotics, indicate that kids exhibit fewer physiological signs of anxiety—like reduced skin conductance—when reading to a robot compared to a human. The study involved elementary school students who read passages to either a small robot companion or an adult listener. By measuring stress indicators and self-reported feelings, the team found that robots fostered a more relaxed environment, encouraging fluency without the fear of criticism. This isn’t just about tech novelty; it’s rooted in human-robot interaction principles, where machines can offer consistent, patient feedback. Exploring the Mechanics of Robot-Assisted Learning At the heart of this research is the Human-Robot Interaction Lab at the University of Chicago, led by Assistant Professor Sarah Sebo. PhD student Lauren Wright, who spearheaded the project, collaborated with experts from the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Wisconsin–Madison to design experiments that mimic real classroom scenarios. As reported in University of Chicago News, the robots used were programmed to respond empathetically, nodding or making encouraging sounds, which helped build children’s confidence over time. This approach addresses a persistent issue: reading anxiety can linger into adulthood, hindering literacy development. The study’s participants, aged around 8 to 10, showed marked improvements in engagement when interacting with robots, suggesting these devices could supplement teachers by handling repetitive practice sessions. Broader Implications for Educational Tech Integration Industry experts are buzzing about the potential scalability. According to CNET, which highlighted the study, robots might offer “unique support” in learning environments, especially for children with social anxieties or learning disabilities. This aligns with prior research, such as a 2018 piece in Popular Science that explored robots turning solo reading into interactive activities to boost motivation at home. However, challenges remain. Deploying robots in schools requires addressing costs, privacy concerns, and teacher training. The UChicago team emphasizes that robots aren’t replacements for human educators but tools to augment their efforts, particularly in under-resourced districts where individualized attention is scarce. From Lab to Classroom: Real-World Applications and Future Directions Looking ahead, the study opens doors to more sophisticated AI-driven companions. For instance, integrating natural language processing could allow robots to provide real-time pronunciation tips or comprehension questions, as hinted in related work from UChicago’s Department of Computer Science. Early adopters, like pilot programs in libraries, are already testing these ideas, with feedback indicating higher reading enthusiasm among kids. Critics, though, warn of over-reliance on tech, stressing the need for balanced human interaction. Yet, as anxiety affects millions of students—potentially stalling academic progress—these findings could inspire a new wave of edtech investments. Companies developing social robots, from startups to giants like SoftBank, are likely watching closely, eyeing integrations that blend empathy with education. Ethical Considerations and Long-Term Impact Ethically, ensuring equitable access is crucial; not every school can afford high-end robots. The research also touches on emotional bonds, as noted in a TechXplore article about robots gaining “emotional value” in daily rituals. For children, this could mean forming positive associations with learning, reducing dropout risks in literacy programs. Ultimately, this UChicago-led initiative underscores a pivotal shift: technology isn’t just about efficiency but emotional support. As more studies build on these results, we may see robots becoming standard classroom fixtures, helping a generation read with confidence rather than fear. Subscribe for Updates The AITrends Email Newsletter keeps you informed on the latest developments in artificial intelligence. Perfect for business leaders, tech professionals, and AI enthusiasts looking to stay ahead of the curve. Help us improve our content by reporting any issues you find. Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers Get our media kit Deliver your marketing message directly to decision makers.

Searching for your content... In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM - 10 PM ET Jun 23, 2021, 11:15 ET Share this article DUBLIN, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Social Robots Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The social robots market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.68% over the analyzed period to reach a market size of US$912.488 million in 2026 from US$395.577 million in 2019. Social Robots are companion robots. These robots help in lifting, companionship, and simulation of emotions in human beings. In addition, these robots assist in everyday life, by performing various activities. Sony was the first company that introduced social robots in 1999. AIBO is a social robot pet dog that responds to its owner's voice and action. This robot has significant market standing even 20 years later of its first launch. The software of AIBO was last updated in April 2021, to accommodate new features such as app connection.In 2006, France-based Aldebaran Robotic launched the Nao robot for therapy of autistic children. The first nursing social robot in Japan was launched in 2015. Developed by the Riken institute, Robear assists patients and caregivers in a nursing home across Japan. The robot assists in lifting patients from their beds by providing physical strength. Growing complexities of the world and increased adoption of automation will drive the demand for social robots. In malls and shopping complexes, social robots guide the customers, increasing their shopping experience. In parking lots, robots assist in smooth functioning. The Healthcare sector also employs social robots for better treatment of patients. Furthermore, robots ease household chores and provide companionship to the owner. However, growing automation results in a decrease in employment opportunities and have raised several concerns, hindering the market growth.Social Robots assist in the caregiving of the aging population and facilitate better mental health in specially-abled people hence driving the adoption of robots in the healthcare sector.Based on end-users, the social robot market is segmented into healthcare, education, retail, entertainment, IT and communication, household, and others. In the retail and entertainment sector, social robots are used to assist and guide the customers towards their desired choices. Many giant retail shops, in the US, have installed social robots which help customers find what they need by providing the required information. Mobile stores across Japan have installed more than 140 SoftBank's Pepper Robots since its launch. Success in enhancing the consumer experience, SoftBank received an investment of US$50 billion from Apple, in 2020, for research and development on Pepper. Target, US, installed Tally, a social robot build by Simbe Robotics, for inventory management. In 2016, a leading fast-food chain, Dominos, Australia, announced the introduction of drive-less vehicles, Domino's Robotic Unit (DRU) for better delivery of pizza. Growth in the IT and communication industry will also increase the adoption of social robots to cater to customer queries and needs, which will provide significant growth prospects. However, during the forecasted period, healthcare and household sectors are projected to hold dominating share of the market. In the healthcare sector, social robots are used for nursing purposes. These robots also help in catering emotional needs of the patients. Japan is the leading user of social robots in its healthcare sector. The education sector will also grow at a significant rate.The rise in automation will contribute to the market growth during the forecasted period.The key factor driving the growth in the market is surging automation across varied industrial verticals. The International Federation of Robotics has predicted that the adoption of robots across many industry verticals will grow at a quadruple rate in the coming decade. In 2017, robot installation increased 21% in Asia, 16% in the Americas, and 8% in the European region. China, South Korea, Japan, United States, Germany are the top 5 robotics markets, accounting for 74% of the total robotics supply (2016). A significant proportion is a share by the social robot. Hence, growth in the robotic industry will support the market growth of social robots.The Asia Social Robots market will grow at an exponential rate with Japan dominating the global healthcare social robot market.Based on geography, the social robot market is divided into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The North America and Asia Pacific region are the leading social robot market and will dominate the global market by the end of 2026. Particularly, the Asia region has vast adoption of robots in the healthcare and education sector, with Japan and South Korea being the prime market for healthcare social robots.In Japan, the aging population has been on a rise and is increasing at a quadruple rate. While the number of people aged 65 and above accounted for 19.098% of the population, the proportion had increased to 28.002%. while the population is falling at 1.4% annually. A large aged population has increased the requirement for nursing and other facilities while the workforce is limited. Hence, Japan has increasingly adopted social robots for better care and nursing of aged people. An investment of US$ 100 million was made by the government in 2018 for nursing social robot development and installation. Further, Japan is a leader in the development of healthcare and nursing robots. Paro, Telenoid, and Ugo are leading social nursing robots in Japan. South Korea is another emerging market for healthcare robots. Moreover, the preferability of the aging population for automation over immigration provides a stable market. Japan has also intended to increase the involvement of social robots in its education sector.Estimates by World Bank show that South Korea will surpass Japan in the proportion of the aged population (above 65) to reach a proportion around 37% by 2045. Japan, on the other hand, will have 36.7% of its population in the category in 2045. The growing aged population and rising automation have increased concerns by the government, resulting in the announcement of an investment of US$250 million in automation. in March 2020, with a prime focus on healthcare, disaster response, and rehabilitation.COVID-19 InsightsThe effect of the coronavirus pandemic increased the market prospects for the social robot industry. To deal with the rapid spread of the virus, healthcare sectors employed more robots to support and reduce the risk of the spread of the virus to healthcare workers. Social Assistive Robots (SAR) saw an increase in demand in the retail sector as well. Delivery from social robots increased significantly to ensure quarantine and distance adhering containment measures implemented by the government. Tho contain the spread of the virus, innovation in the robotics industry resulted in the creation of Pre-screening Experience Through Robotic Assessment (PETRA) social robots by Merck Group. PETRA can detect common yet undiagnosed diseases. The social robot has widened the opportunities for the industry and will saw a surge in adoption during the forecasted period.Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary3.1. Research Highlights4. Market Dynamics4.1. Market Drivers4.2. Market Restraints4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis5. Social Robots Market, by Application5.1. Introduction5.2. Hardware5.3. Software5.4. Service 6. Social Robots Market, by End Users6.1. Introduction6.2. Healthcare6.3. Education6.4. Retail6.5. Entertainment6.6. IT and communication6.7. Household6.8. Others 7. Social Robots Market, by Geography7.1. Introduction7.2. North America 7.2.1. USA7.2.2. Canada7.2.3. Mexico7.3. South America7.3.1. Brazil7.3.2. Argentina7.3.3. Others 7.4. Europe 7.4.1. Germany7.4.2. France7.4.3. United Kingdom7.4.4. Italy7.4.5. Spain 7.5. Middle East and Africa7.5.1. Saudi Arabia7.5.2. UAE7.5.3. Israel7.5.4. Others 7.6. Asia Pacific7.6.1. China7.6.2. Japan7.6.3. South Korea7.6.4. India7.6.5. Thailand7.6.6. Taiwan7.6.7. Indonesia 7.6.8. Others 8. Competitive Environment and Analysis8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis8.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrative8.3. Mergers, Acquisition, Agreements, and Collaborations8.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix9. Company Profiles9.1. Blue Frog Robotics and Buddy9.2. Reach Robotics9.3. Knightscope Inc.9.4. Intuition Robotics9.5. AIST9.6. Furhat Robotics9.7. SoftBank Robotics9.8. Sony9.9. Merck groupFor more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zaflrn Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets http://www.researchandmarkets.com Do not sell or share my personal information:

