Ready For Tomorrow #70

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It is holiday season but the robot world refuses to nap. While we look for shade humanoids change their own batteries printers spit out bionic hands and one robot walks on stage with a keytar. No joke.

Figure shows a new battery. A small thing that changes a lot

I like this company. From the beginning, Figure has been doing things the right way – no hype, no flashy tricks. Just step by step, they’re building a robot that works. Now, they’ve added another important piece – the battery. And it’s not just any battery.

F.03 is the third generation power system for the Figure 01 humanoid. It holds 2.3 kWh of energy, which gives around five hours of work under full load. That’s long enough for the robot to actually do something useful before going back to charge. But it’s not just about runtime.

The battery is fully designed and built in-house. That’s rare. Thanks to that, production costs dropped by 78%, and energy density almost doubled. In simple terms: less space, more power.

The case is made of aluminum and steel. It’s strong enough to survive a one-meter drop onto concrete. It also works as part of the robot’s structure. It has active cooling, fast charging at 2 kW, a custom energy management system, and multiple fire safety layers.

Is it just a battery? Maybe. But I see it differently. To me, it’s another sign that Figure isn’t cutting corners. They’re building something real – not just a cool demo. And honestly, the way they think gives me hope that the whole humanoid industry might finally take off.

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UBTECH presents Walker S2, the humanoid robot that changes its own battery

First we had Figure, now it is UBTECH. The second humanoid today, and once again the battery takes center stage. This time it is Walker S2, a robot that not only works but also replaces its own battery. No humans, no downtime, no special procedures. It walks up to a station, removes the empty battery, installs a new one, and continues its task. This is the level of automation the industry is looking for.

Walker S2 moves on two legs at speeds up to 3 kilometers per hour and can keep its balance on uneven surfaces. It has 41 degrees of freedom, which means it can walk, open doors, operate machines, and interact with its environment. It is designed for production facilities and warehouses, where continuous operation and fast response to changing conditions are critical.

The new Swarm Intelligence 2.0 system lets several Walker robots work together as one coordinated team. UBTECH is not presenting a future concept. They are delivering a working tool. And even though this is only the second generation of Walker, it is already clear that the Chinese approach is focused on real industrial use.

It’s Amazing Hand, literally

Pollen Robotics has introduced a new open-source robotic hand called the Amazing Hand. It is fully 3D-printed, low-cost, and designed for research, education, and DIY projects. The total cost of building the hand is around 200 dollars, making it one of the most accessible robotic hands ever released.

The hand has four fingers and eight degrees of freedom. Each finger utilizes two small servo motors, allowing it to move forward and sideways. The structure is built from rigid 3D-printed bones, while the outer shell is made of soft TPU material. This combination gives the hand both strength and flexibility when gripping objects.

The entire design is open-source. CAD files, a full bill of materials, and assembly instructions are all available for download. The hand is compatible with the Reachy 2 robot, but it can also be used with other platforms thanks to its modular design.

With this release, robotic hands are no longer just for advanced labs or expensive robots. Anyone with access to a 3D printer and basic tools can now explore humanoid-grade manipulation at home or in the classroom.

Here you have a GitHub link: https://github.com/pollen-robotics/AmazingHand

Robots grow by consuming other robots. The era of robot metabolism begins

Researchers at Columbia University have created a robot that can grow and repair itself by connecting with other modules in its environment. This concept, inspired by biology, is being called robot metabolism. The system allows robots to not only move and perform tasks, but also physically evolve.

The core of the platform is a mechanical building block called a Truss Link. Each unit is about 28 centimeters long and can extend up to 43. These links connect magnetically and can form complex shapes like triangles or three-dimensional structures. The robot can detach damaged parts and attach new ones, adapting its shape and function over time.

In testing, the system showed it could build new shapes by assembling with nearby modules. It could also repair itself by removing broken pieces and replacing them with working ones. Some structures even expanded by pulling in free modules around them.

This technology is not about smarter code. It is about robots that physically change, grow, and survive in real environments. It opens the door to machines that can self-replicate, adapt to new challenges, and operate long-term without human help.

Robot plays keytar on stage. Humanity officially not special anymore

At the VOYAGEX Music Festival in Changchun, something weirdly wonderful happened. A full-sized humanoid robot named Adam stepped on stage and played the keytar with Chinese artist Hu Yutong’s band. Yes, a robot. With a keytar. In front of a live audience.

Built by PNDbotics, Adam is not just standing around in labs anymore. He’s out there stealing gigs. According to the company, this was both a tech demo and an artistic experiment. According to us, it’s the beginning of the end for roadies.

No news yet on whether Adam takes breaks, demands snacks, or plays free jazz when no one’s looking. But one thing is clear: robots are coming for your jobs… and your encores.

If this is July then September might blow our minds. Keep your sunscreen close and your curiosity closer. Robots do not take breaks and neither do we.