🤖 Stealth Cargo Drones
Good Morning, Roboticists!
Autonomy is leaving the lab and entering contested space.
Pentagon Seeks Stealth Cargo Drones
TL;DR: The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit issued a March 16 solicitation for small, autonomous cargo vessels capable of hauling at least 9 tons across 1,000–2,000 miles in contested coastal waters. Designed to be low-profile, expendable and resistant to tampering, the robotic ships must operate in GPS-jammed, degraded communications environments, support pier-to-shore logistics, and even remotely scuttle themselves if captured.
Moon Construction Robot Tested
TL;DR: US-based Astroport Space Technologies and Venturi Astrolab completed a field test of a lunar excavator payload integrated with Astrolab’s FLEX rover, moving 94 kilograms of regolith in 3.5 minutes. The system aims to help build landing pads, roads, and essential infrastructure before astronauts arrive.
E-Skin Wing Tames Currents
TL;DR: Engineers from the University of Southampton, University of Edinburgh, and Delft University of Technology developed a soft robotic fin with liquid-metal e-skin that senses water pressure and adjusts shape in real time. Inspired by animal proprioception, the wing neutralized 87% of turbulence, reacted four times faster than other soft designs, and used five times less energy, promising more stable, efficient underwater robots.
Claude Animates 3D-Printed Robotic Hand
TL;DR: A developer connected Anthropic’s Claude to a 3D-printed Aero Hand Open from TetherIA, enabling the LLM to control all 16 joints through an ESP32-S3 board. Using a USB camera for visual feedback, Claude identified the device, accessed its serial port, verified firmware, and executed gestures like fist and peace sign while narrating actions in Telegram.
Rent a Humanoid for $1K
TL;DR: Agibot has launched a robots-as-a-service rental model, offering its A2 humanoid and other robots starting at nearly $1,000 per day, including delivery and on-site support. While pitched as affordable access, the price limits use to short-term events and marketing demos rather than real labor replacement. The service is now available across 17 countries in Europe, North America, and Malaysia.
Light-Driven Robot Redefines Motion
TL;DR: A team at University of California created an insect-scale soft robot that jumps 188 times using only light, with no motors or electronics. Built from liquid crystal elastomers, the robot can carry 1,700 times its weight and could be deployed for wildfire monitoring, disaster response, and hazardous environment exploration.
Intuitive Takes Direct Control in Europe
TL;DR: Intuitive has completed the acquisition of European distributors Ab Medica, Abex and Excelencia Robótica, bringing da Vinci and Ion surgical robot sales operations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta and San Marino under its direct control. The deal integrates around 250 employees into Intuitive’s European organization and formalizes its shift from partner-led distribution to fully owned commercial operations in Southern Europe.
IKEA Rolls Out Mini Robot Trucks
TL;DR: IKEA China has begun permanently deploying two autonomous electric mini-trucks from Neolix in Hefei to shuttle goods between a warehouse and store for pickups and restocking. After a pilot covering 47,000 miles cut customer wait times from six hours to two and reduced transport costs by over 50%, IKEA is now evaluating broader expansion, including home deliveries.
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