Global Scans · Robotics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Humanoid robots still face major challenges around cost, reliability, safety, manipulation, and whether customers will pay for general-purpose machines. Campus Technology
• [New] Within the next two years, 75% of smartphones will be AI-powered, enabling Physical AI - agents that perform tasks in the real world through robots, drones, and intelligent machines. devFlokers
• [New] Hyundai plans to use Boston Dynamics and its own Boston Dynamics robotics unit to build 30,000 humanoid units annually by 2028, absorbing the entire near-term production capacity. TechFastForward
• [New] The 2027 will see HII and GrayMatter Robotics test the integration of systems into shipyards. Business Insider
• [New] 2026 Prediction: By end of 2026, an estimated 15,000+ humanoid robots will be deployed in commercial settings globally - a 400% increase from 2025. FinTechGrid
• [New] Amazon Research Awards' 2030 Call funds AI for science, distributed systems, robotics, and security with up to $100K in unrestricted cash plus $70K in AWS credits, prioritizing work where conventional methods break down under operational complexity, latency, reliability, or safety requirements. Impact Funding
• [New] LG plans to continue developing home robots with practical functions and forms for housework. LG USA
• [New] The United Kingdom has a significant opportunity to lead the next wave of robotics innovation and deployment. Robotics & Automation News
• [New] UBTECH plans a production capacity of 10,000 units in 2026, while Boston Dynamics plans a 30,000 unit capacity in 2028 for its Atlas robot. Technocracy News
• [New] Tesla plans to build a 1m unit Optimus robot production line with production starting at end-2026. Technocracy News
• [New] Models capable of processing images directly will enable robots to better understand the physical world in the future. Wired
• [New] According to Gartner's 2026 Emerging Technologies analysis, simulation-first development will be adopted by over 60% of robotics companies shipping commercial products by 2028. BUSINESS 2.0 NEWS
• [New] Amazon Plans to Replace More Than Half a Million Jobs with Robots. National Partnership for Women & Families
• [New] Sereact, a Stuttgart-based robotics software startup, raised $110 million to build AI models that help robots reason through tasks and predict consequences before acting. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin
• [New] The IRON robot will enter mass production in 2026. Gasgoo Auto News
• [New] Robotics is forecast to reach $208.8 million by 2034, with a 5.93% CAGR, driven by AI-driven automation in automotive manufacturing across Coahuila and Guanajuato. Alcor Recruitment & EOR for Tech
• [New] The robots that will exist in 2028 will be substantially better, substantially cheaper, and shipping at volumes orders of magnitude higher than today. Markman's Substack

Last updated: 11 May 2026