DROIDS Newsletter

At RoboBusiness this year, one of the panelists referenced Moravec’s Paradox — the idea that robots are great at tasks humans find hard like precision at scale. But, they struggle with tasks a toddler can do, like picking up a grape. The Wall Street Journal just ran a piece titled “The ‘Hands Problem’ Holding Back the Humanoid Revolution.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard my son — a roboticist — use more than once, and when it shows up both in a lab and on the front page, it’s probably worth unpacking.

Because amid all the hype about walking, talking humanoids, there’s a quieter truth:

Robot hands are still a bottleneck.

What Is the Hands Problem?

Robots can walk. Robots can dance — for reasons unclear. They’re already lifting crates in factories and hauling parts. But ask one to help someone get dressed, make a sandwich, or change a lightbulb? These are routine, everyday tasks. And they’re still beyond what most machines can reliably do.

As the WSJ put it:

“Before they’re ready to turn a wrench, [robots] must solve … what Elon Musk calls ‘the hands problem.’”

Kevin Lynch, director of Northwestern’s Center for Robotics and Biosystems, offered this timeline:

“We’re setting 10 years as our goal to have dexterity, be functional and useful and able to do some of the things that humans do.”

Others in the field are more optimistic — particularly those exploring hybrid control systems that combine machine learning with human teleoperation. Companies like Sanctuary AI are building humanoids specifically designed for this model, while teams at Covariant — though focused primarily on warehouse picking — reflect a similar philosophy in how they blend perception, planning, and adaptation. Intrinsic, Alphabet’s robotics software arm, has also emphasized this approach in both its public demos and research, aiming to make robotic manipulation more robust by learning from human-guided examples.

#robotics #roboticshandproblem #droidsnewsletter

Read more at droids.substack.com

Every conference has that one panel where you can feel the stakes. For me, it was this one — the discussion on how the U.S. stacks up against China in robotics, and whether strategy can keep pace with scale.

Inside the Santa Clara Convention Center theater, the room was filled with people who all had a vested interest in the state of robotics in the United States — engineers, founders, investors, and policymakers. On stage sat three industry veterans: Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3); George Stieler, Managing Director of Stieler Enterprise Management Consulting; and Eric Truebenbach, investor and longtime robotics veteran.

The conversation was guided by Eugene Demaitre, Editorial Director of The Robot Report, who steered the discussion with sharp, understated questions that drew honest answers.

How China Pulled Ahead

Stieler didn’t mince words: “To see more than 50 companies exhibiting humanoid robots,” he said, “is an area they’re investing heavily in.”

He pointed to China’s Made in China 2025 plan as the backbone of its manufacturing transformation — a policy that accelerated automation through regional incentives, local funding, and a thriving electric vehicle supply chain.

Between 2012 and 2016, the number of Chinese companies with “robot” in their name jumped from 250 to 6,500, driven by subsidies. “Much of it actually stuck,” Stieler said. “We now have several very successful and highly competitive automation companies.”

Companies like Estun and Inovance have overtaken long-established foreign players in sales within China, while aggressively expanding into global markets.

“Every German manufacturer is feeling the pressure,” he said, “and profits are leaving through the door.”

A Different Way of Thinking

Truebenbach added historical perspective. “When I first started researching robotics in China in 2014,” he said, “there were government incentives to call yourself a robot company. Now, there’s a gap — not just in numbers, but in thinking.”

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #jimfan #nvidia #robobusiness2025

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I’m a fan of Jim Fan.

This clip from RoboBusiness 2025 shows why. His mix of humor and technical depth is rare—he can explain a decade of AI progress in one breath, and make the room laugh while doing it.

Fan opened with a jab at AlexNet, the 2012 model that kicked off deep learning:

“AlexNet was terrible.”

He’s right—it confused cats and planes about 37 percent of the time, hitting just 62.5 percent accuracy. Yet that “terrible” model was the start of everything: large-scale GPU training, end-to-end learning, and the deep-learning revolution that gave rise to today’s foundation models.

“Thirteen years took us from confusing cats and dogs to passing the Turing Test,” Fan said. “Add another 13 years, and we’re at 2038. But we round up because PhDs procrastinate. So—2040. Robotics solved.”