článek byl dočasně zakázán „Spolykal mnohou moudrost, bylo to ale, jako by mu to šlo do nesprávné dírky.“ (Georg Christoph Lichtenberg)

Ubtech Robotics' new Walker S2 humanoid robot changes its own battery in a demo video designed to showcase how autonomous battery swapping could let robots work 24/7 without interruption. Humanoid robots have crossed a new Rubicon in the latest demo of the Walker S2 robot from Ubtech Robotics. In it, the robot approaches a charging tower filled with multiple batteries (and one empty slot). It removes a battery from its back and replaces it with a fresh one from the charging stack before returning to what is some sort of work site. The Walker S2 appears to have dual battery packs, so at least one is always plugged into the robot to supply power during changes. Ubtech Robotics' new Walker S2 robot features a new hot-swappable battery system. Ubtech says this hot-swappable battery system will enable the company's robots to work 24/7 without interruption (not including routine battery swaps). To see this demo in action, check out the video in this article.

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Engineering-inspired textiles, mugs, hats, and thoughtful gifts We connect top engineering talent with the world's most innovative companies We empower professionals with advanced engineering and tech education to grow careers. We recognize outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, and technology. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. UBTECH says skepticism over the dramatic footage stems from a “lack of understanding” of China’s robust manufacturing and supply-chain strengths. Chinese robotics firm UBTECH Robotics has sparked global attention after releasing footage showing hundreds of its humanoid robots moving in synchronized formation inside a warehouse. The spectacle prompted US robotics leader and Figure CEO Brett Adcock to question publicly whether the footage was computer-generated. The Shenzhen-based firm responded by defending the video’s authenticity, citing China’s scale of manufacturing and coordinated supply chain strengths. The video, which resembles scenes from the sci-fi film I, Robot, shows scores of Walker S2 humanoid machines turning their heads, waving, and marching into shipping containers. Shenzhen may be witnessing a robotics breakthrough — or a highly polished showcase — as UBTECH Robotics claims to have shipped hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots to operational industrial sites. The company says volume production ramped up in mid-November, with the first batch already sent to partners seeking extra labor for assembly lines. UBTECH frames the rollout as a concrete milestone proving humanoid robots are moving beyond prototypes into real deployment. “Huge milestone achieved! World’s first mass delivery of humanoid robots has completed! Hundreds of UBTECH Walker S2 have been delivered to our partners. The future of industrial automation is here. March forward to transformation,” said the firm titled the video released on YouTube on November 12. However, some observers remain cautious, noting that the announcement relies heavily on promotional video footage and limited independent verification, raising questions about how widely the robots are actually being used. Adcock has openly questioned the authenticity of UBTECH’s now-viral footage of its humanoid robot. After the video surfaced, Adcock took to social media, arguing the scenes appeared computer-generated. He pointed the inconsistent reflections on the robots, claiming only the machine in the foreground were real while the rest were digitally added. “Look at the reflections on this bot, then compare them to the ones behind it. The bot in front is real -everything behind it is fake. If you see a head unit reflecting a bunch of ceiling lights, that’s a giveaway it’s CGI (computer-generated imagery),” said Adcock on a post on X. UBTECH quickly pushed back, releasing a follow-up clip filmed with a first-person-view drone and raw ambient audio to silence doubts and invite scrutiny. Despite the additional footage, Adcock remains skeptical — and he is not the only one, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP). UBTECH defended the footage in a statement to the Global Times (GT), saying the clip was created to mark “a milestone for UBTech” and insisting it is “100 percent real footage shot on-site.” The company added that, “in response to these unfounded claims, UBTech’s official video account has released an unedited, single-take, real-time and original-audio clip that fully demonstrates the authenticity of the scene.” “Much of the doubt stems from a lack of understanding of China’s manufacturing capabilities and the collaborative, systemic strength of our supply chains,” said Tan Min, chief brand officer at UBTECH, as reported by SCMP. He added that critics should come to China and see the rapid progress in humanoid robotics firsthand, and engage directly with the industry ecosystem. UBTECH Robotics says the Walker S2 rollout will continue in staged batches, with units heading to frontline industrial environments. According to the company, the robots will be deployed across sectors, including automotive assembly, smart manufacturing, logistics, and emerging embodied-AI data centers, reports GT. Looking ahead, UBTECH plans to significantly scale its production capacity, targeting 5,000 industrial humanoids a year by 2026 and doubling output to 10,000 units annually by 2027. The company told the GT that the expansion is driven by what it describes as rapidly increasing market demand. Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History (Honors) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a PG diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers, and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he likes to go off-roading, engage in political discourse, travel, and teach languages. Premium Follow

