The Bot Brief - The One and Only Robo Issue You Need!

Stay updated with all developments of the Robot World

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What's Up in AI
July 06, 2025

Hi there, Bot Spotter! 🤖

You asked. We listened. We noticed you loved our robot updates — so much that we’re now officially launching a dedicated, bi-weekly issue just for bots.

Welcome to the first edition of The Bot Brief — your fresh, no-fluff pass to everything happening in the world of robots, humanoids, and cutting-edge breakthroughs.

Every two weeks, we’ll bring you:

🤖 The wildest drops in the Robo World
🎥 Viral, weird, and can’t-miss bot moments
💡 Groundbreaking advances that are shaping the future
🔍 Everything else that you should and need to know

The bots are moving fast. Let’s get to catching up.

56% of workers say they need to schedule a meeting just to get basic updates. 🙄 

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🚀 The Bot in Spotlight

Move over Alexa, there’s a new desktop companion in town, and it looks like a tiny Las Vegas Sphere with feelings.

Meet OBBOTO Glowbot, an AI-powered emotional assistant that talks to you... in lights. Yes, lights. With 2,900 RGB LED nodes, this mini glowball doesn’t just sit pretty, it dances to your music, forecasts the weather, wakes you up gently, and even sends adorable pixel emojis to your friends.

Why it matters:

In a world of cold, faceless smart assistants, OBBOTO adds warmth literally and emotionally. It’s not about reading the news or setting timers; it’s about creating a vibe, boosting your mood, and adding a human(ish) touch to your tech.

How it works:

Using motion sensors, AI algorithms, and your personal inputs from the app, OBBOTO glows, pulses, and animates based on your environment and interactions. Think of it as emotional LED therapy meets Tamagotchi 2.0.

Why is it our top pick?

Glowbots like OBBOTO could redefine how we interact with ambient tech. No screens, no voices—just light, mood, and personality. In a privacy-conscious world (no mic or camera here!), it might just be the coziest evolution of the AI assistant we’ve seen yet.

Whether you need a calm sunrise alarm, a party visualizer or just a glowing buddy, OBBOTO’s here to light up your life.

📱 More Robots in the Radar

  1. Budget Bots from Hugging Face: Hugging Face announced HopeJR, a $3,000 humanoid with 66 movements, and Reachy Mini, a $250-$300 desktop bot that can talk, listen, and turn its head. No release date yet, but units are expected later this year.

  2. Robo Kickboxing, Anyone?: China hosted the first-ever humanoid robot kickboxing match, featuring four Unitree G1 bots. One celebrated too early, face-planted mid-match, then recovered to win the fight and the tournament. Just another day in China's growing world of robotic sports.

  3. Emotion support robots: UK researchers have created robots that mimic therapy horses. They respond to emotional cues, only interacting when users are calm. It's a promising step for accessible therapy for PTSD, trauma, and autism.

  4. Purr-fect Friend: Libraries in New South Wales have introduced MetaCats — life-sized robotic cats with glowing LED eyes, artificial heartbeats, and touch sensors. They're surprisingly good at soothing stressed-out kids and comforting older adults feeling lonely.

💥 Bots & Breakthroughs

This week we cover: SPACE 🛰️ 

Up on the International Space Station, three cube-shaped robots are floating around not aimlessly, but with purpose. Meet the 🐝 Astrobees: NASA’s free-flying robot assistants that are quietly testing some of the coolest tech off Earth. They might look like space Roombas, but what they’re doing could shape the future of space missions:

🔊 SoundSee:
This bot has ears, well sensors, that listen to the sounds of the ISS. It picks up hums, buzzes, and rattles to catch equipment problems before they turn into actual failures. Think of it as an on-board audio detective, keeping astronauts safe by tuning into trouble.

🤸 Astrobatics:
Who needs wheels in space? This Astrobee launches itself across the station using its arms—yes, flings itself. It’s part of an experiment to see how robots might move on the Moon or Mars, where hopping might work better than rolling. It looks a bit goofy, but it’s all in the name of science.

🦎 Gecko Gripper:
Inspired by geckos (yep, the lizards), this tech lets the bot stick to smooth surfaces—no magnets or Velcro needed. It’s reusable, works in zero gravity, and could be a huge deal for satellite repairs or future construction in orbit.

📸 JEM Ball Camera 2:
This floating orb is basically the ISS’s camera crew. Built by Japan’s space agency, it captures photos and videos of experiments on its own—freeing up astronauts for more important stuff.

🎥 Watch the Bot

⚽️ China just kicked off its first-ever humanoid robot soccer league in Beijing, a 3-on-3 tournament where fully autonomous robots, built by Booster Robotics, clumsily dribbled, tackled, and tumbled their way through the matches.
And guess what, the winning team won with 5 goals.

🚪 Wrapping Up

💬 How did you like this new format? We’re building this for you — so hit reply and tell us what you loved, what you’d like more of, or what we can do to make The Bot Brief even better.

Also, if you could hand off one task to a robot, what would it be? We’re genuinely curious.

Stay Curious! 🤖 
Team What’s Up in AI