Robotics news
What's new in service, industrial, and humanoid robotics.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Medtronic's Hugo surgical robot earns FDA clearance
Source: www.medtechdive.com · Medtronic received FDA clearance for its Hugo robotic system in urologic procedures. Johnson & Johnson plans FDA submission for its Ottava robot in early 2026.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
CMR Surgical - Transforming Surgery. For Good.
Source: us.cmrsurgical.com · CMR Surgical's Versius Plus received FDA 510(k) clearance for cholecystectomy procedures. The company announced that over 45,000 patients worldwide have been treated using the Versius Surgical Robotic System.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Medtronic wins FDA nod for surgical robot for spine procedures
Source: www.massdevice.com · Medtronic received FDA clearance for its Stealth AXiS robotic system for spine surgery in February 2026, designed for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Stereotaxis's MAGiC Catheter Wins FDA Approval
Source: www.mddionline.com · Stereotaxis won FDA approval for the MAGiC Magnetic Interventional Ablation Catheter, a robotically navigated magnetic ablation catheter for cardiac ablation procedures treating heart arrhythmia.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
CMR Surgical receives FDA clearance for Versius Plus surgical robot
Source: www.therobotreport.com · CMR Surgical's Versius Plus received FDA 510(k) clearance for cholecystectomy procedures and is on track for commercialization in 2026. The company is advancing additional indications in the U.S.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Restore Robotics Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Two Additional da Vinci Xi® Robotic Instruments
Source: www.prnewswire.com · Restore Robotics received additional FDA 510(k) clearances for remanufactured da Vinci Xi robotic surgical instruments in March 2026, expanding its portfolio of cleared instruments.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Robot developers make strides in 2025
Source: www.medtechdive.com · 2025 surgical robotics roundup covering Medtronic's Hugo FDA clearance, CMR Surgical's Versius Plus clearance, and SS Innovations filing for SSi Mantra robot authorization.
- GENERAL2026-05-17
Humanoid and Schaeffler strike deal to deploy thousands of humanoid robots in factories
Source: roboticsandautomationnews.com · UK-based Humanoid company signs landmark deployment agreement with Schaeffler to integrate thousands of wheeled humanoid robots across global manufacturing facilities with first systems going live in Germany by end of 2026.
- EVENT2026-05-17
Global Robotics and AI Meet 2026 Scheduled for Osaka, Japan
Source: Science Wide Meetings / RoboticsAI2026 · The RoboticsAI2026 Conference is set to take place November 19–21, 2026, in Osaka, Japan, bringing together researchers, engineers, and industry leaders from around the world. The event will cover the latest advances in autonomous systems, physical AI, and commercial robot deployment. Osaka's selection continues Japan's tradition of hosting premier robotics gatherings given the country's deep manufacturing and automation heritage.
- GENERAL2026-05-16
Robot dogs priced at $300,000 a piece are now guarding some of the country's biggest data centers
Source: fortune.com · AI companies are deploying Boston Dynamics' Spot quadruped robots at data centers for security. Priced from $175,000 to $300,000, these robots provide around-the-clock surveillance and threat detection.
- GENERAL2026-05-16
Knightscope exceeds another $1 million sales milestone
Source: www.businesswire.com · Knightscope, a leader in autonomous security robots, has exceeded another $1 million milestone in new sales, client renewals and expansions.
- GENERAL2026-05-16
AmbiStack selected for physical AI industry advancement
Source: www.roboticstomorrow.com · AmbiStack was selected for its industry advancement in physical AI, enabling robots to stack packages without prior knowledge using cameras, machine vision, and AI.
- GENERAL2026-05-06
Service Robotics Market Surge Transforms Business Operations Globally
Source: GlobeNewswire · A May 2026 industry report confirms that global demand for service robotics is accelerating rapidly, with businesses across healthcare, hospitality, retail, and logistics adopting autonomous platforms at record rates. The market is being driven by labor shortages, cost pressures, and maturing robot reliability that now meets commercial deployment standards. Analysts project the service robotics sector to approach $46 billion in value as adoption curves steepen through 2026.
- GENERAL2026-05-01
Service Robotics Market on Track to Grow from $31B to $131B by 2034
Source: Nasdaq / Press Release · New market analysis confirms the global service robotics sector is valued at approximately $31 billion in 2026 and is projected to exceed $131 billion by 2034, driven by accelerating adoption in healthcare, hospitality, retail, and logistics. Strategic expansions by major players are fueling competition and driving down deployment costs. The report highlights that businesses adopting service robots now are gaining significant first-mover advantages in operational efficiency.
- FUNDING2026-05-01
Smart Robotics Raises €10 Million Series A Ahead of Interpack 2026
Source: Interpack · Smart Robotics announced a successful €10 million Series A funding round led by Rotterdamse Havendraken and Innovation Industries, with the news timed to coincide with its presence at Interpack 2026. The capital will be used to scale production of the company's flexible robotic picking and packing systems aimed at food, e-commerce, and logistics customers. The raise highlights continued investor appetite for task-specific service robots.
- GENERAL2026-05-01
State of Robotics 2026 Report: $38B Market with 34% Year-Over-Year Growth
Source: Robotics Center · The Robotics Center's annual State of Robotics report pegs the global market at $38 billion in 2026, the fastest growth rate the sector has seen in a decade. The report highlights twelve commercially active humanoid platforms and the rise of Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models as a key technical driver. Buyers and investors alike are cited as key catalysts behind the accelerating adoption curve.
- GENERAL2026-04-30
FCC proposes banning Chinese labs from equipment-authorization testing
Source: FCC · The FCC voted on April 30, 2026 to propose banning Chinese-mainland and Hong Kong testing labs from issuing FCC equipment-authorization reports. The proposal entered a 60–90 day public comment period with a likely two-year transition if finalized. Manufacturers planning to sell wireless products in the US must redirect testing to US, Taiwan, EU, Japan or Korea labs.
- FUNDING2026-04-30
Reliable Robotics Raises $160M to Advance Autonomous Aviation
Source: Robotics Roundup (F-Prime Capital) · Autonomous aircraft startup Reliable Robotics closed a $160 million funding round led by Nimble Partners, with participation from Eclipse, Lightspeed, Coatue, and Pathbreaker Ventures. The capital will be used to accelerate certification efforts and scale its autonomous cargo aviation platform. The raise is part of a broader boom in robotics funding that saw Q1 2026 attract over $2.5 billion across the sector.
- FUNDING2026-04-30
Top 10 Robotics Stories of April 2026: Pudu Robotics Raises $150M and More
Source: The Robot Report · The Robot Report's April 2026 roundup highlights Pudu Robotics securing nearly $150 million in fresh funding to accelerate its push into industrial applications, alongside nine other major stories shaping the sector. The round signals growing investor confidence in service and logistics robots moving beyond hospitality into heavier-duty environments. Several other companies also announced deployment expansions and new partnerships during the month.
- PRODUCT_LAUNCH2026-04-28
Apptronik and Jabil Partner to Scale Apollo Humanoid Robot for Manufacturing
Source: Apptronik · Austin-based Apptronik announced a strategic collaboration with global manufacturer Jabil to ramp up production of its Apollo humanoid robot and deploy it directly in manufacturing operations. Apollo has already completed commercial pilot programs and a newer version has been in active testing at Apptronik's facilities for over a year, putting it closer to broad market availability than most competitors. In late April 2026, Apptronik also brought on key executive hires to accelerate its commercialization push.