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk doubled down on his robotics vision on Tuesday, predicting that the company’s Optimus humanoid robots will eventually represent approximately 80% of Tesla’s total value. The bold forecast comes as Chinese robotics firm UBTech secured a record-breaking $35 million contract for its Walker S2 humanoid robots—the largest single order for humanoid robots globally. JPMorgan analysts highlighted the accelerating commercialization of humanoid robotics in a Thursday research note, identifying Chinese companies as primary beneficiaries of the emerging market, according to CNBC. The investment bank maintained overweight ratings on four Chinese firms: UBTech, Sanhua Intelligent, Leader Drive and Hengli Hydraulic. “2025 has marked a turning point for the humanoid robot industry, as order volumes and contract values have grown sharply,” JPMorgan’s infrastructure team wrote, according to the report, noting the shift from R&D to actual delivery capabilities. See Also: Sam Altman Warns Of AI Bot Surge On Elon Musk’s X, Revives ‘Dead Internet’ Fears As Feud With xAI Escalates Musk’s robotics emphasis coincides with Tesla’s struggling vehicle sales. European deliveries plummeted 40.2% in July, while Chinese rival BYD Co. Ltd. (OTC:BYDDY) surged 225% in the same period. Tesla responded with price cuts on its Model 3 Long Range in China and introduced $0 down leases for used vehicles in the U.S. Investment firm Gerber Kawasaki‘s Ross Gerber questioned Tesla’s robotics strategy, posting on X: “If they won’t buy his cars. Why would they buy a huge robot for their home from him?” Tesla’s newly released Master Plan IV reflects the company’s strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence and robotics, with minimal mention of new vehicle development. The humanoid robotics market is attracting significant investment, with Musk’s AI company xAI reportedly investing over $40 billion in its Memphis data center to support the Colossus 1 supercomputer training the Grok AI model. Read Next: Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Around the World Photos via Shutterstock.com © 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A newsletter built for market enthusiasts by market enthusiasts. Top stories, top movers, and trade ideas delivered to your inbox every weekday before and after the market closes.

UBTech Robotics is confident that its humanoid robots will achieve widespread factory applications within three years, a top executive of the Chinese artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics company said on Friday. Jiao Jichao, vice-president and executive dean of its research institute, said the company aims to deliver humanoid robots in small quantities to industries, especially automobile factories, for handling and sorting tasks, by the end of this year. From next year to 2027, such humanoid robots will be gradually used for assembly tasks and on-site operations. Besides the automotive industry, the company will use such robots in 3C, or computer, communication and consumer electronics, as well as the logistics sectors. "During this period, we aim to achieve larger-scale commercial mass production. Here, mass production not only involves a quantity increase but also improvements in quality, cost control and operational efficiency," he said. By 2033, the company's humanoid robots are expected to perform more precise assembly work, such as assembling interiors and wiring harnesses, as well as assemble smaller and more delicate products like smartphones and smartwatches in the 3C industries, he added. The comments came as UBTech officially signed a cooperation agreement with Audi FAW and Beijing Embodied Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center to jointly develop intelligent solutions for humanoid robots, at the ongoing 2024 World Robot Conference, which runs till Sunday in Beijing. The cooperation will drive humanoid robots into automotive production lines for intelligent material handling, quality inspection and process material operations. This is expected to promote large-scale deployment of humanoid robots in car factories. According to a guideline from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China aims to establish a preliminary innovation system for humanoid robots by 2025. By 2027, the country will see a secure and reliable industrial and supply chain system, and related products will be deeply integrated into the real economy. "Currently, new technologies, products and formats represented by humanoid robots and general artificial intelligence are thriving and becoming the pinnacle of global technological innovation, a new track for future industries and a new engine for economic growth," said Xu Xiaolan, former vice-minister of industry and information technology and a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee. "Humanoid robots are expected to become another disruptive product after computers, smartphones and new energy vehicles," she said.

Manage your account A Chinese firm is looking to expand its presence in the Middle East by introducing advanced AI-driven robotic solutions for industry, education, and home use.To that extent, at LEAP 2025 in Saudi Arabia, UBTECH is showcasing its Humanoid Robot Industrial Application Solution, featuring the Walker S Series, Panda Robot Youyou, and a new advanced humanoid Una.UBTECH also presents AI-driven education solutions, reinforcing its vision of integrating robotics into daily life."Humanoid Robot Industrial Application Solution is the first general-purpose humanoid robot solution for multi-task industrial scenarios in the world. The solution integrates UBTECH's latest achievements of embodied intelligence technology, enabling humanoid robots to complete a variety of industrial tasks," said the firm in a statement. In January, UBTECH announced plans to mass-produce Walker S humanoid robots, targeting 500–1,000 units by year-end, marking a major step in industrial robotics expansion. At LEAP 2025, a premier technology exhibition in the region, UBTECH is showcasing its advanced humanoid robots, highlighting the Walker S1, Panda Robot Youyou, and Una.UBTECH has strong ties to the Middle East, with Panda Robot Youyou featured at Expo 2020 Dubai and two Walker X units exported to NEOM. Its commercial robot, Cruzr, also served at Riyadh Season, assisting tourists with guidance and information.At the event, two Walker S1 units demonstrate multi-task capabilities such as parcel handling and SPS sorting, marking their debut in the Middle East. Using semantic VSLAM technology and full-body motion control, Walker S1 can lift boxes to 33 pounds (15 kilograms) with dual arms. Accurate SPS sorting is made possible by its self-developed dexterous hands, which enable exact grasping force monitoring, according to a statement. https://youtu.be/UCt7qPpTt-g To integrate humanoid robots into industrial applications, UBTECH has been collaborating with well-known businesses since 2024, including Audi FAW, BYD, Geely Auto, Foxconn, SF Express, FAW-Volkswagen Qingdao Branch, BAIC BJEV, and Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor.The Walker S Series is used in production facilities worldwide, and the business claims to be the only humanoid robot company with multiple partnerships in the automobile sector. Furthermore, makers of electric vehicles have already made over 500 intent orders. Beyond industrial uses, UBTECH introduces the Panda Robot Youyou, which is most famous for serving as Expo 2020 Dubai's ambassador for friendliness and peace. Youyou exhibit its potential for interactive service roles at LEAP 2025 by serving drinks and interacting with audiences in a home environment.With its omnidirectional perception system, bionic eye display, and 41 high-performance servo joints, Youyou is a superior tool for interactive displays, smart home automation, and human-like conversation.The robot can execute synchronized dance, yoga, and tai chi. It uses multimodal perception to engage with humans seamlessly and is outfitted with adaptive terrain handling and U-SLAM navigation.According to UBTECH, with capabilities in handwriting, drawing, and exhibition guidance, Youyou blends robotics with cultural expression, making it a standout in both service and entertainment applications. Additionally, UBTECH presents Una, a humanoid robot that was created separately and is making its public debut. With a gentle, human-like appearance, Una can comprehend natural language and provides services including reception, entertainment, and emotional support.At LEAP 2025, UBTECH is presenting its AI Education solution for K–12, higher education, and vocational training. With the Yanshee, UGOT, and uKit series and an AIGC-based Learning Platform, it provides a complete solution for K–12 that integrates curriculum, hardware, software, training, and competitions.These tools improve robotics, AI, and programming abilities. Walker S1 and intelligent service robots for research, instruction, and industrial training are offered by UBTECH to higher education and vocational schools.According to the firm, the solution equips students with AI and robotics expertise, fostering innovation and industry-ready talent to meet the growing demand for technological advancements in education and industry.

