small robots

An open-source desktop companion robot called JBR-001 has been released, built around the Arduino Uno Q and fully 3D printable. The project, shared on Arduino's Project Hub by the maker behind Synthetic AI Data, lets anyone print, assemble and customise their own small desktop robot. It is drawing attention in the maker community as an accessible entry point into hobby robotics.

Munich-based robotics startup RobCo has reached a $1 billion valuation, making it one of Europe's newest unicorns. The company builds modular industrial robots designed to be quickly reconfigured for different manufacturing tasks, targeting small and mid-sized factories. The funding milestone is drawing attention as a sign that Europe's robotics sector is gaining ground against US and Asian competitors.

Researchers have built a paper-thin swimming robot powered by living muscle cells and steered with light. The biohybrid device moves through fluid like a small swimmer, with optical signals controlling its direction. The work points toward soft medical robots that could one day deliver drugs or perform minimally invasive tasks inside the body.

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed DirectHop, a small robot capable of hopping to get around. The compact machine is drawing attention for how jumping locomotion could let tiny robots navigate terrain that wheeled or walking robots struggle with, and local coverage is introducing the device to a wider audience.

Roboticists have unveiled a tiny, frog-inspired robot capable of hopping across wet surfaces and swimming in water. The design mimics frog locomotion, combining jumping and aquatic movement in one small machine. The demonstration is drawing attention for what it suggests about the future of amphibious robotics, potentially useful in exploration, search and rescue, or environmental monitoring in wet and flooded environments.

The children's science podcast Wow in the World has released an episode about robot cockroaches, aimed at introducing young listeners to robotics and bio-inspired engineering. The episode is drawing large audiences, with hundreds of thousands of likes, as families tune in to learn how engineers borrow from nature to design small, resilient machines.

Engineers in Singapore have built ALBATROSS, a robot weighing about one kilogram that is dropped from a drone at roughly 150 metres. It spins its limbs to slow its fall from around 110 to 24 km/h, then transforms into a small sailboat steered by a fish-like rudder. The machine runs on just three actuators and three sensors, impressing observers with how much capability is packed into such a simple design.

Munich-based robotics startup RobCo has raised $40 million in a new funding round that values the company at more than $1 billion, giving it unicorn status. The company builds modular robots aimed at automating tasks for small and mid-sized manufacturers. The deal adds to growing investor interest in robotics and industrial automation startups.

Roborock's Saros 20 robot vacuum, which can climb over door sills and other small obstacles in the home, is being offered at a discount on Amazon as part of Prime sales. Gizmodo highlighted the deal, drawing attention to the vacuum's unusual ability to traverse raised thresholds that typically stop most robot vacuums, alongside the reduced price for Prime customers.

Munich-based robotics firm RobCo has reached a $1 billion valuation, making it Europe's newest unicorn in the robotics sector. The company, known for modular robot arms aimed at automating small and mid-sized manufacturers, is being held up as a sign that European industrial robotics startups can still attract major investment despite a cautious funding climate.

German robotics startup RobCo has reached a $1 billion valuation, according to the Wall Street Journal, giving the Munich-based maker of modular industrial robots unicorn status. The company builds flexible, reconfigurable robots aimed at small and mid-sized manufacturers facing labor shortages. The report drew attention from investors tracking European robotics and automation plays.

Engineers have unveiled Albatross, a small robot designed to be dropped from height. Rather than landing carefully, it falls, spins through the air, rights itself after impact, and then sails away across the ground like a windblown leaf. The design draws on samara, the winged seeds that helicopters naturally to the ground, and points toward cheap, expendable robots that can be scattered over terrain.

Munich-based robotics startup RobCo has reached a $1 billion valuation, making it one of Germany's newest unicorns. The company builds modular, reconfigurable industrial robots aimed at small and mid-sized manufacturers, a segment often underserved by traditional automation providers. Business outlets including Quartz and Yahoo Finance are covering the funding milestone, with attention focused on Europe's growing robotics and automation sector.

Investor commentary is highlighting humanoid robots as a promising growth area, pointing to the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF, which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker BOTZ. The piece frames small humanoid robots as a technology that is beginning to deliver, drawing interest from traders tracking robotics and AI exposure in their portfolios.

Researchers have unveiled a walking robotic skin that can transform ordinary metal surfaces into a source of power, eliminating the need for an onboard battery. The material is described as a skin-like layer that both moves across surfaces and harvests energy from them, suggesting potential uses for small robots and devices that operate without charging.

A man danced with a small humanoid robot during a festive gathering at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, in footage shared widely online by user Prasshant Chosaliya. The clip shows the robot mirroring the dancer's moves on stage, drawing amused and curious reactions about robotics increasingly appearing at high-profile private events in India.

Engineers have developed a small jumping robot that operates without an onboard battery, drawing its power instead from infrared light aimed at it from outside. The design could point to lighter, longer-running microrobots, since batteries are typically the heaviest component of tiny machines. Coverage highlights the beam-powered approach as a potential route for small robots used in inspection, search and confined-space work.

Princeton researchers have trained a 4-billion-parameter language model to reach an Elo rating of 2700 in chess, a grandmaster-level standard. The team reports the model showed no signs of a performance plateau when training stopped, and that it can explain its moves accurately. According to the researchers, the training technique could also be applied to other games, robotics, and computer use.

Engineers have unveiled a small robot that descends spinning like a maple seed and, once it lands on water, converts into a boat-like vessel that can sail across the surface. The design, reported by Tech Xplore, combines aerial and aquatic mobility in a single lightweight device. Commenters are highlighting its potential for environmental monitoring, distributed sensing and cheap deployment over lakes or oceans.

Reviews are circulating for the Ruko R1 Mini Robot Dog, a small interactive robot pet aimed at children. Early coverage, including a review from MacSources, positions it as an affordable option in the kids' robotics toy market, highlighting its interactive features and low price point for parents considering a robotic pet gift.

Researchers have developed a new propulsion method for small robots that uses low-power twisting movements, allowing them to hop and swim without large amounts of energy. The approach could make miniature robots more practical by reducing power demands while keeping them mobile across different environments.