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Iván Hernández Dalas: Flexxbotics continues expansion, opening office at Newlab in Detroit

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Flexxbotics banner. The software-defined manufacturing automation provider has opened an office in Detroit. Flexxbotics, a leading provider of process control software for automated manufacturing, today announced a strategic expansion with new offices in Newlab at Michigan Central in Detroit. The company said the new facilities position it for tighter collaboration with customers and partners across the Midwest. “We’re excited to welcome Flexxbotics to Newlab Detroit,” said Riley Hall, general manager at Newlab. “Flexxbotics is an ideal fit for our community – their technology is built for next-generation manufacturing environments, and their focus on deployment and scalability reflects exactly the kind of innovation we aim to support here in Detroit.” Newlab said it helps industrial technology startups commercialize and scale faster by aligning infrastructure, commercialization projects, and capital in locations with strategic advantages. The organization operates five innovatio...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: CMR Surgical receives FDA clearance for Versius Plus surgical robot

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Versius Plus does not require dedicated staffers to move between departments or operating rooms. | Source: CMR Surgical CMR Surgical this week said its second-generation surgical robotic platform, Versius Plus, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal, procedures. “This 510(k) clearance represents an exciting new chapter for CMR Surgical as we introduce Versius Plus to the U.S. market,” said Massimiliano Colella, CEO at CMR Surgical.  “Built on years of global clinical use data, Versius Plus delivers the flexibility and intelligence today’s healthcare institutions need to advance robotic-assisted surgery. It’s inspiring to see our new technology transforming the landscape of surgical care.” Founded in 2014, CMR has worked with surgeons, surgical teams, and hospital partners to develop a tool to make minimal access  surgery  (MAS) more accessible and affordable. Versius has a compact, portable...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Artificial tendons give muscle-powered robots a boost

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Researchers have developed artificial tendons for muscle-powered robots. They attached the rubber band-like tendons (blue) to either end of a small piece of lab-grown muscle (red), forming a “muscle-tendon unit.” Credit: Courtesy of the researchers; edited by MIT News. Our muscles are nature’s actuators. The sinewy tissue is what generates the forces that make our bodies move. In recent years, engineers have used real muscle tissue to actuate “biohybrid robots” made from both living tissue and synthetic parts. By pairing lab-grown muscles with synthetic skeletons, researchers are engineering a menagerie of muscle-powered crawlers, walkers, swimmers, and grippers. But for the most part, these designs are limited in the amount of motion and power they can produce. Now, MIT engineers are aiming to give bio-bots a power lift with artificial tendons. In a study which recently appeared in the journal Advanced Science ,  the researchers developed artificial tendons made from tough and ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Wisk Aero completes first flight of Generation 6 autonomous aircraft

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Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 aircraft features failsafe battery and propulsion systems to ensure end-to-end safety. | Source: Wisk Aero Wisk Aero yesterday said it has completed the first flight of its Generation 6 autonomous aircraft. The aircraft performed its initial vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilized flight maneuvers at the aviation company’s flight test facility in Hollister, Calif. “This first flight is the moment our team has been working toward, and it is a powerful demonstration of the work, expertise, and commitment that have gone into the Gen 6 program,” said Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron. “Seeing Gen 6 take flight is an exciting moment for Wisk and the future of aviation. It reaffirms our belief in autonomy, and we are even more energized to continue the journey to bring safe, everyday flight to everyone.” Founded in 2010, Wisk is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company aims to bring a certified, autonomous passenger-car...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: e-con Systems launches Darsi Pro edge AI vision box powered by NVIDIA Jetson

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The Darsi Pro vision platform is built on NVIDIA Jetson and delivers up to 100 TOPS of AI performance. e-con Systems last week said it will launch its first AI vision box, Darsi Pro, at CES 2026. The system is built on the NVIDIA Jetson platform and integrates cloud-based device management, multi-sensor connectivity, and industrial reliability, said the company. “e-con Systems is entering a new phase—moving from a camera provider to a complete vision and compute platform partner,” stated Ashok Babu, president of e-con Systems. “Darsi Pro, powered by NVIDIA Jetson, simplifies the entire edge AI deployment cycle by bringing edge AI compute, multi-sensor connectivity, and proven camera expertise together in one rugged solution.” “This gives developers a faster, more reliable path to production for autonomous mobile robots [ AMRs ], delivery robots, warehouse systems, and intelligent transportation systems and all from a single source,” he said. With more than 20 years of experience...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Richtech Dex demonstrates the potential of wheeled mobile manipulators

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Richtech Robotics offers the Dex mobile manipulator. Source: Richtech Robotics While legged humanoid robots are getting a lot of attention, their wheeled siblings show great promise for mobile manipulators. Visiting  Persona AI is always awe-striking. Most VC portfolios consist of companies marketing a single system, such as a B2B AI platform, a gripper, or a novel sensor, but a humanoid represents over 1,000 different systems that need to work in coordination to propel forward. What many observers fail to appreciate is that every cable, gear, articulation has a failure point, and it takes a superhuman team of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to collaborate and compensate for boundaries dictated by the laws of physics. Basically, building bots consumes a lot of human creativity. Oliver Mitchell (author) and Nic Radford, CEO of Persona AI, at the company’s Houston headquarters. Credit: Oliver Mitchell Multiple paths to mobile manipulation Other robot startu...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Robotics industry reacts to iRobot’s bankruptcy

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Image created using ChatGPT. | Credit: The Robot Report While many in robotics saw this outcome coming, iRobot filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy has nonetheless sent shockwaves through the industry. Founded in 1990, iRobot is an iconic brand and a true category creator. It has defined consumer robotics since the launch of the first Roomba robot vacuum in September 2002. The reaction has been deeply polarized. Some point to tariffs and regulatory intervention that led to the collapse of the proposed Amazon acquisition as the decisive blow. Others argue that longer-running issues played a larger role, including slowing innovation, structural challenges around scale and manufacturing, financial decisions, and intensifying global competition. Regardless of where responsibility ultimately lies, iRobot’s decision to enter Chapter 11 and transfer control to its Chinese contract manufacturer marks a sobering moment for the robotics industry. In recent days, we’ve heard reactions from across ...
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