From daily news and career tips to monthly insights on AI, sustainability, software, and more—pick what matters and get it in your inbox. Explore The Most Powerful Tech Event in the World with Interesting Engineering. Stick with us as we share the highlights of CES week! Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation. Engineering-inspired textiles, mugs, hats, and thoughtful gifts We connect top engineering talent with the world's most innovative companies. We empower professionals with advanced engineering and tech education to grow careers. We recognize outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, and technology. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. Follow Us On Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation. Engineering-inspired textiles, mugs, hats, and thoughtful gifts We connect top engineering talent with the world's most innovative companies We empower professionals with advanced engineering and tech education to grow careers. We recognize outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, and technology. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. The company reports strong interest from organisations aiming to automate physically demanding jobs that require workers to stay on their feet for long hours. Chinese robotics player UBTECH has marked a major milestone with the rollout of its 1,000th Walker S2 humanoid robot from its Liuzhou manufacturing plant. The achievement signals a shift from experimental prototypes to scalable, real-world deployment. More than 500 Walker S2 units have already been delivered and are operational across multiple applications. UBTECH now plans to significantly ramp up production capacity, targeting output of up to 10,000 units annually by 2026. In November, the Shenzhen-based firm claimed that it had already shipped hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots to active industrial facilities. A video shared by the company on YouTube shows hundreds of Walker S2 humanoid robots lined up in perfect formation in front of a poster marking the 1,000th rollout. The footage also features a humanoid robot wearing a cap and scarf, performing a stylish celebratory dance to mark the occasion. The company is seeing strong interest from organisations looking to automate physically demanding tasks typically carried out by workers who spend long hours on their feet. This year, UBTECH secured orders worth about 800 million yuan (roughly $113 million), covering everything from customised installations to large-scale deployments. One of the biggest deals was signed in September, when a well-known Chinese company placed a 250 million yuan ($35 million) order for an advanced robotic system. Another major customer in Sichuan committed 159 million yuan ($22.5 million). According to the South China Morning Post, a project in Guangxi has pledged 126 million yuan ($17.9 million), while Midea Auto in Hubei has committed more than 100 million yuan ($14.2 million). UBTECH has planned to deliver 500 Walker robots by the end of December and says it remains on track to meet that goal, which it has now achieved. According to UBTECH, automakers are driving much of the demand. Companies such as BYD, Geely Auto, FAW Volkswagen, and Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor have signed on, while Foxconn is deploying robots to support logistics operations. These customers are seeking stable, round-the-clock operations with minimal supervision, and early trials show the robots performing reliably in real factory and warehouse environments. Recently, UBTECH drew global attention after releasing footage showing hundreds of its humanoid robots moving in synchronized formation inside a warehouse, prompting both fascination and skepticism. The video, widely shared online, even led US robotics executive and Figure CEO Brett Adcock to question whether the scenes were computer-generated publicly. The Shenzhen-based company has firmly rejected those claims, defending the video’s authenticity and pointing to China’s large-scale manufacturing capacity and highly coordinated supply chains. The footage, reminiscent of scenes from the sci-fi film I, Robot, shows rows of Walker S2 humanoid robots turning their heads, waving, and marching into shipping containers. UBTECH says the video marks a major milestone, claiming it has begun mass deliveries of its Walker S2 robots to real industrial partners. According to the company, production was ramped up in mid-November, with the first batch already shipped to customers seeking additional labour for assembly lines. UBTECH says the rollout demonstrates that humanoid robots are moving beyond laboratory prototypes into practical, real-world deployment. However, doubts persist. Adcock argued on social media that visual inconsistencies, particularly reflections on the robots, suggested heavy CGI use. In response, UBTECH released additional footage, filmed with a first-person drone and raw audio, insisting the material was shot on site. Looking ahead, UBTECH aims to sharply expand its manufacturing capacity, with plans to produce 5,000 industrial humanoid robots annually by 2026 and further scale up to 10,000 units a year by 2027. Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History (Honors) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a PG diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers, and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he likes to go off-roading, engage in political discourse, travel, and teach languages. Premium Follow

China’s UBTech Robotics has signed a $37 million deal to deploy humanoid robots at border crossings in China’s Guangxi region, as per a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP). The agreement involves the Fangchenggang humanoid robot centre, which will use the robots for traveller guidance, inspections, patrols and logistics. The company said deliveries will start in December, as reported by SCMP. This huge order was also announced by UBTech in an X post on November 25. It said, “UBTECH has been added to the MSCI China Index and secured a massive new order: $37.2M!” The post also said that the Walker humanoid robot series has accumulated over $153 million in orders for 2025. This particular project will use UBTech’s Walker S2, which will also conduct inspections at steel, copper and aluminium manufacturing sites as part of the initiative. UBTech said cumulative orders for its Walker series have reached ¥1.1 billion since shipments began this month. Michael Tam, the company’s chief branding officer, said UBTech aims to deliver 500 industrial humanoids this year and increase the figure tenfold next year. “We plan to reach 10,000 units by 2027,” he told SCMP. He added that the company seeks to lower production costs. The deal aligns with China’s broader push to integrate embodied AI into real-world operations. Government agencies across provinces are now using humanoids and quadruped robots at airports, immigration checkpoints, and in security work. A similar concept has been deployed at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, where a robot is handling passenger queries. Shenzhen Customs has also integrated DeepSeek’s large language model into an inspection robot for cargo checks. 📣 Want to advertise in AIM? Book here India’s data centre ambitions are constrained by a lagging energy grid, renewable gaps, and unreliable power supply. “The skill I spent 10,000s of hours getting good at. Programming…Is becoming a full commodity extremely quickly.” Most graduates still lack the skills IT employers need and are increasingly turning to certifications to bridge the gap. With Grok releasing deepfakes, MeitY asserted that adherence to the IT Act and the IT Rules is mandatory, not optional. CAG audit found that India’s flagship skilling programme prioritised certificates over jobs, exposing deep flaws. Karnataka was among the first to roll out a data centre policy, but the implementation on the ground is sluggish With an advanced traffic management system, Bengaluru has reduced travel time by up to 20% in some corridors. The contrast playing out across southern India highlights how decisively infrastructure readiness, policy execution, and speed shape tech investment outcomes. Happy Llama 2026 brings together the world’s top AI startups, investors, and innovators across two power-packed editions in Bangalore and San Francisco. Email:[email protected] Our Offices AIM India1st Floor, Sakti Statesman, Marathahalli – Sarjapur Outer Ring Rd, Green Glen Layout, Bellandur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103 AIM Americas166 Geary St STE 1500 Suite #634, San Francisco, California 94108, United States © Analytics India Magazine Pvt Ltd & AIM Media House LLC 2026