He grinned. “I’ll send you a Google invite.”

#JimFan #NVIDIA #RoboBusiness2025 #HumanoidRobotics #PhysicalAI #AIandRobotics #ProjectGroot #EmbodiedAI #DeepLearning #AlexNet #TuringTest #2040 #AgilityRobotics

A note from Diana: When I was at NVIDIA GTC, I met some amazing people from some incredible companies- one of whom was Dave Driggers, CEO of Cirrascale. I will be joining Dave next week on October 22, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. PT for a discussion about why cloud infrastructure is an existential decision. Come join us!

Webinar Topic: Scale or Stall; Why AI Applications Live or Die by Cloud InfrastructureOctober 22, 2025⏰ 10:00 AM PST🔗 Reserve Your Spot

Of Machines and Materials

In a quiet lab at MIT, a subtle but powerful revolution in 3D printing has begun. It doesn’t come with dazzling AI robots or sentient chatbots. Instead, it’s all about plastic. But this is no ordinary polymer—this is plastic with a purpose. Plastic that knows where to be strong, where to be kind to the planet, and how to make robots better.

This is SustainaPrint: a hybrid 3D-printing system that might just reshape how we build robots—quietly, intelligently, and sustainably.

What Is SustainaPrint? A Tale of Two Plastics

Developed by researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), SustainaPrint is a dual-filament printing system that intelligently switches between two materials:

* Eco-friendly filament (like PLA or recycled plastics)

* High-strength engineering plastics (like Tough PLA or carbon-reinforced filament)

Using a software pipeline and testing kit, SustainaPrint analyzes where a printed part is likely to experience stress—think of a drone's propeller mount or the joint in a robotic elbow. It then reinforces just those zones with stronger plastic while the rest is built from sustainable material.

The result? Parts that use 90% less high-strength material, retain up to 70% of full-strength performance, and drastically reduce waste and cost.

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #robotics3dprinting

A Galaxy of Builders

In a galaxy not so far away — right here in the Bay Area — passionate fans are building their own droids. Since I’m part of a Star Wars costuming club myself, I see these amazing droids often.

These droids are full-scale replicas, indistinguishable from the screen-used droids of Star Wars. They are perfect down to the last detail, to the point that Lucasfilm calls out the Bay Area Droid Builders when they need a droid for an event.

Case in point, back in October 2023, an event was held at the old Industrial Light & Magic site (“32 TEN”) to bid farewell to the space before it was gone forever. The actor who plays C-3PO was there (not Anthony Daniels, the younger one who still wears the suit), and when Lucasfilm needed an astromech, they called upon the Bay Area Droid builders.

So, yes, the Bay Area Droid Builders are the real deal.

They are part of a a global movement of makers who share resources, blueprints, and know-how to bring astromechs and other Star Wars machines to life.

How It Works

Droids can be made from just about anything: aluminum, styrene plastic, or more commonly these days, 3D printing.

“You don’t really need to know anything going into this. I didn’t know anything — I’m not a robotics person. But I was able to figure it out with the club,” says Brian Munger, a Bay Area builder.

With guidance from more experienced members, even beginners can start with basics like RC-controlled motors before advancing to stealth pocket controllers, servos, and complex panel systems.

The Long Build

One thing all builders agree on: these projects take time. “It took me about two years,” Munger explains. “That seems to be the going pace for most people.”

Between printing or machining parts, wiring motors and batteries, and adding details like light kits, each droid becomes a years-long labor of love.

Why It Matters

The result is more than just a prop. These droids roll through conventions, maker fairs, and charity events, delighting kids and adults alike. They spark curiosity about robotics, engineering, and creativity — and they create instant community among the builders themselves. As Munger puts it: “It’s amazing the magic that you’re able to create”

Bonus Content: Meet D Squad

While the Bay Area Droid Builders focus on screen-accurate astromechs, another club in the region takes a different approach. D Squad mixes functional R2 units with more unconventional builds, including a full-size battle droid and Flo, the diner bot from the Star Wars universe.

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #droidbuilders #bayareadroidbuilders

Origins in BASIC

Where It All Began with One Apple and a Lot of Typing

I was lucky.

