ZeroGantry — Robotics Intelligence

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30 dispatches on this page. Each article includes sources when available and links into Inventory, Reviews, or Patents when relevant.

1. South Korea Navy Tests Pibot Humanoid as Ship Helmsman — On July 23, 2026, the South Korean Navy ran its first combat experiment with KAIST's Pibot humanoid robot performing helmsman duties on a warship bridge simulator in Changwon. The
2. AgiBot Hong Kong IPO Targets Up to $6.4B Valuation — Shanghai-based AgiBot has initiated its Hong Kong IPO process targeting HK$40-50 billion valuation. The humanoid robot maker has produced over 15,000 units and plans a Q3 2026 list
3. Tesla Optimus Production Lines Installed at Fremont After Q2 2026 Earnings Miss — Tesla reported Q2 2026 results on July 22 with revenue growth but an earnings miss that triggered a sharp stock drop. The company confirmed it has decommissioned Model S and X line
4. NVIDIA Isaac GR00T N1.7 VLA Model Ships with Human Video Pretraining — NVIDIA has released the Isaac GR00T N1.7 VLA foundation model under Apache 2.0. The update adds pretraining on 32,000 hours of human video plus 8,000 hours of simulation, a new Cos
5. Agility Digit Repair Costs Stay Opaque as Fremont Facility Scales — Agility Robotics opened a 60,000-square-foot Fremont facility in July 2026 to advance Digit humanoid AI and support growing deployments. Operators continue to face limited public d
6. Google DeepMind Launches Gemini Robotics ER 2 Embodied Reasoning Model — Google DeepMind released Gemini Robotics ER 2 on July 30, 2026. The embodied reasoning model enables robots to handle real-time spatial reasoning, multi-step planning, video-based
7. Skild AI Raises $1.4B for Omni-Bodied Skild Brain Robotics AI — Skild AI closed a $1.4 billion Series C round led by SoftBank at a valuation above $14 billion. The funding supports the Skild Brain, a unified foundation model designed to control
8. Humanoid UK Lands Bosch Contract in $152M Series A — UK-based Humanoid closed a $152 million Series A on July 21, 2026, reaching a $1.35 billion valuation. Bosch will manufacture its wheeled HMND 01 robots while Schaeffler serves as
9. Figure AI Ankle Patent Highlights Hardware Edge in Humanoid Mobility — Figure AI received the July 2026 Patent of the Month for US12649246, covering advanced ankle assemblies with independent actuators for precise foot pitch and roll control. The desi
10. FCC Bans New Chinese Humanoid and Quadruped Robot Imports — On July 28, 2026, the US FCC banned imports of new Chinese-made humanoid and quadruped robots over national security concerns including data risks and cyberattacks. The move target
11. AheadForm Origin F1 Ships Realistic Humanoid Robot Heads After WAIC 2026 — Chinese startup AheadForm unveiled the Origin F1 desktop humanoid robot head at WAIC 2026 in Shanghai. The head-only platform with 25 micromotors and bionic silicone skin is alread
12. Gene.01 Humanoid: Generative Bionics Smart Skin Tactile Edge — Italian firm Generative Bionics launched the Gene.01 humanoid platform on July 20, 2026, featuring full-body multimodal tactile sensing for safer human collaboration. It debuted in
13. Samsung Forms RX Robotics Division Under CEO for Humanoid Push — Samsung Electronics launched the RX Robotics division on July 21, 2026, reporting directly to DX CEO TM Roh. Led by ex-Hyundai executive Lee Dongkun, it will accelerate humanoid ro
14. Humanoid UK Secures $152M Series A at $1.35B Valuation — UK-based Humanoid raised $152 million in Series A funding at a $1.35 billion valuation, becoming Europe's first pure-play humanoid unicorn. The round supports scaled production of
15. Musk: Optimus Hardest Product Tesla Has Ever Scaled — During Tesla's Q2 2026 earnings call on July 22, Elon Musk stated that Optimus will be the hardest product the company has ever scaled for manufacturing. Tesla is building nearly e
