Ready For Tomorrow #91

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Hey there!

A very warm welcome to this first episode of the new year.

I hope that after all the eating, family time, and that weird period between Christmas and New Year, when everyone is running around but no one really knows why, you’ve already shaken it off and come back to life.

If so, perfect timing. I’ve got a fresh batch of news from the world of robots waiting for you.

No time to waste. Let’s get started!

From backflips to box moving. Why humanoid robots are finally stepping onto the factory floor

Boston Dynamics just took humanoid robots out of the lab and into a real factory. The company invited 60 Minutes to a Hyundai auto plant in Georgia to watch its AI-powered robot Atlas learn actual work tasks.

Atlas isn’t a video-game toy anymore. It’s a tall, human-like robot being trained to sort parts and move things on the factory floor. Engineers teach it by showing the robot how to do a job, sometimes even using virtual reality headsets so the robot can copy human motion.

This new version of Atlas has a sleek, fully electric body and a smarter “brain” built with advanced AI chips, the same tech that powers large language models.

Boston Dynamics says this isn’t just cool demos anymore. They’re testing whether robots like Atlas could share space with humans in real industrial settings, handling repetitive or tough jobs that people don’t want to do.

Some people worry this could mean fewer jobs for humans. Boston Dynamics leaders say it could take years before Atlas becomes a full-time worker. But the robot-factory future might be nearer than you think.

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Big car maker bets on robots not just cars.

Big news from Hyundai Motor Group ahead of CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The company is ready to roll out its AI robotics plan, and Bosch Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas will be one of the stars. The automaker says it wants robots and humans to work better together, and it’s about to show how at the big tech show in January.

In a teaser for CES, Hyundai said the theme is “Partnering Human Progress.” That includes how the Group will expand robotics tech through its global network, software-driven factories, and integrated systems. It will also show how robots can jump out of labs into real working environments.

Atlas is getting a public debut at CES under the Hyundai umbrella, aimed at showing how humanoid robots might actually help in workplaces one day. The company wants people to see robots not just as gadgets, but as real helpers in production, logistics, and safety tasks.

Hyundai’s robotics push isn’t limited to humanoids. Other robots developed by the group are winning awards and being set up for practical gigs from logistics to site safety.

The CES demo will also include interactive robotics experiences so visitors can see and feel how these machines operate. For Hyundai, this is a step toward wider robot adoption inside factories and beyond.

Smart homes get smarter as robots enter your living room.

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, SwitchBot showed off what it calls “Smart Home 2.0.” That’s a bunch of new AI-powered gadgets all working as one system to make your home more aware and helpful.

The biggest reveal is the onero H1, a home robot designed to handle real chores, not just fetch snacks. It has arms, wheels, and enough freedom of movement to pick up, push, open and organize things around the house. This robot learns by using vision and touch sensors to understand objects and how to interact with them.

SwitchBot also showed off new security gear like the Lock Vision Series deadbolt that uses biometric tech, including palm-vein scanning, for contact-free unlocking.

There are other cool devices too. A wearable called AI MindClip acts as a kind of voice-based helper that listens to conversations and turns them into summaries or tasks. There’s an interactive light display that shows weather, time or mood visuals, and even a smart weather station with a big E-Ink screen.

Altogether SwitchBot wants to push homes beyond dumb automation and into an era where your space actually reacts and adapts to your life.

Why robots are learning like interns. By doing the same job again and again.

Inside a quiet lab run by AgileX Robotics, robots go to work every single day. Not to build cars or pack boxes. Their job is simpler and harder at the same time. Learn how the real world works.

This place is all about data. Not fake data from simulations, but real movements done by real machines. Dual-arm robots are trained through teleoperation, meaning humans guide them task by task. Think shelves in a shop. A kitchen counter. A service desk. Normal spaces made for people.

Every task is broken down into basics. Grab. Place. Carry. Sort. These tiny actions become building blocks. Together, they form a shared skill library that different robots can use, even if they look completely different.

And here’s the crazy part. Each single skill is repeated hundreds of times a day. Different lighting. Different objects. Different positions. Same task, new reality every time. The result is thousands of clean robot movements every day. Already hundreds of thousands collected. All from physical robots, not from a computer game.

Why does this matter?

Because AI in robotics is only as good as the experience behind it. And real machines behave differently than perfect digital twins. Motors heat up. Grips slip. Sensors lie. This kind of data teaches robots how the world actually feels.

AgileX isn’t just training robots. They’re building shared memory. A common language that many robots can learn from and grow together.

It’s not flashy. No backflips.

But this is how intelligent robots are really made.

Weeds don’t stand a chance. Robots hit the field.

Farm tech just got a lot sharper. Kilter unveiled its new robot AX-1, a machine built to take weeds down with precision. This isn’t some DIY garden gadget. It’s a full-on field bot designed to roam crops and zap unwanted plants without hurting the good stuff.

AX-1 uses cameras and sensors to spot weeds by sight, then aims tools right where they matter. That means less chemicals on fields, fewer passes with big machinery, and crops that get the care they need without all the spray. The bot can work on its own across large plots, scanning, identifying, and acting as it goes.

For farmers, this kind of tool could be a real help. Weed pressure is one of the biggest headaches in crop growing. Traditional methods can be slow, expensive, and harmful to the environment. AX-1 promises targeted action instead of blanket treatments.

The goal here is simple. Give growers a robot that moves through fields, learns what’s weed and what’s crop, then tackles weeds with surgical strikes. It’s part of a new wave of ag robots that could make farming greener and less grind-heavy for people out in the fields.

Weeds might be ancient foes, but robots like AX-1 are a fresh new challenger coming to the field.

And that’s it for today.

Factories, homes, labs, and even farm fields. Robots are quietly moving into real life, one small task at a time. Not with big promises, but with boring, repeatable work that actually matters.

If this direction feels interesting, or a bit scary, or both, good. That means we’re paying attention.

Thanks for spending these few minutes with me.

This was Ready for Tomorrow. See you in the next episode.

Cheers, Jacek !

PS. Happy new year!