Welcome, sci-fi realists…

This week, we’re pleased to inform you about an Italian startup’s new experiment to add yet another humanlike concept to humanoids: skin. 😳

Generative Bionics isn’t creating actual fake skin that they use in movies or shows. The “skin” they’re referring to is a network of sensors that would cover a humanoid torso all the way through its limbs. They call this sensor network “smart skin” because just like actual skin, it can detect an object’s touch, proximity, temperature, and force. 

The purpose is to save humanoids from collisions with actual humans in industrial settings or with other random objects. Modern cars use backup sensor systems to tell you not to back up into someone else’s vehicle, so it makes sense to apply this concept to humanoids. 

Even though this “smart skin” is neither skin nor aesthetically appealing, it’s still practical to protect humanoid robots and keep them productive. 

Anyway, here's what you need to know about robotics right now:

The UK’s Royal Navy is proving that maritime surveillance doesn’t have to put humans at risk in dangerous locations. A new robotic uncrewed surface vessel (USV) was successfully tested in its ability to launch and recover surveillance drones without humans present. The test run involved three parts: a Pioneer USV built by British company ACUA Ocean, a SkyCarrier autonomous drone launching system developed by US-based Teledyne FLIR Defense, and a SkyRanger R70 drone also built by Teledyne. 

The results? Highly successful. 

The SkyRanger drone was launched and recovered by the USV with a tethered SkyCarrier system. This was done without human intervention. Regular readers of this newsletter will recognize some of the features that allowed the drone to navigate autonomously, including multiple NVIDIA processors with AI algorithms that detect and classify objects.   

The companies involved are looking to apply this USV tech to different use cases. Of course, the Royal Navy would want it for intelligence gathering, detecting and counteracting mines, and anti-submarine warfare. But, simpler uses would be monitoring offshore energy facilities and undersea cables.  

What this likely means for the future: Depending on how many USVs ACUA Ocean and other companies plan on manufacturing, their usefulness would go a long way to ensure military personnel stay out of high-risk environments. 

Our FYI read: Teledyne FLIR Defense, the US-based company behind the drone and launch system, was a key partner in the demonstration. That makes it more likely that the US and allied countries will consider similar combinations of robotic boats and autonomous drones to protect service members and critical infrastructure. 

The U.S. just placed a surprisingly wide gate around its robotics market.

The Federal Communications Commission added foreign-produced “advanced robotic devices,” including humanoids, quadrupeds, and other connected mobile robot, to its Covered List. New covered models generally cannot receive the FCC authorization required to be imported, marketed, or sold in the country. Reuters reports that the move primarily targets China’s rapidly growing robotics industry while supporting U.S. manufacturing.

The FCC’s official fact sheet, however, describes a broader rule covering foreign-produced robots regardless of the manufacturer’s nationality. Previously authorized models can remain on sale, existing owners are unaffected, and federal agencies are exempt. Manufacturers can also request conditional approval from the Department of War by demonstrating that their robots do not pose unacceptable security risks.

Here’s the detail likely to cause some headaches: “foreign-produced” is tied to the federal definition of a domestic end product. Through 2028, a robot must be manufactured in the U.S. and more than 65% of its component cost must come from U.S.-made components. That rises to 75% in 2029. This is based on component value, not simply the number of American-made parts.

That means the rule does more than block Chinese brands such as Unitree and AGIBOT. It could also pressure American robotics startups that assemble their machines domestically but still depend heavily on foreign motors, actuators, batteries, sensors, and other expensive hardware. The policy isn’t merely protecting a U.S. robotics market—it is trying to create a U.S. robotics supply chain.

FANUC recently posted a demonstration video on YouTube showcasing a specific use case for its world-famous yellow robot arms. In it, two of FANUC’s R-2000iC arms work in tandem – powered by SCADAware’s automated palletizing system – to inspect and place engine cylinders on a conveyor belt. Robot 1 handles the inspection while robot 2 handles the palletizing.  

Most people, including observers of this space, associate robot arms with speed and efficiency. But, the video makes clear they also have the ability to carefully inspect parts and reject poor quality ones. They manage to do so without sacrificing speed or efficiency, too. According to the video, around 75,000 parts are handled and palletized per year and are done so in cycles. Each cycle takes 197 seconds. Check out the video below to see for yourself. 

Now, what isn’t working so well right now? 

Qualcomm’s big robotics showcase took an awkward turn when a humanoid powered by its new Dragonwing IQ10 platform suddenly crumpled face-first during a live demonstration. As staff rushed in, covered the fallen bot with a black tarp, and carried it away, the presenter valiantly continued explaining how the technology would help robotics scale across “a wide variety of applications.” Presumably, slapstick is one of them.

The timing could hardly have been better—or worse. Qualcomm describes the IQ10 reference design as a production-ready foundation for advanced robots, complete with up to 700 TOPS of AI performance. But the collapse was a wonderfully painful reminder that enormous computing power does not automatically produce a robot capable of remaining upright. Even better: The tarp made the recovery look less like tech support and more like a tiny robotic crime scene. Watch the spectacularly unfortunate demo below.

Now, what’s something the headlines don’t say directly? 

We love to talk about the Big Four of robotics (Yaskawa, KUKA, ABB, and FANUC), but that conventional wisdom mainly covers industrial robot arms and other similar products while leaving out humanoids. The humanoid explosion is much newer and there isn’t an established Big Four (or five, or six, etc.) yet. Instead, we want you to keep an eye on a handful of providers in the humanoid space that are bound to keep coming up in future headlines: AGIBOT, Unitree, Boston Dynamics, 1X, Figure and Agility Robotics.

AGIBOT has made headlines for its manufacturing pace, growing from its 1,000th robot in early 2025 to its 15,000th in June 2026. Unitree, meanwhile, reported shipping more than 5,500 humanoids during 2025. Together, the companies demonstrate China’s considerable early lead in humanoid production and shipments.

The U.S. contenders are pursuing several different paths. Boston Dynamics is turning Atlas into a commercial industrial robot, while Agility Robotics already has Digit working in logistics and manufacturing facilities. Figure has put its robots to work at BMW and is developing Helix, an AI system intended to give them increasingly general, full-body autonomy. 1X is making a different bet with NEO: a soft, consumer-oriented robot designed for household chores, with early U.S. deliveries beginning in 2026—even if complex jobs may still require remote human guidance. 

Going forward, remember there is a separate category for providers that mainly focus on building humanoids. 

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