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Hi there, Bot Spotter! 🤖

Welcome to another issue of the Bot Brief, where we tell you everything that happened in the Robotics & Humanoid world, so you’re updated and aware of what’s happening!

🤖 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.

🚀 The Bot in Spotlight

🦾🏡 Figure AI’s Third-Gen Humanoid Shall Bring Robots Home 

Move over, sci-fi — Figure AI’s new humanoid, Figure 03, just made the leap from futuristic concept to factory-ready reality. Featured in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025, this third-generation robot iis built for mass production, with the company’s new BotQ factory gearing up to roll out 12,000 units a year.

Why it matters:

For years, humanoid robots have been impressive but impractical—expensive prototypes that wowed on stage and vanished off it. Figure 03 changes that. It’s engineered for the real world, blending human-level dexterity, AI-driven vision, and mass-manufacturing efficiency. Translation: robots that can actually do your chores, not just pose for YouTube thumbnails

Why it’s our top pick:

Figure isn’t promising a flashy tech dream; it’s quietly industrializing it. With durable materials, built-in safety features, and production-ready design, Figure 03 is the first humanoid built like a product, not a prototype. That focus on scalability—and the fact that they’re already tooling a robot factory—makes this launch a defining moment in robotics.

Future impact:

If Figure 03 hits homes and workplaces as planned, it could mark the start of everyday humanoid helpers—robots that clean, carry, and care. Beyond the wow factor, it’s a glimpse of a near future where robots aren’t just assistants in labs or luxury showrooms—they’re your next coworkers or roommates.

📱 More Robots in the Radar

🛑 Gray Area:
A Waymo car surprised California police when it made an illegal U-turn — there was no driver to ticket. Officials hope reprogramming will fix it, but lawmakers are now facing a tricky legal gray zone.

🌪️ Eye of the Storm:
NOAA’s four-foot C-Star robot became the first uncrewed vessel to send live data from a Category 5 hurricane’s eyewall. It braved 150 mph winds during Hurricane Humberto, sending measurements every two minutes — a breakthrough for storm forecasting.

👁️ Security Check:
Flock Safety, known for police drones, is now selling aerial surveillance tech to private retailers, hospitals, and warehouses. The goal: prevent theft. The concern: constant monitoring could raise serious privacy issues.

🌊 Deep Dive:
Redwing, an autonomous underwater robot, has started the first-ever global circumnavigation. Over five years, it will travel 45,000 miles, gathering ocean temperature, salinity, and marine life data — a huge step toward mapping the unexplored deep.

💰 Pay Day:
Robotics companies like Encord and Scale AI are paying people up to $150/hour to record themselves doing chores like folding laundry or loading dishwashers. These movements train robots to perform human-like tasks.

🍼 Robo-Baby:
AI robotics are helping IVF clinics select the healthiest sperm from thousands of candidates, boosting success rates. So far, around 20 babies have been born using this experimental technology.

💥 Bots & Breakthroughs

This week we cover: Agriculture & Farming

Think robots are only for factories or sci-fi movies? Think again.
They’ve quietly rolled into farms, helping farmers plant, harvest, and monitor crops more efficiently — all while tackling sustainability and food security challenges.

Here are some of the coolest agri-robots making it happen today:

🌾 Agrobot E-Series
This robot picks delicate fruits like strawberries with precision, reducing waste and damage. Its AI “eyes” identify ripe fruit while leaving unripe ones for later.

🚜 Autonomous Tractors
Driverless tractors plow fields, sow seeds, and spray fertilizers with pinpoint accuracy. They work 24/7, saving time and reducing fuel use.

🌱 Tertill – The Solar-Weeding Robot
Tertill patrols gardens like a tiny robot gardener, cutting weeds automatically without chemicals. Perfect for eco-friendly farming.

📊 AI Crop Monitoring Drones
Flying over fields, these drones collect real-time data on plant health, water stress, and pests. Farmers get actionable insights to boost yield and reduce losses.

💧 FarmBot
A small-scale automated gardening system that plants seeds, waters crops, and monitors growth. It’s like having a personal farmer for your backyard or greenhouse.

🌾 Iron Ox Robotic Greenhouses
Fully automated greenhouses where robots plant, water, and harvest crops. Combined with AI, they optimize every stage of growth for maximum efficiency and minimal waste.

🎥 Watch the Bot

🤖🍔 Meet Dot, DoorDash’s delivery robot—zipping through streets with up to 30 lbs of takeout and a SmartScale to cut missing items. Cute, clever, and making food delivery way more futuristic.

💬 Your Command

🚪 Wrapping Up

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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