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Iván Hernández Dalas: Translating music into light and motion with robots

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Image taken from the YouTube video created by the authors (see below). A system developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo lets people collaborate with groups of robots to create works of art inspired by music. The new technology features multiple wheeled robots about the size of soccer balls that trail coloured light as they move within a fixed area on the floor in response to key features of music including tempo and chord progression. A camera records the co-ordinated light trails as they snake within that area, which serves as the canvas for the creation of a “painting,” or visual representation of the emotional content of a particular piece of music. “Basically, we programmed a swarm of robots to paint based on musical input,” said Dr Gennaro Notomista , a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Waterloo. “The result is a cohesive system that not only processes musical input, but also co-ordinates multiple painting robots to create adaptive, expressive...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Wayve raises $1.2B with plans to bring robotaxis to London

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Wayve plans to launch commercial trials of robotaxis using its AI Driver this year. Source: Wayve Wayve Technologies Ltd. today said it has closed a Series D round of $1.2 billion, bringing its post-money valuation to $8.6 billion. The London-based company said it plans to use the funding to accelerate commercialization of its “end-to-end AI platform” for autonomous driving. “With $1.5 billion secured, we are building for a total addressable market that spans every vehicle that moves,” stated Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve. “Autonomy will not scale through city-by-city robotaxi deployments alone. It will scale through a trusted platform that automakers and fleets can deploy globally and improve continuously.” “This investment accelerates our path to widespread commercial deployment and positions us to build the autonomy layer that will power any vehicle everywhere,” he added. Wayve builds autonomy for automakers Founded in 2017, Wayve said its AI Driver does not rely...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: AI2 Robotics raises Series B funding to advance AlphaBot, embodied AI

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AI2 Robotics has developed VLA models for its AlphaBot 2 robot. Source: AI2 Robotics AI 2 Robotics this week reportedly raised CN¥1.2 billion ($144.7 million U.S.) to continue developing embodied AI. The company said it plans to use the funding to advance its model toward general-purpose humanoid robots. Dr. Yangdong Eric Guo founded Shenzhen, China-based AI 2 Robotics in 2023. The startup (not to be confused with the Allen Institute for AI or Ai2 ) said its AlphaBot wheeled humanoid robots integrate proprietary foundation models with machine learning and robust hardware. “AI² Robotics is committed to accelerating the global adoption of general-purpose robots, making them as accessible as smart cars and smartphones, becoming a universal device for everyone,” said the company. AI² Robotics develops VLA model as ‘China’s Tesla’ AI 2 Robotics has developed the Global and Omni-body vision-language-action (GOVLA) model for “full-space understanding, whole-body coordination,...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Aramine AutoNav makes mining safer at Reward Gold Mine

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Epiroc installed AutoNav Tele on an Aramine L350D loader operating at a mine in Australia. | Credit: Aramine The Reward Gold Mine site at Hill End, New South Wales, Australia, is deploying a new autonomous loader. The Vertex-operated mine is using the Aramine L350D mining loader, equipped with Epiroc’s AutoNav Tele software from partner RCT. The L350D is a diesel-powered small underground loader that is designed for narrow-vein mining, making it suitable for underground mining operations. RCT works to make mining safer and again profitable The historic gold mining town lay dormant for decades after mining operations ceased around 2010. The town is northwest of Sydney, on the east coast of Australia. Today, the site is undergoing a revival with the construction of a brand-new plant tailored for small-scale mining. “This is more than just a machine installation,” said Owen Perrott, RCT ’s East Coast branch manager. “We’re introducing technology that can access areas previously ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: VDMA warns Germany is losing ground in global robotics race

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Germany’s robotics and automation industry is preparing for another tough year. The VDMA Robotics + Automation Association , a German trade group, expects revenue to fall 5% in 2026 to about €14.1 billion. That follows a 7% decline in 2025 , marking the second straight year of contraction for one of the world’s leading robotics clusters. Industry leaders say the problems go beyond a normal economic slowdown. Weak demand from key customers has hurt orders. At the same time, geopolitical tensions and broader economic uncertainty have made companies more cautious about investing in new automation equipment. “The situation remains challenging. Our industry is simultaneously grappling with weak demand, geopolitical uncertainty, and challenging location conditions,” said Dr. Olaf Munkelt, chairman of VDMA Robotics + Automation. “This makes it all the more important that we decisively strengthen our competitiveness – our levers for this are customer centricity, innovation, and courage. At ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: The hidden infrastructure challenge facing outdoor robotics OEMs

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The era of burying perimeter wires is over. As the industry shifts to RTK GPS, virtual boundaries are replacing physical ones. | Credit: RTKData The robotic lawn mower market is undergoing a fundamental transition. For years, perimeter wires defined the operating boundaries for autonomous mowers, requiring homeowners to bury low-voltage cables around their property. These wires break. They complicate landscaping changes. Installation takes hours. The industry response has been a shift toward real-time kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS) navigation , where virtual boundaries replace physical infrastructure, and centimeter-level accuracy enables precise mowing patterns. This transition solves the customer experience problem. But it creates a new challenge for OEMs: the robots now depend on continuous, reliable GNSS correction data. Hardware alone is only half the equation. The NTRIP infrastructure dilemma RTK achieves centimeter-level precision by streaming correction da...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Tesollo commercializes its lightweight, compact robotic hand for humanoids

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On the left, the DG-5F-S 20-DoF model, and on the right, the 15-DoF model. | Source: Tesollo Tesollo Inc. today said it is officially commercializing its compact and lightweight humanoid robotic hand, the DG-5F-S. The company developed this updated model based on its dedicated gripper actuator technology. While maintaining the core structure and manipulation performance of the company’s flagship DG-5F-M, Tesollo redesigned the DG-5F-S with a strong focus on miniaturization and weight reduction. Through this redesign, the company has expanded the range of applications by enabling more flexible responses to the mounting requirements and system configurations. A wide variety of humanoid robot platforms helped to drive these changes, Tesollo said. Founded in 2019, Tesollo said its name is a combination of “technology” and “sole,” representing its commitment to opening new horizons in the robotic automation market. The Incheon, South Korea-based company originally debuted the DG-5F-S...
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