From daily news and career tips to monthly insights on AI, sustainability, software, and more—pick what matters and get it in your inbox. Explore The Most Powerful Tech Event in the World with Interesting Engineering. Stick with us as we share the highlights of CES week! Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation. Engineering-inspired textiles, mugs, hats, and thoughtful gifts We connect top engineering talent with the world's most innovative companies. We empower professionals with advanced engineering and tech education to grow careers. We recognize outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, and technology. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. Follow Us On Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation. Engineering-inspired textiles, mugs, hats, and thoughtful gifts We connect top engineering talent with the world's most innovative companies We empower professionals with advanced engineering and tech education to grow careers. We recognize outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, and technology. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. Orders for UBTECH’s humanoids have surged past 800 million yuan as major automakers and tech firms deploy them for nonstop industrial work. Shenzhen is now home to a major robotics milestone as UBTECH Robotics confirmed that hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots have been shipped to active industrial facilities. The move answers the key questions of what happened, where it happened, who is involved, why it matters, and when the rollout began. UBTECH stated that production increased in mid-November, and the first batch has already reached partners who need more workers on assembly lines. The company is positioning this as the first large-scale delivery of humanoids built to resemble and move like humans. The robotics company is receiving heavy interest from groups that want to automate tasks that normally require people who are on their feet all day. It secured 800 million yuan in orders this year, which is about 113 million dollars. These deals range from specialized installations to major full-scale deployments. A standout order in September was 250 million yuan from a well-known Chinese firm that wanted an advanced robot system. Another major customer in Sichuan agreed to pay 159 million yuan. As reported by the South China Morning Post, a project in Guangxi committed 126 million yuan, and Miee Auto in Hubei pledged over 100 million yuan. UBTECH plans to send out 500 Walkers by the end of December and says it is on track to meet that target. Automakers are a major force behind the growing demand. BYD, Geely Auto, FAW Volkswagen, and Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor have all signed on. Foxconn is also adding robots to support logistics work. These organizations want stable 24-hour operations without constant oversight. Early tests show that the robots are performing well in factories and warehouses instead of controlled labs. The company believes its battery system is the strongest feature of the Walker S2. The robot can remove and replace its own power pack within minutes and does not need any human assistance to do so. This reduces downtime and supports long shifts that involve constant walking and lifting. The Walker S2 has been available for industrial buyers since July. It was designed to be tall and sturdy with joints that move like those of a person. These joints can manage heavy items while maintaining precise finger control. Recent tours of the firm’s facility showed that humanoids now represent 30 percent of the company’s sales, which is a strong rise from 10 percent last year. UBTECH says this proves that demand is growing because of real-world needs rather than short-term excitement. UBTECH reported that revenue in the first half of 2025 reached 621 million yuan. That is a 27.5 percent increase from the previous year. Gross profit grew to 217 million yuan, which is a rise of 17.3 percent. Losses narrowed by 18.5 percent to 440 million yuan. The company says it is improving its cost structure while expanding factory output. The market reacted in a big way. The company’s stock price climbed more than 150 percent this year to 133 Hong Kong dollars. Analysts remain confident as Citi and JPMorgan still list the stock as a buy and expect the price to climb above 170 Hong Kong dollars. It became the first robotics company to trade on the Hong Kong exchange in 2023, and its recent progress suggests that it is strengthening its lead in the robotics race. A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies. Premium Follow