16. AGIBOT Deploys 30+ Robots at WAIC 2026 Shanghai Venues — AGIBOT is operating more than 30 of its robots at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai starting mid-July. The deployment provides visitor guidance and supp
17. CHRT Certification Launches for Humanoid Robot Repair and Fleet Maintenance — RobotCare has introduced the CHRT credential and Robot Health Passport to support maintenance of humanoid robot fleets. The 15-week program targets technicians working across multi
18. LimX Dynamics Centaur Robot Tests Humanoid Limits at WAIC 2026 — LimX Dynamics unveiled its centaur-style wheel-leg hybrid robot at WAIC 2026 in Shanghai on July 20. The design targets rugged terrain transport and inspection where standard human
19. Agility Robotics Opens 60,000 Sq Ft Fremont Facility for Digit AI Training — Agility Robotics opened a 60,000-square-foot facility in Fremont, California, on July 16, 2026, to train and advance its Digit humanoid robot. The site supports expanded deployment
20. ISO 25785-1 Sets Safety Rules for Dynamically Stable Humanoids — ISO 25785-1 is advancing as the key safety standard for industrial mobile robots with active stability control, including humanoids and legged systems. It addresses fall prevention
21. 1X NEO Hands: 25-DoF Tendon Upgrade Targets Home Dexterity — 1X Technologies unveiled 25-DoF tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid on July 9, 2026. The design adds force-controlled joints and tactile sensing to support precise home tasks
22. Walden Robotics $300M Seed at $1.1B Powers Toyota Humanoid Deployments — Walden Robotics launched publicly on July 15, 2026 after spinning out of Toyota Research Institute, securing $300M in seed funding at a $1.1B valuation. Backed by Toyota, NVIDIA, a
23. ThorArena Benchmark Exposes Force-Aware Gaps in Humanoid Controllers — ThorArena, a new benchmark from TU Munich, tests how humanoid robots handle physical contact by replaying real human forces in simulation. The results expose major gaps in balance
24. CHRT Certification Debuts for Humanoid Robot Repair Service — RobotCare launched the Certified Humanoid Robot Technician program and Robot Health Passport to support maintenance of humanoid fleets. The 15-week credential covers 15 OEM platfor
25. 1X NEO Hands: 25-DoF Tendon-Driven Dexterity Breakthrough — 1X Technologies has built 25-degree-of-freedom tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid that approach human dexterity. The hands are waterproof, sense forces directly through their
26. Weave Robotics Isaac 1: $7999 Home Robot Pre-Order Tests Affordable Chores 2026 — Weave Robotics is taking pre-orders for the Isaac 1, a $7,999 wheeled robot that folds laundry, makes beds, and tidies homes. At less than half the cost of a humanoid like 1X NEO,
27. iFixRobot and SuperDroid Robot Repair Services for Humanoids — Specialized US providers iFixRobot and SuperDroid Robots now deliver national humanoid maintenance, actuator repairs, and 200-day warranties as consumer and industrial robot fleets
28. UBTech UWORLD U1 Launches with 13k Orders for Companion Humanoids — UBTech unveiled the UWORLD U1 Series of full-sized gendered companion humanoids in Shenzhen on June 30, 2026. The lineup drew over 13,361 orders by launch day, with deliveries star
29. 1X NEO Repair: Expert Teleop, 1-Day Warranty & Maintenance Plans — 1X Technologies rolls out premium 1X Expert teleoperation and 1-day actuator replacement for NEO home humanoids ahead of 2026 US deliveries. Production ramps at the new Hayward NEO
30. NVIDIA Isaac GR00T 1.7 VLA Powers End-to-End Humanoid Policy Training — NVIDIA Isaac GR00T 1.7 VLA and full humanoid development platform launch July 2026, enabling neural feedback loops, zero-shot generalization, and torque mapping for cross-embodimen