Ivan Hernandez Dalas - Mechatronics

Avride has integrated vision-language models into its delivery robots. Source: Avride Avride Inc. has built its delivery robots for high level of autonomy. Every single day, hundreds of them navigate busy city streets entirely on their own, processing complex sensor data locally on their onboard compute units. Our sidewalk robots run with minimal human involvement, reliably handling standard urban maneuvers, pedestrians, and traffic lights on their own. However, efficiently managing the mechanics of navigation – even in challenging conditions like narrow pathways or bad weather – is only one part of the equation. Ensuring a robot behaves appropriately in unusual, sensitive, or high-stakes real-world environments requires a different kind of intelligence. To add a proactive layer of environmental awareness, we have integrated heavy, cloud-based vision-language models (VLMs) into its system as an automated “VLM-watcher.” From object detection to holistic scene understandi...

The second day’s play at RoboCup 2026 has drawn to a close with another bumper set of matches. Teams have come from far and wide to take part in the humanoid soccer competition this year, with 17 different countries represented. China is the most represented country, boasting 15 teams across the three divisions. Other countries taking part are geographically widespread, ranging from Colombia to Malaysia, from Germany to Australia. In advance of the competition, all applying teams provided a video, team description paper, and information about the robots and software that they use. You can see the complete set of these here . As a taster, here is the qualification video from team CAU Mountain&Sea (from China Agricultural University) who are currently leading the small division competition, and are in fourth place in the large division. Yesterday’s play saw the first issuing of a red card. The robot received two yellow cards for unsafe challenges and was removed f...

The National Highway System. Source: Mark Sarmiento, U.S. Department of Transportation, ArcGIS Online On June 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act. It authorized the creation of a network that today carries nearly 25% of U.S. automotive traffic and moves trillions of dollars of freight annually. Quarterhill Inc. is among the companies now working to digitize that transport infrastructure. Seventy years after the 41,000-mi. (65,983.1 km) interstate network was launched, 72.2 million Americans will travel around Independence Day this week, according to AAA. Concerns include aging roads and bridges, securing and managing freight, and improving safety as fleets of autonomous vehicles ( AVs ) grow. Founded in 1992 as a wireless technology company, Quarterhill said it is a leader in the intelligent transportation system (ITS) industry, advancing mobility through smart infrastructure systems to reduce congestion, improve roadway safety, and create m...

The Robot Report Podcast · Automate 2026 Show Recap In Episode 251 of The Robot Report Podcast, hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman are joined by special guest Sarah Wynn , senior editor at sibling site Packaging OEM , to chat about their experiences on the show floor at Automate last month. They describe the robotics industry’s shift away from early-stage humanoid hype toward the practical, real-world deployment of physical AI and edge computing. The editors also discuss how software orchestration, digital twins, and advanced kinematics are solving labor shortages and preserving vital manufacturing knowledge. Featured companies and individuals from Automate 2026 The following innovators, executives, and organizations are highlighted or featured via interview vignettes from Automate 2026: Boston Dynamics and Agility : Discussed regarding the static floor displays of their respective industrial humanoids, Atlas and Digit. ABB Robotics : Craig McDonald, general manager ...

Luxonis has raised funding to provide AI perception for a range of industrial use cases. Source: Luxonis Increasing interest in physical AI is helping robotics component providers scale. Luxonis today said it has raised $14 million in Series A funding. The company said it plans to accelerate its commercial expansion, advance its product roadmap, and scale production of its OAK cameras to meet the growing demand. Founded in 2019, Luxonis said it brings artificial intelligence into the physical world by combining sensors, on-device computation, and open software into a single platform that simplifies robotic vision . Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Denver-based company has grown to serve thousands of customers, including FARM-ING , more than 60 Fortune 500 companies, and 17 of the Dow Jones 30. Luxonis said the investment will enable it to expand supply chain capacity and advance its OAK4 cloud perception ecosystem, which it launched in December 2025. Submit you...

Built Robotics and Blattner have already successfully deployed solar power projects. Source: Built Robotics Not only is artificial intelligence making robots more capable, but it is also driving demand for power and data center construction. Blattner Co. and Built Robotics Inc. today announced a $75 million contract to scale autonomous construction systems across Blattner projects nationwide. The companies said the agreement expands on their partnership announced last year and builds on seven successful deployments on utility-scale solar projects totaling more than 1 gigawatt of capacity. “To capture the immense opportunities in today’s market, we have to relentlessly innovate,” stated Brandon Bruski, senior vice president for solar at Blattner. “Deepening our technology partnership with Built Robotics cements our position as the leader in building solar infrastructure better, faster, and safer. This commitment helps us continue to prioritize the safety of our workforce and meet th...