SHENZHEN, China, March 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UBTECH has successfully conducted the world’s first collaborative practical training program for humanoid robots at ZEEKR’s 5G Intelligent Factory, where multiple humanoid robots seamlessly collaborated across multi-task, multi-scenario industrial environments. This initiative represents a key advancement in developing a general-purpose Swarm Intelligence system for humanoid robots, marking a major leap from single-agent autonomy to Swarm Intelligence. As industrial automation progresses, production-line tasks present new challenges for humanoid robots, particularly in multi-humanoid robot collaboration. Advancing Swarm Intelligence is a critical step in enabling humanoid robots to operate effectively at scale. UBTECH’s Walker S1 humanoid robots are pioneering this shift by deploying a networked cluster to explore how advanced embodied intelligence emerges through swarm behaviors and high-frequency interaction with the physical environment. To support this, UBTECH has developed BrainNet, a software framework for humanoid robot collaboration, and introduced the Internet of Humanoids (IoH), a centralized control hub serving as a blueprint for the software and hardware implementation of Swarm Intelligence. For humanoid robots to collaborate effectively, UBTECH’s BrainNet framework links cloud-device collaborative inference nodes and skill nodes, forming a super brain and an intelligent sub-brain within the Swarm Intelligence system. The super brain, powered by a large reasoning multimodal model, enables intelligent hybrid decision-making and manages complex production-line tasks. The intelligent sub-brain, based on the Transformer model, integrates cross-field fusion perception and multi-robot collaborative control to support parallel distributed learning, accelerating skill generation and transfer. These innovations allow humanoid robots to move beyond individual task execution, enabling them to collaborate flexibly at the production-line level. This ensures efficient teamwork in complex industrial environments and paves the way for the next evolution of intelligent manufacturing. To address the high-dimensional decision-making demands of complex production-line tasks, UBTECH has developed the world’s first large reasoning multimodal model for humanoid robots. As the core engine of the super brain, this AI system enables the continuous self-evolution of BrainNet, unlocking the full potential of Swarm Intelligence. Currently under development using DeepSeek-R1 deep reasoning technology, the model is being engineered to process data at scale and equip humanoid robots with human-like common-sense reasoning. It allows them to break down, schedule, and coordinate tasks autonomously, optimizing multi-robot collaboration in complex industrial workflows. UBTECH’s multimodal reasoning model is trained on a high-quality industrial dataset accumulated from frontline practical training with the Walker S series across multiple automotive factories. By integrating multimodal features and leveraging Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, the model adapts rapidly to specialized job functions, significantly improving decision-making accuracy, generalization across various workstations, and scalability for large-scale industrial deployment. UBTECH’s humanoid robots have now entered Practical Training 2.0, marking their evolution from single-agent autonomy to Swarm Intelligence. At the ZEEKR 5G Intelligent Factory, dozens of Walker S1 humanoid robots have been deployed across complex production areas, including the final assembly workshop, SPS instrumentation zone, quality inspection area, and vehicle assembly station. Working in unison, these humanoid robots successfully executed collaborative sorting, collaborative handling, and precision assembly, demonstrating seamless multi-robot collaboration in real-world industrial settings. In the collaborative sorting phase, UBTECH’s Walker S1 humanoid robots utilize cross-field pure vision-based perception technology and intelligent hybrid decision-making to optimize sorting tasks. Using pure vision-based cross-field perception, the robots continuously track dynamic targets across environments, enabling swarm collaboration through collective mapping and shared intelligence. The intelligent hybrid decision-making system, powered by a large reasoning multimodal model, integrates semantic VSLAM navigation and dexterous manipulation capabilities. This allows for dynamic task allocation between the cloud-based and on-device brain nodes, supporting a cloud-device collaborative decision-making process for Swarm Intelligence. In collaborative handling, humanoid robots may face significant challenges, including uneven load distribution, complex trajectory planning, and dynamic environmental adaptation. To address these, UBTECH has developed a joint planning and control system, enabling multi-robot collaboration in trajectory planning, load identification, and compliant control. This ensures robots dynamically adjust their posture and force during handling, significantly enhancing stability and efficiency when transporting large, heavy workpieces. In precision assembly process, Walker S1 robots demonstrate exceptional dexterous manipulation capabilities, particularly in handling deformable objects. When working with small and deformable film materials, Walker S1 utilizes high-precision sensing and adaptive control technologies to dynamically adjust its grasping force and posture. This ensures film objects remain undamaged and properly aligned throughout the assembly process. This innovation highlights the flexibility and reliability of UBTECH’s humanoid robot, which is equipped with dexterous robotic hands with tactile sensing for complex industrial applications. Additionally, Walker S1 integrates vision-based global initial positioning with force-based secondary positioning via reinforcement learning to execute precision operation-based quality inspection tasks with unmatched accuracy and adaptability. UBTECH collaborates with leading industry players, including Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, Geely Auto, FAW-Volkswagen Qingdao, Audi FAW, BYD, BAIC New Energy, Foxconn, and SF Express. The company’s Walker S series humanoid robots are now deployed in more automotive factories worldwide than any other humanoid robot, having successfully completed the first phase of single-agent autonomous intelligence training. With the launch of Practical Training 2.0, UBTECH is accelerating its multi-humanoid robot collaborative training and AI model development to drive product and technology innovation. Beyond Geely Auto, UBTECH is expanding deployment to additional partner factories, further reinforcing the scalable adoption of humanoid robots in industrial applications. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unleashing-swarm-intelligence-ubtech-pioneers-the-worlds-first-multi-humanoid-robot-collaborative-training-in-multi-task-multi-scenario-settings-at-zeekr-302389793.html SOURCE UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP LTD Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. Bubblear.com takes no editorial responsibility for the same. © 2026 - The Bubble. All Rights Reserved.

-604.72 -193.55 + 192.00 + 1,188.00 + 9,076.00 -604.72 -193.55 -193.55 + 192.00 + 192.00 + 1,188.00 Get businessline apps on Connect with us TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Connect With Us Get BusinessLine apps on SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UBTECH has begun mass production and delivery of the first batch of several hundred full-size industrial humanoid robots, Walker S2, which will be deployed in phases across frontline industrial applications. This milestone moves the company toward its target of delivering 500 units within the year and marks the beginning of large-scale, real-world implementation of humanoid robotics. By establishing a closed-loop commercial cycle—from technology and real-world application to delivery and iterative improvement—UBTECH has developed core capabilities to rapidly address market demands and efficiently secure and fulfill orders, setting a replicable benchmark for the deployment of humanoid robots. The start of mass delivery highlights UBTECH’s expanding ability to strengthen and re-configure industrial ecosystems, accelerating the industry’s shift toward global, high-quality, scaled deployment. Amid rising market demand, UBTECH has outlined a clear production ramp-up plan, targeting an annual capacity of 5,000 industrial humanoid robots by 2026, scaling to 10,000 units by 2027. UBTECH is already supplying its Walker S2 robots for key industrial uses in automotive manufacturing, smart factories, intelligent logistics, and data collection centers. UBTECH has also taken the lead in shifting its delivery approach from providing products to delivering full operational capabilities, introducing a first-of-its-kind, standardized and replicable turnkey solution. With UBTECH’s proprietary BrainNet technology platform, these solutions enable rapid scenario deployment, enhance usability for industrial customers, and support innovative applications across manufacturing environments. Walker S2 is the world’s first industrial humanoid robot integrated with Co-Agent—UBTECH’s proprietary intelligent agent system. This system empowers the robot with closed-loop operational capabilities, including intention understanding, task planning, tool usage, and autonomous anomaly detection and handling. Complemented by a comprehensive user-training system, this shift from product delivery to scenario-based enablement offers a practical pathway to large-scale adoption of humanoid robots. Since early 2025, UBTECH’s Walker series humanoid robots have accumulated orders exceeding 800 million yuan (approx. US$112 million), reinforcing the company’s leadership in global humanoid robot commercialization. Among these, a recent contract to deploy Walker S2 robots at a data collection center in Zigong, valued at 159 million yuan, ranks as the second-largest order of the year, following a record 250 million yuan order secured in September. These accomplishments reflect growing market demand and strong industry recognition of UBTECH’s product capabilities. UBTECH collaborates with leading industry players including BYD, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, Geely Auto, FAW-Volkswagen Qingdao, Audi FAW, BAIC New Energy, Foxconn, and SF Express. Furthermore, with the Walker S series now entered on a wide range of automotive production lines to complete different tasks, UBTECH continues to accumulate extensive real-world data and frontline operational experience. This continuous scenario-based practice is essential for optimizing product performance and enables the development of production-line-ready, task-driven swarm intelligence. Humanoid robots, recognized as the ultimate form of embodied intelligence, now stand at a historic inflection point—evolving from technological prototypes toward industrial-scale deployment. To achieve real-world commercialization in the age of embodied intelligence, the industry must overcome three fundamental challenges: technological maturity, real-world application, and scalable delivery. As the world’s first company to complete the loop between technological validation and commercial deployment in industrial environments, UBTECH is executing a proven strategy: advancing core technologies to support field deployment, using real-world insights to refine delivery models, and expanding scaled delivery to drive continuous technological evolution. UBTECH is committed to collaborating with industry partners to build an open, collaborative ecosystem and advance toward the large-scale adoption of humanoid robotics. CONTACT: pr@ubtrobot.com “This article is part of the sponsored content programme.” Published on November 17, 2025 Copyright© 2025, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. BACK TO TOP Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

