Tags: robotics safety

A lawsuit filed by former safety engineer Robert Gruendel alleges that Figure AI's Figure 02 humanoid robot is capable of exerting force sufficient to fracture a human skull, and that he was dismissed after raising safety concerns. Figure AI denies the claim, attributing his termination to poor performance. Meanwhile, a demonstration by Chinese robotics firm Engine AI saw its CEO knocked to the ground by the company's T800 robot, raising questions about the strength and safety of such machines. Both events highlight growing scrutiny over the risks associated with advanced humanoid robots. Ler mais

Renowned roboticist Rodney Brooks, co‑founder of iRobot and longtime MIT researcher, cautions investors that the current surge in humanoid robot funding is unsustainable. He argues that attempts by companies such as Tesla and Figure to teach robots dexterity through video training overlook fundamental gaps in tactile sensing, safety, and scalability. Brooks highlights the complexity of the human hand—home to roughly 17,000 specialized touch receptors—and notes the lack of comparable data collection traditions for robots. He also warns that large walking robots pose significant safety hazards and predicts that future successful robots will favor wheels, multiple arms, and specialized sensors over a human‑like form. Ler mais

Sonair, a Norwegian robotics sensor company, has introduced an ADAR ultrasonic sensor that creates a three‑dimensional view of a robot’s surroundings using high‑frequency sound. The technology is positioned as a cheaper, more comprehensive alternative to LIDAR and is designed to work alongside cameras and other sensors. Demand is rising from both robotics manufacturers and industrial safety applications. The firm recently secured a $6 million funding round that included Scale Capital, Investinor and ProVenture, and its CEO Knut Sandven says the goal is to see the sensors in all robots. Ler mais