Robotics
Wingcopter raises $22 million to expand to the U.S. and launch a next-generation drone
German drone technology startup Wingcopter has raised a $22 million Series A – its first significant venture capital raise after mostly bootstrapping. The company, which focuses on drone delivery, h
MIT aims to speed up robot movements to match robot thoughts using custom chips
MIT researchers are looking to address the significant gap between how quickly robots can process information (relatively slowly), and how fast they can move (very quickly thanks to modern hardware ad
Thimble teaches kids STEM skills with robotics kits combined with live Zoom classes
Parents with kids stuck learning at home during the pandemic have had to look for alternative activities to promote the hands-on learning experiences kids are missing out on due to attending class vir
Robotic exoskeletons promise increased mobility and job assistance
The last several years have seen a substantial increase of ability for robotic exoskeleton technology. Completely understandable. For one thing, it’s that rare technology you encounter that really f
These robo-fish autonomously form schools and work as search parties
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have created a set of fish-shaped underwater robots that can autonomously navigate and find each other, cooperating
Saildrone launches a 72-foot autonomous seabed-mapping boat
Mapping the ocean’s floor is a surprisingly vital enterprise, which helps with a range of activities including shipping, coastal protection, and deep-sea resource gathering. It’s also a ve
Pollen Robotics’ humanoid robot can be controlled remotely with VR
Pollen Robotics turned heads at last year’s CES. After all, a humanoid robot will do that on the show floor (even if it’s only half of one). The French startup is back for this year’s show (inso
At least one of Samsung’s new robots is definitely coming out (hint: it’s the vacuum)
For the last couple of years, Samsung’s CES press conferences have featured a parade of futuristic home robots. They are smart, dexterous and impressive (and reasonably adorable). But home robots ar
UBTech launches UV light disinfecting robots
UBTech is the massively funded Chinese robotics company you’ve (probably) never heard of. If you’re familiar at all with the brand here in the states, it’s likely for its STEM or other robot
An earnest review of a robotic cat pillow
You don’t need Qoobo in your life. Nobody needs Qoobo, exactly. In fact, first reactions tend to range from befuddlement to bemusement. The robotic cat pillow doesn’t make a ton of sense on the fa
2020 will change the way we look at robotics
Earlier this month, Hyundai acquired a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics that valued the company at $1.1 billion. What’s most interesting about the news isn’t the acquisition itself (it does, a
Astroscale ships its space junk removal demonstration satellite for March 2021 mission
Japanese startup Astroscale has shipped its ELSA-d spacecraft to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan, where it will be integrated with a Soyuz rocket for a launch scheduled for March of next year. T
Orbital refueling and manufacturing go from theory to reality in 2021
The idea of satellites and other spacecraft being able to refuel, repair or even add new capabilities while in orbit has generally seemed like a “nice in theory” one, but as leaders from M
Lockheed Martin’s Lisa Callahan on building a lunar lander collaboratively (and during COVID)
NASA’s Artemis mission is just starting to get underway, and among the commercial partnerships vying for the privilege of building the lunar landing system is one between Lockheed Martin and Blu
Following Hyundai acquisition, Boston Dynamics’ CEO discusses the robotics pioneer’s future
A lot can change in a year. Especially this year. For Boston Dynamics, the past 12 months have brought a number of radical changes traditionally not seen at 30-year-old businesses of its size. It’s
Dry cleaning robotics startup Presso raises $1.6M as it shifts focus to Hollywood
Robotic dry cleaning startup Presso today announced that it has closed a $1.6 million pre-seed with investment from Pathbreaker, AME Cloud Ventures, SOSV, 1517 Fund and YETI Capital. The Atlanta-based
Iris Automation raises $13 million for visual drone object avoidance tech
It’s only a matter of time now before drones become a key component of everyday logistics infrastructure, but there are still significant barriers between where we are today and that future R
German Bionic raises $20M led by Samsung for exoskeleton tech to supercharge human labor
Exoskeleton technology has been one of the more interesting developments in the world of robotics: Instead of building machines that replace humans altogether, build hardware that humans can wear to s
Daily Crunch: Hyundai acquires 80% stake in Boston Robotics
Hyundai takes a controlling stake in an iconic robotics company, Twitter acquires a screen-sharing startup and we round up some security-themed gift ideas. This is your Daily Crunch for December 11, 2
Hyundai buys controlling interest in Boston Dynamics
It’s official. Boston Dynamics is becoming part of the Hyundai family (pending regulatory approval, naturally). The Waltham, Massachusetts-based robot maker confirmed in a press release today that t