November 17, 2025e-Paper The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. November 17, 2025e-Paper Published - November 17, 2025 06:07 pm IST SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UBTECH has begun mass production and delivery of the first batch of several hundred full-size industrial humanoid robots, Walker S2, which will be deployed in phases across frontline industrial applications. This milestone moves the company toward its target of delivering 500 units within the year and marks the beginning of large-scale, real-world implementation of humanoid robotics. By establishing a closed-loop commercial cycle—from technology and real-world application to delivery and iterative improvement—UBTECH has developed core capabilities to rapidly address market demands and efficiently secure and fulfill orders, setting a replicable benchmark for the deployment of humanoid robots. The start of mass delivery highlights UBTECH’s expanding ability to strengthen and re-configure industrial ecosystems, accelerating the industry’s shift toward global, high-quality, scaled deployment. Amid rising market demand, UBTECH has outlined a clear production ramp-up plan, targeting an annual capacity of 5,000 industrial humanoid robots by 2026, scaling to 10,000 units by 2027. UBTECH is already supplying its Walker S2 robots for key industrial uses in automotive manufacturing, smart factories, intelligent logistics, and data collection centers. UBTECH has also taken the lead in shifting its delivery approach from providing products to delivering full operational capabilities, introducing a first-of-its-kind, standardized and replicable turnkey solution. With UBTECH’s proprietary BrainNet technology platform, these solutions enable rapid scenario deployment, enhance usability for industrial customers, and support innovative applications across manufacturing environments. Walker S2 is the world’s first industrial humanoid robot integrated with Co-Agent—UBTECH’s proprietary intelligent agent system. This system empowers the robot with closed-loop operational capabilities, including intention understanding, task planning, tool usage, and autonomous anomaly detection and handling. Complemented by a comprehensive user-training system, this shift from product delivery to scenario-based enablement offers a practical pathway to large-scale adoption of humanoid robots. Since early 2025, UBTECH’s Walker series humanoid robots have accumulated orders exceeding 800 million yuan (approx. US$112 million), reinforcing the company’s leadership in global humanoid robot commercialization. Among these, a recent contract to deploy Walker S2 robots at a data collection center in Zigong, valued at 159 million yuan, ranks as the second-largest order of the year, following a record 250 million yuan order secured in September. These accomplishments reflect growing market demand and strong industry recognition of UBTECH’s product capabilities. UBTECH collaborates with leading industry players including BYD, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, Geely Auto, FAW-Volkswagen Qingdao, Audi FAW, BAIC New Energy, Foxconn, and SF Express. Furthermore, with the Walker S series now entered on a wide range of automotive production lines to complete different tasks, UBTECH continues to accumulate extensive real-world data and frontline operational experience. This continuous scenario-based practice is essential for optimizing product performance and enables the development of production-line-ready, task-driven swarm intelligence. Humanoid robots, recognized as the ultimate form of embodied intelligence, now stand at a historic inflection point—evolving from technological prototypes toward industrial-scale deployment. To achieve real-world commercialization in the age of embodied intelligence, the industry must overcome three fundamental challenges: technological maturity, real-world application, and scalable delivery. As the world’s first company to complete the loop between technological validation and commercial deployment in industrial environments, UBTECH is executing a proven strategy: advancing core technologies to support field deployment, using real-world insights to refine delivery models, and expanding scaled delivery to drive continuous technological evolution. UBTECH is committed to collaborating with industry partners to build an open, collaborative ecosystem and advance toward the large-scale adoption of humanoid robotics. CONTACT: pr@ubtrobot.com Published - November 17, 2025 06:07 pm IST Copyright© 2025, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. BACK TO TOP Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. 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Chinese robotics company UBTech demonstrates humanoid Walker S2 model changing its own battery to increase productivity, autonomy Read the original article: Tags: EN Silicon UK Copyright © 2026 IT Security News. All Rights Reserved. The Magazine Basic Theme by bavotasan.com.

The past decades have seen an increasing number of robots deployed in the vicinity of humans, from vacuum cleaners roaming in our living rooms, drones flying over our heads, to prostheses attached to our bodies. Today, global efforts are focused on designing the next generation of robots, which will be employed and function in close or direct interactions with lay users. We are no longer in the realm of factory robots used by well-trained practitioners. It is, hence, not conceivable that these robots can be programmed without a deep understanding of the social, ethical, and cultural rules that underpin human environments. Developing robots that are cognizant of the world that surrounds them has led to a wide range of efforts worldwide, all of which fall under the general field of human-robot interaction (HRI). We advocate for a research roadmap for HRI over the next two decades towards the development of robot systems capable of interacting with humans in a pertinent and helpful manner in any kind of environment. Connectez-vous pour contacter le contributeur https://hal.science/hal-05448964 Soumis le : jeudi 8 janvier 2026-15:33:07 Dernière modification le : samedi 10 janvier 2026-03:10:43 Contact Ressources Informations Questions juridiques Portails CCSD

