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- France to build a robot army
Good morning, robotics enthusiasts. France has announced bold plans to build a battle-ready robot army by 2040, with robotic soldiers expected to be operational by 2028.
Military robotics is surging, with the $34B industry projected to nearly double by the mid-2030s. Now, as venture capital floods every frontier of physical AI, one question looms: are we on the cusp of a new arms race, powered by AI and robots?
In today’s robotics rundown:
France eyes a robot army by 2040
Tiny aquatic bot made from fish food
Humanoid startup ‘Foundation’ seeks $100M
China tests rainmaking drones
Quick hits on other robotics news
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
MILITARY ROBOTICS
Image source: Ideogram / The Rundown
The Rundown: France is charging ahead with a plan to bring robots onto the battlefield, aiming to have the first wave of ground robotic systems as supporting troops by 2028 and fully combat-ready machines by 2040.
The details:
At the heart of this effort is the newly launched DROIDE program — a seven-year, multi-billion euro initiative to develop military robotic platforms.
The French Army has been testing robotics in multi-week trials near Paris, putting robots of all types through simulated battlefield obstacles.
Early roles will focus on support tasks such as surveillance, logistics, remote repairs, and mine clearance, before advancing to frontline combat applications.
To keep things in check, France has also set up an ethics committee to oversee the responsible development and deployment of AI and robotics in the military.
Why it matters: France’s push for battlefield automation is driven in part by lessons from the high-tech Russia-Ukraine conflict. As concerns brew over the ethical risks of militarized robots, France’s roadmap is clear — robots will remain under human control, but their growing presence will mark a radical transformation of the French Army.
EPFL
Image source: EPFL
The Rundown: Swiss researchers just developed a tiny robot that glides across the water’s surface using not batteries or motors but a clever chemical reaction that harnesses nature’s forces. Plus, it’s made from fish food.
The details:
The 5 cm-long robot is made primarily from freeze-dried fish food and gelatin, resulting in a structure that is biodegradable and nutritious for aquatic life.
It uses a citric acid and baking soda reaction to generate gas, which pushes propylene glycol and lowers surface tension, propelling it across water.
The bot can be deployed in large numbers to collect environmental data or deliver medicines, with simple left- or right-turning variants for dispersal.
Once its mission is complete, the robot can be safely consumed by fish, eliminating the risk of electronic or plastic waste in sensitive ecosystems.
Why it matters: This aquatic robot addresses a major challenge in environmental monitoring: the pollution and ecological risks posed by traditional devices made from plastics, batteries, and electronics. Its clever biodegradable design can revolutionize how we protect and understand fragile aquatic ecosystems.
FOUNDATION
Image source: Foundation
The Rundown: Sankaet Pathak, the former CEO of fintech startup Synapse, is reportedly looking to raise $100M for his new humanoid startup, Foundation, at a $1B valuation — an ambitious effort following Synapse’s high-profile bankruptcy last year.
The details:
Foundation is focused on developing advanced humanoids to automate manual labor in fields like manufacturing, logistics, and defense.
Earlier this year, the company debuted its first humanoid — the Phantom MK1 — for use in both military and industrial applications.
Last year, Foundation reportedly circulated a pitch deck claiming General Motors was about to invest and place a $300M order, which GM flat-out denied.
Also, after Synapse filed for bankruptcy, $85M in customer funds remained missing as banks and Synapse disputed responsibility for returning deposits.
Why it matters: Pathak has faced serious allegations of mismanagement and ethical concerns at Synapse, including taking personal loans from the company during its decline and rapidly launching Foundation. Still, despite the skepticism, investor interest is strong, with ongoing negotiations reportedly involving a Saudi royal family fund.
DRONE INNOVATIONS
Image source: Ideogram / The Rundown
The Rundown: Chinese researchers achieved a major breakthrough in weather modification by using a fleet of drones to induce 18.5M gallons of rainfall — equivalent to filling 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools — in the drought-prone region of Xinjiang.
The details:
The operation involved equipping drones with canisters containing 2.2 pounds of silver iodide powder, a well-known cloud-seeding agent.
As the drones flew over targeted areas, they released the powder as smoke into the atmosphere, where it acted as nuclei for water droplets to form.
The fleet of drones, adapted from military TB-A models, increased rainfall by more than 4% across some 8K-square km in a day.
The 45-day testing campaign in Xinjiang could pave the way for broader use of drone-based weather modification in other arid regions globally.
Why it matters: While drone cloud seeding is promising for drought management and agriculture, experts warn of potential downsides, such as increased pollution from using chemicals in the environment. Plus, the long-term environmental impacts and scalability of the approach remain under study.
QUICK HITS
📰 Everything else in robotics today
Beijing is set to host the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games from August 15 to 17 at the National Stadium and the National Speed Skating Oval.
Uber is investing an additional $100M in Chinese autonomous vehicle firm WeRide to bring WeRide’s tech to 15 more cities over the next five years.
Amazon unveiled seven new robots at its innovative delivery station in Dortmund, Germany, including Vulcan — its first robot with a sense of touch.
Houston-based Persona AI partnered with HD Hyundai subsidiaries to develop and deploy humanoid robots for welding tasks in shipyards.
Researchers from EPFL and Nestlé developed BabyBot, a robotic infant with a sensorized mouth and soft tongue to study infant feeding behaviors and disorders.
Rare earth elements’ prices reportedly surged 210% after China imposed export controls, severely impacting supply chains for EV, robotics, and defense industries.
Researchers developed a soft robot actuator that uses steam from boiling water for precise, high-force motion without bulky components.
U.S.-based Bounce Imaging unveiled a nuke-proof spy camera robot for protecting high-security, electromagnetically restricted sites like nuclear silos.
The International Federation of Robotics reports that total installations of industrial robots in the U.S. auto sector grew by 10.7%, reaching 13,700 units in 2024.
U.S.-based Chang Robotics is launching a $50M venture fund for seed-stage investments in disruptive tech and reaffirming plans to expand in the U.S.
Carnegie Mellon University created an algorithm that enables the design of mechanical joints that can shift how they move and how stiff they are, all on demand.
Standard Bots unveiled a new robot arm with a 30 kg payload capacity and announced that it has expanded its New York production facility.
COMMUNITY
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See you soon,
Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team