In elementary school, I was in a gifted program, and our class had access to the school’s single Apple II. It wasn’t locked away in a lab. It sat in our classroom, free to use. We’d huddle in teams, cracking open the thick manual and typing out programs in BASIC line by line.

Half the time, all that work only produced a “HELLO WORLD” on the screen. I was both unimpressed and completely captivated. Our little pack of nerds kept at it, and somehow, I was hooked. I didn’t want to just use the school’s computer—I wanted my own. Unlike the model in the photo above, we didnt have the fancy tape deck. So, we would finish a program, and it would disappear into the ether in between sessions. It was beyond frustrating.

There was something intoxicating about the idea of having a machine that answered only to me. No sharing. No limits. Just possibility. And I could finally save my work.

So, in 1982, thirteen‑year‑old me marched into Service Merchandise—birthday money, babysitting money, and Christmas money all pooled together—and bought my very first computer: the Texas Instruments TI‑99/4A. It cost around $300, and I paid every penny myself. And, yes, I splurged for the cassette deck. Or, as I believe we called them back then- data cartridges.

Even now, I can still feel that pride. Owning that machine wasn’t just buying a computer. It was proof that I could dream big and make it happen.

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #vintagecomputerfestival #computerhistorymuseum

Silicon, Oil, and Grit

A robot slinks into a freezing lake and swims upward like a flippered jellyfish. It’s silent, soft, and charged with 6,000 volts. No gears. No metal joints. Just three electrohydraulic flippers—like bionic fins—that bend and whip through water, pushing this little amphibian across two worlds.

This isn’t concept art. It’s a working prototype by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. And it might just be the future of robots that go where humanoids can’t.

The Soft Electrohydraulic Core

What sets this robot apart isn’t just that it swims and crawls. It’s how. The robot is built around electrohydraulic actuators—essentially silicone oil-filled pouches with electrodes. When high voltage is applied, the electrodes squeeze the pouch, generating internal fluid pressure that causes bending.

Bend the pouch. Move a flipper. Repeat. Add three of these actuators at 120-degree intervals and you’ve got a robot that can:

* Crawl on land at 2.9 cm/s

* Crawl underwater at 3.2 cm/s

* Swim in water at 5.9 cm/s (that’s nearly 1 body length per second)

No gears. No external propellers. Just fluid dynamics and clever control loops.

Flipping Between Worlds

The robot transitions between land and water without changing its body or reconfiguring parts. On land, it uses asymmetric friction between its flippers to crawl. Underwater, it uses fluid-generated lift and thrust to paddle and swim. Its behavior adapts by changing voltage patterns and flipper sync—not hardware.

Even better, it works across a temperature range from 2.1 to 61.3 °C. So whether it’s a flooded basement or icy lake, this droid’s got it covered.

Swimming with Vortex Rings

How does it swim so efficiently? The team studied the flow field around the robot, revealing that its synchronized flippers generate vortex rings—just like squid or jellyfish do. These fluid rings create sustained upward thrust.

Like a water wizard, the robot reclaims some of the energy from each cycle, boosting efficiency. This makes it a rare soft robot with validated dynamic simulations and real-world fluid performance.

Actuation, Upgraded

To handle high-frequency motion without charge retention, the researchers engineered an H-bridge circuit delivering alternating +6 kV / -6 kV pulses with resting states. This reduces polarization in the actuator film, preserving torque over long use.

It also enables omnidirectional motion on flat ground by combining different flipper vectors. Think: a 2D hovercraft… crawling.

“These shifts in movement modes necessitate only the adjustment of control strategies, rather than alterations to the robot’s structural composition.”

— Fang et al., Motion Mode Transition

Use Cases: Beyond Humanoids

While humanoids like Optimus and Figure 01 aim to replace warehouse laborers, this droid is more suited for fieldwork: flood rescues, polar research, or deep-pipe inspections.

Its body is compliant, low-noise, and can squeeze through tight spaces without risking damage. Boston Dynamics might dominate dry land, but this bot swims into a new domain.

