Agility, Tesla push for federal robotics office

Good morning, robotics enthusiasts. Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robotics are urging the U.S. government to adopt a national robotics strategy, including setting up a federal office, to compete with China.

Advocates say the U.S. is getting left behind as China makes robotics and AI a national priority. But is government leadership what the U.S. needs to stay in the game?

In today’s robotics rundown:

• Companies push for U.S. robotics plan

• Robots for ‘minimally invasive’ brain surgery

• China ramps up human-less ‘dark factories’

• Mussel-shaped robot detects cancer

• Quick hits on other robotics news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

U.S. ROBOTICS

🤖 U.S. robotics companies push for a national plan

The Rundown: A coalition of top robotics companies in the U.S., including Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robotics, is urging the U.S. government to adopt a national robotics strategy to compete with China’s rapidly expanding capabilities.

The details:

• The companies have proposed that the U.S. government should establish a central federal office to coordinate robotics policy and scale up production.

• They also recommended implementing tax incentives to support R&D in the domain and workforce training programs.

• The U.S. already has significant private-sector investments in robotics but lacks a centralized national strategy for the industry like China.

• Advocates urge that a national strategy, much like China’s plan, would help drive the adoption of robots as the “physical manifestation” of AI.

Why it matters: The argument here is that while the U.S. excels in AI-driven robotics, China's focus on supply chain development and manufacturing has enabled it to dominate industrial robotics globally. Without a coordinated federal strategy, industry experts say the U.S. risks falling behind China in both robotics and market influence.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

🧠 Robots for ‘minimally invasive’ brain surgery

The Rundown: Researchers at the University of Toronto unveiled a set of miniature robot-like tools, powered by magnetic fields, to transform complex brain surgeries into minimally invasive procedures.

The details:

• The tiny tools are powered by external magnetic fields rather than traditional motors and can replicate the precise movements of a surgeon’s wrist.

• Researchers said that the tools—measuring just 3mm—can perform delicate tasks such as cutting, gripping, and pulling tissue with exceptional accuracy.

• For example, preclinical trials have shown that their magnetic scalpel can make cuts as narrow as 0.3mm with incredible precision.

• This innovation can eventually pave the way for "keyhole" brain surgeries that avoid large incisions and reduce patient recovery times.

Why it matters: Early tests using silicone brain models have shown promising results, as have animal trials, but further development and tests are still needed to make this type of surgery a reality. These bots can eventually usher in a new era of precision medicine, revolutionizing how complex brain surgeries are performed worldwide.

CHINA

🦾 China ramps up human-less ‘dark factories’

The Rundown: China is leading the global shift toward what’s dubbed "dark factories," fully automated manufacturing facilities operating 24/7 in total darkness, relying solely on AI and robotics — with no humans in sight.

The details:

• The rise of dark factories is driven by the government’s "Made in China 2025" initiative, which focuses on advancing smart manufacturing through robotics. 

• Some examples include Xiaomi's factory in Beijing and Changying Precision Technology Company, which replaced 90% of its workforce with robots.

• Major companies like Foxconn and BYD have also embraced the trend, automating large portions of their operations with robotics and AI.

• The purported benefits of dark factories are reduced costs and faster production, without the need for lighting, heating, or worker infrastructure.

Why it matters: Tesla and Adidas are moving toward dark-ish factories in the U.S., as are companies in Germany and Japan, but China’s reported rapid adoption is reshaping manufacturing in the country. However, questions remain as to how this trend will affect job displacement, especially in developing nations reliant on low-cost labor.

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

🩺 Mussel-shaped robot detects cancer

The Rundown: Researchers at the University of Leeds developed a tiny magnetic robot that could revolutionize cancer detection, particularly colon cancer, by taking “virtual biopsies” and detecting and (eventually) treating lesions in one go.

The details:

• The bot, measuring 21mm in diameter, is capable of generating high-res, 3D ultrasound images from deep within the gastrointestinal tract. 

• Using a unique design based on a 3D shape called oloid, the robot achieves a rolling motion that allows precise navigation and imaging inside the body.

• It’s introduced into the body via a colonoscopy-like procedure and enables "virtual biopsies," offering non-invasive scans and immediate diagnostic data.

• The research, published in Science Robotics, reveals how the tiny robots enable analysis and immediate diagnosis of conditions like colorectal cancer.

Why it matters: While still in early stages, this innovation represents a major step forward in medical imaging and colon cancer diagnosis. It could help transform patient care by combining precision diagnostics with minimally invasive techniques, eliminating the need for tissue biopsies and significantly reducing waiting times for results.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in robotics today

Hyundai officially opened its new automated factory in Georgia, which is capable of producing 500K electric and hybrid vehicles annually.

China’s rental market for humanoid robots is reportedly seeing a surge, with demand coming less from R&D and more from exhibition and event planners.

German researchers developed an innovative e-skin that detects and tracks magnetic fields with a single global sensor, paving the way for futuristic wearables.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover discovered a mysterious rock made of hundreds of tiny spheres that resemble fossilized spider eggs, baffling scientists.

Chinese researchers developed WHERE-Bot, a new wheel-less soft robot that safely moves in unstructured environments without using sensors to detect obstacles.

Doctors in Gurugram, India, performed a complex heart surgery on a patient in Bengaluru, more than 1K miles away, using a surgical robot called SSI Mantra. 

Baidu's Apollo Go is set to launch the first 100 fully autonomous robotaxis in Dubai by the end of 2025, with plans to expand the fleet to at least 1,000 vehicles by 2028.

China’s Pudu Robotics unveiled FlashBot Arm, a semi-humanoid tailored for commercial service environments such as hotels, restaurants, and retail spaces.

Dutch scientists created a quadruped robot capable of running like a dog and highly adaptable to complex environments, but without the need for motors.

Europe’s Hera spacecraft successfully tested its autonomous surface feature tracking system for the first time during a high-speed flight near Mars.

German startup Isar Aerospace’s unmanned Spectrum rocket, which took off from Norway as the first attempt at orbital flight from Europe, crashed back to Earth.

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team