Uber Invests in Lucid Robotaxis; Unitree Robotics Among TIME's 100 Most Influential
Key Takeaways
- Uber invests $300M in Lucid, partners with Nuro to deploy 20,000 robotaxis in 2026.
- Unitree Robotics named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential for affordable, versatile robots.
- Diligent Robotics appoints CTO, COO, aims for 3,000 Moxi robots by 2030.
- MIT's handheld interface simplifies robot training for manufacturing, home, and caregiving tasks.
- Cobots augment human capabilities, reshaping workforce through upskilling and new job creation.
Top Stories
Uber invests $300M in Lucid, partners with Nuro for robotaxis.
Starting in 2026, Uber will deploy 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs with Nuro's autonomous tech in a major US city, investing potentially $300 million. This robotaxi venture aims to expand Uber's presence in the service robotics market.
Unitree Robotics recognized as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential.
In 2025, Unitree Robotics was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies for making sophisticated robotic systems affordable, with robots like Go2 and G1 used in scouting, delivery, and disaster response.
Diligent Robotics appoints CTO, COO; aims for 3,000 robots by 2030.
On July 10, 2025, Diligent Robotics appointed Rashed Haq as CTO and Todd Brugger as COO, aiming to deploy over 3,000 Moxi robots by 2030, expanding beyond hospital logistics where Moxi has saved staff nearly 600,000 hours.
MIT's handheld interface simplifies robot training for diverse tasks.
MIT engineers developed a versatile handheld interface (VDI) that allows users to teach robots new skills through remote control or physical manipulation, potentially benefiting manufacturing, home, and caregiving settings.
Cobots augment human capabilities, reshaping workforce through upskilling.
Cobots are increasingly seen as tools that augment human capabilities, reshaping the workforce through upskilling and creating new job categories, increasing productivity without decreasing headcount.
Real-World Robots
Advanced automation enhances waste management efficiency and sustainability.
Advanced automation, including AI-driven scheduling and robotic systems, is transforming waste management by improving efficiency, safety, and recycling rates, particularly in industries like retail and manufacturing.
Supply chain robotics insights: humanoid robots, market forecast, surgery robot.
John Santagate discussed supply chain robotics, while Interact Analysis reduced its 2025 mobile robot market forecast by $800 million; Johns Hopkins developed a robot, SRT-H, that performed a gallbladder removal portion on a realistic model.
Robotic surgery insights: 77% trust robotics, telesurgery in Angola.
Jim Hirsch from BlackBerry QNX discussed robotic surgery, highlighting a study that found 77% of global tech leaders trust robotics and cited a surgeon in Orlando performing telesurgery on a patient in Angola.
Yeedi S14 Plus robot vacuum and mop reviewed: 18,000Pa suction.
Maria Diaz reviewed the Yeedi S14 Plus robot vacuum and mop, noting its strong 18,000Pa suction, self-cleaning mop roller, and hands-free charging dock, available for $999 during an introductory offer.
Mammotion Luba 2 robot mower review: GPS-powered, handles 38-degree slopes.
Maria Diaz tested the Mammotion Luba 2 robot mower, a GPS-powered, all-wheel-drive robot that can handle uneven terrain and slopes of up to 38 degrees, available for $2,599.
Tech Advances
Survey highlights advances in dexterous, embodied robotic manipulation.
On July 16, 2025, a survey submitted to arXiv by researchers from Zhejiang University discussed the evolution of robotic manipulation and recent advances in dexterous manipulation data collection and skill-learning frameworks.
Transformer model improves decision-making in social robots.
On July 15, 2025, a paper submitted to arXiv proposed a Transformer-based multi-task learning framework to improve decision-making in social robots, particularly in multi-user environments.