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This week in robotics has been intense. From quadruped “commandos” and humanoids with tractor-level pulling power to remote-controlled robot arms and AI-friendly research machines, the industry is showing that robots are no longer confined to the factory floor. Here are the stories that caught my attention.

Unitree A2 “Stellar Explorer” – the four-legged commando

Unitree is back with another powerful release. Their new robotic dog, the A2 “Stellar Explorer”, is essentially a four-legged commando. It can sprint at almost 18 km/h, carry 25 kilograms while walking, and hold 100 kilograms completely still. Yes, that means you could literally stand on it.

The A2 is built for outdoor conditions. Mud, snow, rocky trails, steep inclines. For this machine, these are just casual challenges. It is designed for practical applications such as logistics support, perimeter patrols, search-and-rescue missions, and reaching areas that humans do not want to go or simply should not go.

And for demonstrations, it can perform a backflip and even smash through glass. Quadruped robots are impressive because they combine the agility of an animal with the durability of a machine. This type of kinematic design allows them to succeed where wheels and tracks fail. They can move into tight spaces, overcome difficult obstacles, and navigate terrain that would stop most other robots.

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MagicBot Z1 – small body, draft-horse strength

Launched just one month ago, the MagicBot Z1 from Chinese company MagicLab is already attracting attention. At first glance it seems unassuming. It is 1.4 meters tall, weighs 40 kilograms, and has a slim humanoid frame. But inside, it is built like an athlete with 50 degrees of freedom and a drive system that produces fluid, human-like movements.

It was created to walk, run, and balance. However, the latest demonstration revealed another surprising skill. The MagicBot Z1 was attached to a wheeled platform carrying 250 kilograms and it simply walked away with it. No hesitation, no obvious strain. Just a steady and confident pull.

For perspective, that is the equivalent of towing three well-fed engineers in a single trip. This raises an amusing thought. Could we one day replace small tractors with humanoid robots wearing harnesses to work in the fields? Given how quickly robotics develops, someone may already be testing that idea.

China’s quiet laboratory revolution

Laboratories across the world are facing a major staffing shortage. This is not about missing one or two people. It is about tens of thousands of vacant positions. In the United States alone the shortage is estimated at almost 100,000 specialists. In some facilities one in four positions is empty. This results in delayed research, overloaded schedules, and exhausted staff relying heavily on caffeine.

China has stepped in with a new solution: Piper paired with Chius L20. Piper is an ultra-light robotic manipulator weighing just 4 kilograms, which means it can be mounted almost anywhere including shelves, workbenches, or mobile carts. Chius L20 is a robotic arm with 20 degrees of freedom and 23 joints that can pipette, transfer samples, and handle fragile laboratory glassware without spilling a drop.

Together, they form a compact and flexible automation system that can be integrated into almost any laboratory without a major redesign. They are quiet, require no sick leave, and operate continuously. This is one more sign that robots are moving far beyond factory environments. Laboratories are now high on the list for automation.

PrismaX – teleoperated robot arms for the remote work era

A startup from San Francisco, PrismaX, has developed a platform that allows anyone to operate a robotic arm from anywhere in the world. You log in, take hold of a controller, and instead of moving a virtual game character, you move a real robot in real time.

The applications are clear. Factories, laboratories, chemical plants, and even nuclear waste handling can now be operated remotely. All that is required is an internet connection. This means that an engineer could work from their office, from home, or even from their garden wearing slippers.

The company sees this as only the first step. Their plan is to expand the technology to humanoid robots. This could significantly change the meaning of remote work. It also brings to mind the science fiction film Surrogates, where people stay at home while robotic avatars live their lives for them. Hopefully, reality will not go quite that far.

LimX Oli – a humanoid built for AI creators and researchers

Chinese company LimX Dynamics is positioning its new humanoid, Oli, not as an exhibition piece but as a serious tool for scientists, AI developers, and integrators.

Oli is 1.65 meters tall, weighs 55 kilograms, and has 31 degrees of freedom. The most important feature is the level of control and access it gives the user.

• Full sensor access. Cameras, gyroscopes, encoders. Every reading can be monitored and analyzed.

• Joint-level control. Each servo can be controlled independently, which allows for experimentation with new walking patterns, gripping algorithms, and balance techniques.

• Support for simulation software such as MuJoCo, Isaac Sim, and Gazebo. This means code can be safely tested in a virtual environment before running it on the actual robot.

• A developer-friendly SDK. The included software development kit removes the long and complex integration process, allowing the user to move quickly into building and testing new robot behaviors.

Oli gives direct access to both its “brain” and “muscles.” What comes next is limited only by the imagination of the person controlling it.

That is it for this week’s roundup. I hope these stories sparked some ideas and perhaps a bit of excitement about where robotics is heading. Have a great week ahead and keep an eye out. The future is already walking, rolling and sometimes backflipping past us.

Cheers, Jacek