Weekly Robotics #340

Issue 340

Last week, I attended the first Paris HW Meetup. It was great to come back to France, even for a little while, and learn what people are up to at Hugging Fave, UMA, Stanley Robotics, and Gobano Robotics. It was also my pleasure to present Foxglove.

Definitely my highlight of this trip was visiting ISIR and doing a lab tour (big thanks to Eloïse for organizing it). I've seen some fascinating research on human-robot interaction, linking robotics to neuroscience, and lots of assistive technologies (the team took part in Cybathlon). For the first time in my life, I've seen a PR2 Robot. It felt as if I had experienced a piece of history.

Jiga raised $12M for robotics and hardware [Sponsored]

Jiga secures $12M Series A to fix custom parts sourcing as robotics market doubles. Engineers get direct access to vetted manufacturers from prototype to production - no black-box platforms or capacity-constrained shops. Automates busywork while keeping engineers in control, building lasting relationships with consistent quality.

Jiga

Turning a 2 ton robot into a giant 3D printer

Turning a 2 ton robot into a giant 3D printer cover

Brian Brocken created a new project, where he turned his giant ABB manipulator into a 3D printer. I love the part where the author scans a marble sculpture done by his grandfather and then attempts to 3D-print it. Does anyone else have a not-having-an-industrial-robot-at-home-FOMO?

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ROSCon 2025 - Singapore 🇸🇬

ROSCon 2025 - Singapore 🇸🇬 cover

Aditya Kamath wrote this extensive summary of his experience at ROSCon 2025 in Singapore. I highly recommend this read if you are a ROS user and you missed that event. I’m also super grateful for the Weekly Robotics and Foxglove shout outs and a description of our interaction during the event!

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Demonstrably Safe AI For Autonomous Driving

This article describes Waymo’s approach to the software design of its AI, with a primary focus on safety. There are some good lessons that can be learned from their approach.

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MIT researchers “speak objects into existence” using AI and robotics

MIT researchers “speak objects into existence” using AI and robotics cover

Here is an interesting study from MIT, in which the authors developed a workflow that enables the robot to build structures via voice commands. The structures are built from cubes that seem to have magnets that allow them to snap in place. The structures are fed via a simple conveyor belt and then captured by a Universal Robots arm.

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Zebra Technologies winding down Fetch-based mobile robot group

Zebra Technologies is winding down its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) division. The group was built around Zebra’s $290 million acquisition of AMR maker Fetch Robotics in 2021. The move marks a strategic retreat from the robotics push Zebra launched to expand its warehouse automation capabilities.

Not a great fan of this news. The Fetch Robotics base with an arm will always be one of the icons of robotics. I hope that everyone affected by the layoffs will find their next gig in no time.

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Tumbleweeds inspire this rolling, resilient robot

Tumbleweeds inspire this rolling, resilient robot cover

Here is another proof that nature is a great inspiration for robotics. This time, the EPFL researchers developed an energy-efficient quadrotor locked in a ‘tumbleweed cage’ that could be used for autonomous exploration.

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Kroger acknowledges that its bet on robotics went too far

Kroger is pulling back from its heavy bet on robotic fulfillment, shutting down three Ocado-powered warehouses after the model failed to meet performance and profitability expectations in the U.S. market. I highly recommend the HN discussion on this topic. Especially the first comment, which mentions the need to scale down these fulfillment centers, is a good food for thought.

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From iCub to humanoids: Generative Bionics raises $81M

Let’s wrap up today’s issue with some good business news:

Generative Bionics, an Italian humanoid robot developer, raised €70 million ($81.2 million) in funding. The company said the new funding will help it develop its product, train physical AI systems, and construct its first production plant. Generative Bionics said it is also finalizing its first industrial deployment contracts, which it will announce in early 2026.

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