Ivan Hernandez Dalas - Mechatronics

Positronic Robotics evaluated four VLA models on bin-to-bin order picking. | Credit: Positronic Robotics Positronic Robotics, which said it helps developers make robots work with artificial intelligence, has launched its “Physical AI Leaderboard,” or PhAIL. It is an ongoing, benchmark evaluating robotics foundation models on commercial tasks. Founded in September 2025, Positronic said it has developed an open-source infrastructure to standardize and scale physical AI by bridging the gap between research foundation models and real-world robotic production. The Springfield, Mo.-based company ‘s system uses a unified Python toolkit for the entire robotics lifecycle and the PhAIL benchmark. PhAIL evaluates models on physical robotic setups performing commercially relevant operations. Positronic Robotics has started with bin-to-bin order picking — one of the most common tasks in logistics and industrial automation. In this task, items are transferred one at a time from an inbound co...

BrainOS Clean 2.0 includes SelfPath AI for adaptive autonomy for Tennant floor-cleaning robots. Credit | CNW Group/Brain Corp. Seeking to eliminate the manual bottlenecks of industrial automation, Brain Corp. yesterday unveiled BrainOS Clean 2.0, a software update that introduced autonomous route generation to Tennant Co.’s robotic floor cleaners. Powered by the new SelfPath AI, the update allows autonomous mobile robots ( AMRs ) to independently navigate and adapt to shifting commercial environments without human-led route training. The company claimed that this can accelerate fleet deployment speeds by more than 300% while significantly increasing cleaning coverage. “BrainOS Clean 2.0 and the introduction of SelfPath AI deliver immediate commercial value: Deployments happen faster, route retraining is eliminated, and cleaning performance is improved in dynamic environments,” said David Pinn, CEO of Brain Corp. “It’s a strong example of how our autonomy platform enables our pa...

By Antonio Herrera, Senior Industry Manager, Portescap Surgical robotics has entered its most rapid era of design evolution, driven by demands for smaller form factors, greater precision, and increasingly intelligent control systems. What was once defined by a few large multi ‑port platforms has expanded into a diverse ecosystem of highly specialized, procedure ‑specific technologies — each pushing new technical requirements onto the motion systems at their core. For OEMs, this accelerating complexity raises a sharper question: how  to engineer platforms that deliver uncompromising performance, reliability, and scalability while staying within the limited envelopes and economic constraints of modern surgical environments? Four key trends are currently making that question harder to answer — and are reshaping how motion architecture must be engineered. Minimally invasive surgery keeps raising the bar The clinical case for minimally invasive surgery is well established: smalle...

Saronic offers three autonomous vessels, the Corsair, shown above, Mirage, and Marauder. | Source: Saronic Saronic Technologies today said it has raised $1.75 billion in Series D funding. With the latest round, the company is now valued at $9.25 billion. Austin, Texas-based Saronic claimed that its ability to produce advanced autonomous ships at scale is critical to preserving the industrial strength required to project power, protect trade, and sustain long-term resilience at sea. The company said it uses an autonomy-first design approach, coupled with modern manufacturing infrastructure, to deliver net-new shipbuilding capacity. “Over the past decades, the U.S. has experienced a steady erosion of its ability to build ships and manufacture critical maritime infrastructure,” asserted Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic. “We are confronting this challenge with a fundamentally new model of American shipbuilding, one that integrates first-principles engineering, advanced...

AGIBOT says its humanoid systems are finding use cases beyond the service industry. Source: AGIBOT AGIBOT Innovation Technology Co. today claimed that it is one of the first companies to have rolled out 10,000 humanoid robots. The Shanghai-based company said this marks a transition from early-stage validation to scalable, real-world robot deployments. “Reaching 10,000  units is not simply about producing more robots; it reflects a fundamental shift in our ability to scale,” stated Peng Zhihui, chief technology officer of AGIBOT. “As our supply chain matures and manufacturing standardizes, we are seeing a pivot from small-scale, niche applications to robust, large-scale commercial demand. The widespread deployment of AGIBOT’s robots is no longer about seeking technical viability, but about delivering scalable value and driving the adoption of embodied AI.” Founded in 2023, AGIBOT said it is integrating AI and robotics for general-purpose products and an application ecosystem. T...

PDW’s portfolio includes drones, mission-planning software, its Range Extension Kit, and an anti-jam radio. | Source: PDW PDW Holdings Inc., or Performance Drone Works, a developer of drones for defense and public safety, last week brought in a Series B round of more than $110 million. The company said it plans to use the funding to ramp up production of its multi-mission drones, among other strategic programs. “PDW designs and manufactures at the scale and speed required to meet the demands of today’s rapidly evolving battlefield,” stated James Slider, CEO of Performance Drone Works. “Mission-ready small UAS technology is a national security imperative. Our adversaries have proven what’s possible when drone technology is engineered, manufactured, and deployed at scale.” “The United States cannot afford to fall behind or rely on foreign supply chains,” he added. “We are investing in expanded production capacity and a U.S.-anchored supply chain to ensure resilient, domestically bui...