Global Scans · Robotics · Weekly Summary

• [New] The automotive giant is not just diversifying; it's positioning itself as a direct challenger to SpaceX with ambitious plans for satellite deployment, lunar colonies, and space robotics that could reshape the commercial space race. / Japan The Tech Buzz
• [New] AI agents and robots could automate more than half of US work hours using technology that is available today. The Guardian
• [New] Pairing people and AI tools, including agents and robots, could unlock $3 trillion in economic value in the United States by 2030. Fortune
• [New] Foxconn and Google-owned Intrinsic have announced a joint venture that will combine Intrinsic's cutting-edge AI robotics platform with Foxconn's manufacturing expertise to build the future of the AI factory. Amiko Consulting
• [New] By the end of 2026, Xpeng aims to achieve large-scale mass production of high-level humanoid robots. New Atlas
• [New] The commercial segment-robots used for medical and surgical purposes, agriculture, and construction, among other applications - is expected to grow at a compound growth rate of 11.8% from $3.2 billion to $17.0 billion, overtaking spending on military applications. Robohub
• [New] New MIT and Boston University research confirms that AI and robotics will eliminate 2 million manufacturing jobs by 2026. HumansAreObsolete.com
• [New] Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea's largest automaker, said it plans to invest 125 trillion won ($86.3 billion) from 2026 to 2030 to expand domestic research and development and advance new technologies such as AI, robotics and self-driving cars. Boston Herald
• [New] Early Q1 2026 will likely see the first truly general-purpose household robots leveraging LLM-powered reasoning to navigate novel scenarios without task-specific programming. AGI Agent
• [New] Humanoid robots will become the biggest product of all time by far, bigger than cellphones, bigger than anything. Bizclik Media Ltd
• AI-powered robots, including Tesla's Optimus prototype, will eventually handle all the work that needs to be done, leaving humans to focus only on hobbies or creative pursuits. Salon.com
• Xiaomi Robotics: Next-generation CyberDog and household robots will be able to carry out LED-based continuous charging while operating. XiaomiTime
• Around 375 million workers worldwide would be forced to change professions by 2030 as humans are being increasingly replaced by robots with artificial intelligence. MUC Consulting
• The personal segment-robots used for entertainment, cleaning, education, security, and household applications - is projected to grow the fastest, at a compound annual rate of 15.8%, ballooning from $1 billion in 2010 to $9.0 billion in 2025. Robohub
• Saunders' expertise will help integrate DeepMind's Gemini AI model into robots. The Times Of India
• Soft Robotics - Human-safe Automation for the Next Era: Global robotics revenue reached USD 46 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit USD 73 billion by 2029, reflecting the demand for collaborative, bio-inspired systems. Frost & Sullivan
• By 2050, farms may employ androids, laser-guided weeders, and robot assistants controlled by smart glasses. IT Brief UK
• VP of Robotics and Edge AI at NVIDIA, generative physical AI has the potential to revolutionize industrial automation by enabling real-time adaptation to dynamic environments. Ainvest
• Tesla talks about thousands of units in 2025, tens of thousands in 2026 and up to a million per year later, at around $20,000 per robot. Winssolutions
• Spot, the four-legged robot from Boston Dynamics, is increasingly being deployed by local law enforcement to handle armed standoffs, hostage rescues and hazardous materials incidents - situations where sending in a human or a real dog could be life-threatening. Bloomberg
• Foxconn will deploy Nvidia-powered humanoid robots on its factory floors within six months. Notebookcheck

Last updated: 01 December 2025