Battle of the Actuators

Electrohydraulic (EH)

* Precise, fast, works in water

* Complex electronics, high voltage

Pneumatic

* High force, safe

− Bulky compressors, poor finesse

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)

* Quiet, smooth

− Low energy efficiency, slow actuation

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #droidsnewsletter

Picture a high-tech assembly hall: conveyors hum, robotic arms spin, and every second of uptime counts. Instead of trudging off to recharge, UBTECH’s Walker S2 breezes up to its swap station, ejects its spent 48 V battery, and clicks in a fresh unit—in under three minutes—then strides right back into action. No pause. No power cord. No productivity lost.

Streamlined Assembly—Zero Downtime

Factories deploy humanoid robots for precision tasks, but traditional charging pauses still force stoppages:

* Fixed Charging Stations: Robots detour to docks, halting tasks while batteries recharge (≈90 min per full charge).

* Cumulative Delays: Even short interruptions cut into throughput.

Walker S2’s hot-swap cuts downtime to ≤3 minutes, a 97% reduction versus a full cable recharge. (newatlas.com)

How Hot-Swap Works

Walker S2’s power management keeps it moving in four steps:

* Smart Monitoring: Dual-battery sensors flag low voltage at 15%.

* Autonomous Navigation: LiDAR and stereo-vision cameras scan for obstacles as it approaches the swap bay.

* Quick Exchange: A wrist-mounted tool removes the depleted pack; magnetic rails align the fresh module, completing the swap in under three minutes.

* Instant Restart: The robot resumes its exact task—no shutdown, no human intervention.

Built-in Redundancy: If one battery fails, Walker S2 instantly switches to its second pack, preventing single-point outages.

Beyond the Factory Floor

Walker S2’s uninterrupted operation isn’t confined to manufacturing:

* Hospital Logistics: Autonomous medicine delivery in hospitals, navigating corridors without manual charging.

* Disaster Response: Extended search-and-rescue in zones lacking power infrastructure.

* Warehouse Sorting: Round-the-clock material handling in high-volume fulfillment centers.

Its bipedal form nimbly tackles stairs, uneven floors, and cluttered spaces—venues where wheeled systems struggle.

What Have We Gained?

This is an intriguing concept. As my co-editor Alexander W. Torres put it: “I’m still quite curious to hear about practical trials of humanoid robots in manufacturing, wherein the 12% efficiency gain from battery swapping is a meaningful gain. I would be curious to hear if the bottlenecks to productivity lie elsewhere (such as limitations in movement speed or dexterity).

Read the full article at droids.substack.com

#robotics #droidsnewsletter

Urobot says hello—and analyzes your flow.

At a hospital in Taiwan, patients are encountering an unexpected assistant in the restroom: a humanoid robot named Urobot, designed to analyze urine samples in real time.

It’s a prototype aiming to streamline diagnostics and embed basic health screening into the flow of daily life.

But as photos leaked online, one question bubbled to the surface: why does it have a face?

AI Author RichHeimann immediately added: “Why does it have hands?”

DROIDS Editor and Robot Researcher Alexander W. Torres commented: “Not every robot has to look human. Form should follow function, and here it feels like the form and function are trying to do two very different things.”

When a robot stares back

The design is meant to put patients at ease. But online reactions proved less than… relieved.

#RobotToilet #UncannyValley #HumanoidRobots

Read the original article in full at droids.substack.com

Google DeepMind has taken its powerful robot-controlling AI, called Gemini Robotics, and made a lightweight version that can run entirely on a robot itself, without needing internet or cloud access. This new version is called Gemini Robotics On-Device.

Why it matters:

Most advanced robot AIs need the cloud to work—meaning they rely on internet connections to process instructions and make decisions. That’s a problem in places with poor connectivity or high-security requirements.

DeepMind’s new on-device model solves that by packing impressive vision-language-action skills (understanding what it sees and hears, and doing physical tasks) into a version small enough to run right on the robot.

What it can do:

* Understand verbal or visual instructions

* Manipulate objects it hasn’t seen before

* Learn new tasks with just 50–100 examples

* Run offline, in real time, and securely

Who it runs on:

* Initially trained on Google’s ALOHA robot

* Now running on Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid and Franka FR3 dual-arm robots

#gemini #googlerobotics #apptronik #droidsnewsletter

www.droidsnewsletter.com