Live Briefs 2026-10-02 · Full coverage of embodied AI
Top 10 Robotics Stories of September 2026: Humanoids, Acquisitions, and Open Source
The Robot Report's ten most-read stories from September 2026 cover new humanoid robots, Qualcomm's acquisition of PickNik, and SoftBank's deal for the Robotics and AI Institute. Unitree's sharp share decline and Agility's SPAC-bound financials also drew heavy reader interest.
Clone unveils Torso 4 human-level torso, launching in November
Clone has introduced Torso 4, the outcome of a redesign, describing it as a human-level torso built to automate stationary bimanual tasks for enterprises. The company says the new torso is set to launch in November.
Clone Robotics retires legacy hand design with Torso 3 Hand
Clone Robotics said the Hand of Torso 3, built in April 2026, is the last of its legacy hand designs. Over the past six months the company rebuilt the whole system from the ground up, optimizing for simulatability and controllability while keeping human-level capabilities intact.
Clone Robotics shows teleoperation of Torso 3 Hand
Clone Robotics posted a demo of teleoperated control of the Hand of Torso 3, the company's final legacy hand design, with the hand following operator input in real time.
Boston Dynamics Drops the Pinky on Atlas' New Humanoid Hand
Boston Dynamics unveiled a new four-fingered hand for its Atlas humanoid with 13 degrees of freedom, direct actuation, and no pinky. The company says the design is optimized for simulation-based reinforcement learning and tool use, and that dropping the pinky avoids unnecessary complexity.
Agility's Jonathan Hurst to Bring Digit to TechCrunch Disrupt
Agility said Jonathan Hurst will bring its humanoid robot Digit to the TechCrunch Disrupt stage on Wednesday, October 14, for a live look at the engineering that brings practical humanoid robots to real work. The company invited attendees in San Francisco to join the conversation.
Sanctuary AI Explains Robotic Dexterity in New Series
Sanctuary AI published Part 1 of its Dexterity Explained series, outlining what manual dexterity is, why it matters, and how robotic hands and Physical AI work together to add skill, precision and control to physical tasks. The company said the more dexterous robots become, the more complex industrial work they can take on.
PrimeBOT Q1 and T1: What $2,800 Buys, and What It Doesn't
On September 20, a Chinese company put two personal robots on sale in China, starting at RMB 19,999 (about $2,800). Anyone typing "a robot that does my chores" into a search box now has, for the first time, an option they can actually order. It does not do chores. The one that does sits on the other side of the Pacific, costs roughly seven times as much, and still keeps a remote operator on call for the hard tasks. Article structure: - 1. What People Search For, and What Is Actually on Sale - 2. What $2,800 Buys - 3. The Price Tag on Chores - 4. Why Companionship Comes First - 5. What to Watch Over the Next Twelve Months
VPG to Showcase Custom Force and Torque Sensing for Humanoid Robotics at RoboBusiness 2026
Vishay Precision Group (VPG) will showcase custom force and torque sensing solutions for humanoid robotics at RoboBusiness 2026. The company says its strain gage-based sensors and engineering support can help robots achieve accurate, real-time force feedback for safer motion and interaction.
LATENT wins IROS 2026 Best Entertainment Paper Award
Galbot announced that LATENT, a project that turns imperfect human motion data into real-world humanoid tennis rallies, won the Best Entertainment and Amusement Paper Award at IROS 2026. The team thanked all coauthors and collaborators. Project page, arXiv paper and code are available.
Boston Dynamics Redesigns Atlas Hand for Scale Over Human-Like Looks
Boston Dynamics unveiled a redesigned Atlas hand optimized for ruggedness, manufacturability, and cost rather than human-like appearance. The 13-DOF hand adds a fourth finger and splay capability while using direct-drive actuators to target 100,000 units per year.
Boston Dynamics unveils new 13-DOF hands for Atlas
Boston Dynamics has shown new hands for its Atlas humanoid robot. The hands offer 13 degrees of freedom and are directly actuated, built for high-fidelity simulation to enable sim-to-real reinforcement learning. The company says they were designed from the ground up for dexterous physical work.
UBTECH CEO tours Super Smart Factory in new video series
UBTECH Robotics has kicked off a factory tour video series. Episode 1 features its CEO walking viewers through the company's Super Smart Factory, showing how robots build robots on the line. The company says further episodes are coming.
Agility, Fort Robotics partner on offboard safety for Digit
Agility announced a strategic partnership with Fort Robotics to extend Digit's safety architecture beyond the robot itself. A new Offboard Safety Bridge links Digit to safety systems already running in a facility, so protection holds whether the signal originates from the robot or its environment. The company says the system is built on more than 65,000 hours of real-world operation.
D-Robotics launches Pumpkin Robot maker challenge
D-Robotics has launched the Pumpkin Robot campaign, an open robotics project that challenges makers and developers to turn an ordinary pumpkin into a moving, thinking, or otherwise unexpected robot. The builds use the RDK X5 platform, and participants sign up by scanning the QR code on the poster. The company says it wants to see what these pumpkins can do.
AGIBOT A3 Ultra takes guide role at AGIBOT Smart Showroom
AGIBOT says its A3 Ultra humanoid is serving as a guide at the company's Smart Showroom, welcoming visitors, leading guided tours, introducing the robots and technologies on display and answering questions along the way. The company presents the role as a move beyond demos into everyday service, making the showroom experience more accessible and interactive.
LimX Luna Named Finalist for 2026 Humanoid Robotics Industry Award
LimX Dynamics' full-size interactive humanoid robot Luna has been named a finalist in the Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards 2026, run by @HumanoidRTech. Luna brings dynamic whole-body motion to live performances and commercial events, using zero-code choreography and multi-robot coordination to make robot shows easier to create and deploy. The company is asking fans to vote for Luna.
Booster Robotics Shares Teaser of T2 Humanoid Robot at Work
Booster Robotics posted a short clip of its T2 humanoid robot, captioning it "T2's putting in the work." The post carries no technical details, specifications or deployment information.
Boston Dynamics Gives Atlas New Dexterous Hands and Drops the Pinky
Boston Dynamics has equipped its electric Atlas with new 13-DoF hands designed for real work in simulation-first development. The company dropped the pinky after tests showed most tasks remained unaffected, saving actuators and signaling a shift toward scalable commercial labor.