LAS VEGAS, Jan 07 (News On Japan) - The world’s largest technology showcase, CES 2026, is opening in the United States, with a new keyword drawing attention this year: “physical AI,” a concept focused on making everyday life easier through machines that combine artificial intelligence with physical bodies. Held every January in Las Vegas, CES has long served as a barometer of future technology trends. At this year’s event, the spotlight is on physical AI, which refers to systems that pair AI “brains” with physical forms such as robots or vehicles. The idea is that technology is steadily moving closer to human-like capabilities. One of the most talked-about exhibits at CES 2026 is a newly unveiled robot from South Korea’s LG Electronics called LG CLOiD. The robot is designed to handle household tasks that were once thought to be uniquely human. While its commercial release date and price have not yet been announced, the demonstration drew significant attention. LG CLOiD is capable of tidying up clothes left on the floor while its owner is out at work and can send messages such as “It looks like rain” when weather forecasts change. If it detects that someone is about to return home, the robot can check the contents of the refrigerator, suggest a recipe based on available ingredients, and even prepare indoor clothing to change into upon arrival. In addition to these functions, LG says the robot could eventually bake bread, fold laundry, and place dishes into a dishwasher. Developers note that even basic human actions, such as walking or grasping objects like cups and pens, have posed major challenges for robotics. LG CLOiD’s ability to fold towels demonstrates a level of balance and dexterity that has surprised industry observers, particularly its capacity to handle unstable objects. Riko Higashio, who commented on the technology, said the robot felt “like a dream,” adding that it could make returning home far more relaxing. She noted that such systems could also be useful in places like hotels, not just private residences. Looking further ahead, predictions about the spread of robots were also discussed at CES 2026. Yoichi Onishi, who oversees AI development at TBS Media Technology and has been involved in developing AI voice systems used on the N-Sta program, is participating in the exhibition. He predicts that robots will become common in public facilities by around 2040, with a future in which most households own a robot emerging by roughly 2050. According to Onishi, care robots could help address labor shortages in nursing and eldercare, while robots may also take on roles such as bartenders or retail staff capable of casual conversation, commenting on purchases with remarks like, “Curry tonight? That sounds good.” By 2050, he envisions robots moving freely through cities, with train seating divided between human seats and charging spots for robots, and even robot-only cars. He also suggested that robots could anticipate needs at home, such as preparing a drink when someone feels thirsty, based on learned daily habits. In more speculative scenarios, robots might eventually read brainwaves if humans were to adopt implanted chips, a prospect that even Onishi acknowledged could feel unsettling. Another example of lifestyle-focused robotics comes from a Japanese manufacturer, Living Robot, which has developed a home robot called Mechatromate Q, commonly known as “Q-chan.” The robot is designed to live alongside families and respond to changes in the home environment. When the temperature rises to around 27 degrees Celsius on a warm day, Q-chan can detect the heat and humidity and ask whether it should turn on the air conditioner. By learning a household’s daily routines, it can also remind residents when it is time to take medication, helping to prevent missed doses. The robot can be linked to wearable health devices to monitor physical conditions, offering spoken advice or encouragement as needed. If a family member calls home and no one answers, Q-chan can be contacted instead and asked to locate someone inside the house using registered facial data. Through a built-in video calling function, family members can then communicate via the robot. Mechatromate Q can be programmed to automatically control home appliances such as air conditioners and can tailor conversations to individuals whose faces are registered in its system. The robot is expected to go on sale next fiscal year at a price of between 400,000 and 600,000 yen, with an additional monthly fee. Held every January in Las Vegas, CES has long served as a barometer of future technology trends. At this year’s event, the spotlight is on physical AI, which refers to systems that pair AI “brains” with physical forms such as robots or vehicles. The idea is that technology is steadily moving closer to human-like capabilities. One of the most talked-about exhibits at CES 2026 is a newly unveiled robot from South Korea’s LG Electronics called LG CLOiD. The robot is designed to handle household tasks that were once thought to be uniquely human. While its commercial release date and price have not yet been announced, the demonstration drew significant attention. LG CLOiD is capable of tidying up clothes left on the floor while its owner is out at work and can send messages such as “It looks like rain” when weather forecasts change. If it detects that someone is about to return home, the robot can check the contents of the refrigerator, suggest a recipe based on available ingredients, and even prepare indoor clothing to change into upon arrival. In addition to these functions, LG says the robot could eventually bake bread, fold laundry, and place dishes into a dishwasher. Developers note that even basic human actions, such as walking or grasping objects like cups and pens, have posed major challenges for robotics. LG CLOiD’s ability to fold towels demonstrates a level of balance and dexterity that has surprised industry observers, particularly its capacity to handle unstable objects. Riko Higashio, who commented on the technology, said the robot felt “like a dream,” adding that it could make returning home far more relaxing. She noted that such systems could also be useful in places like hotels, not just private residences. Looking further ahead, predictions about the spread of robots were also discussed at CES 2026. Yoichi Onishi, who oversees AI development at TBS Media Technology and has been involved in developing AI voice systems used on the N-Sta program, is participating in the exhibition. He predicts that robots will become common in public facilities by around 2040, with a future in which most households own a robot emerging by roughly 2050. According to Onishi, care robots could help address labor shortages in nursing and eldercare, while robots may also take on roles such as bartenders or retail staff capable of casual conversation, commenting on purchases with remarks like, “Curry tonight? That sounds good.” By 2050, he envisions robots moving freely through cities, with train seating divided between human seats and charging spots for robots, and even robot-only cars. He also suggested that robots could anticipate needs at home, such as preparing a drink when someone feels thirsty, based on learned daily habits. In more speculative scenarios, robots might eventually read brainwaves if humans were to adopt implanted chips, a prospect that even Onishi acknowledged could feel unsettling. Another example of lifestyle-focused robotics comes from a Japanese manufacturer, Living Robot, which has developed a home robot called Mechatromate Q, commonly known as “Q-chan.” The robot is designed to live alongside families and respond to changes in the home environment. When the temperature rises to around 27 degrees Celsius on a warm day, Q-chan can detect the heat and humidity and ask whether it should turn on the air conditioner. By learning a household’s daily routines, it can also remind residents when it is time to take medication, helping to prevent missed doses. The robot can be linked to wearable health devices to monitor physical conditions, offering spoken advice or encouragement as needed. If a family member calls home and no one answers, Q-chan can be contacted instead and asked to locate someone inside the house using registered facial data. Through a built-in video calling function, family members can then communicate via the robot. Mechatromate Q can be programmed to automatically control home appliances such as air conditioners and can tailor conversations to individuals whose faces are registered in its system. The robot is expected to go on sale next fiscal year at a price of between 400,000 and 600,000 yen, with an additional monthly fee. Source: TBS According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings. Delays have emerged in customs procedures for food and other products exported from Japan to China, with clearance in many cases taking around two weeks longer than usual, raising the possibility that the measures are a response to comments by Takaichi regarding a potential Taiwan contingency. A safety prayer ceremony was held ahead of the construction of giant snow sculptures at the Odori site, one of the main venues of the 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, which opens in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 4th. Economic circles in Japan are growing increasingly uneasy after the Chinese government announced a blanket ban on exports to Japan of dual-use goods that could be diverted for military purposes, raising concerns that rare earths could be included in the scope of the restrictions. The New York Times, a leading U.S. newspaper, has released its list of the “52 Places to Go in 2026,” selecting destinations from around the world, with Nagasaki and Okinawa chosen from Japan. A car rammed into a police officer during a traffic violation crackdown in Kishiwada, Osaka, on January 7th, with the vehicle continuing to drive while the officer clung to the hood, prompting police to investigate the case as attempted murder. A photograph of a Samoyed dog taken against the backdrop of Mount Fuji has been drawing widespread attention on social media, with the striking image earning more than 48,000 likes. Graffiti has been discovered on a bamboo grove near Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, a popular area that draws large numbers of tourists to the shrine’s famed Senbon Torii gates. Otoshidama, the New Year cash gifts traditionally given to children in Japan, is undergoing a noticeable transformation as the spread of cashless payments and persistent inflation begin to affect even this long-standing custom. The way people pay respects at family graves in Japan is undergoing rapid change, driven in part by shifting lifestyles and difficult realities surrounding grave maintenance. An elderly woman died in Tokyo after choking on mochi during the first three days of the New Year, according to the Tokyo Fire Department. The annual New Year “Karuta Hajime” ceremony was held on January 3rd at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward, where women known as “karuta-hime,” dressed in elegant Heian-period court robes, performed the opening match of the Hyakunin Isshu classical poetry card game. Nearly three decades after the end of World War II, one man finally returned to Japan. He was Hiroo Onoda, known as the last Japanese soldier, who had remained hidden in the jungles of the Philippines for 29 years after the war ended. © 2025 News On Japan. All rights reserved. Back to top

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