Circuit

Meet the robot bird that leaps into the air. Researchers at EPFL have developed RAVEN, a robot inspired by birds’ ability to seamlessly navigate land and air. With multifunctional legs, RAVEN can jump into flight, walk, and hop over obstacles—just like its avian counterparts. Jumping take-offs are not only faster but also more energy-efficient than traditional methods, making RAVEN ideal for tackling complex terrains. Could this bird-inspired design pave the way for more versatile multi-modal robots? #Robotics #drones #Innovation #BioInspiredDesign

The development of General Physical AI in robotics depends on large-scale real-world data, yet such data remains limited. RIVR is addressing this by deploying robots in last-mile delivery, integrating artificial neural networks with a wheeled-leg design to improve efficiency and scalability in urban mobility. With a mission to deploy over 1 million deliver robots, the company aims to build the data infrastructure necessary to advance robotic intelligence and autonomous logistics. Seen at NVIDIA #GTC25 👀

The world’s first industrial superhumanoid robot? Dexterity, Inc. has released Mech - a superhumanoid, powered by Physical AI, to operate in complex, unstructured environments across industrial sites. Unlike traditional robots, Mech moves with the skill of a human but has the strength and stamina of a machine, making it a powerful tool for tough industrial jobs. As industries push for greater efficiency and safety, could superhumanoids like Mech redefine the future of industrial work? #humanoids #robotics #PhysicalAI

This humanoid can already move better than most humans… One year after the Unitree H1 became the first electric humanoid to perform a standing backflip, Unitree Robotics has raised the bar once again. The newly unveiled Unitree G1 has now successfully executed a standing side flip—an even more complex maneuver—without a single malfunction or structural failure during programming and testing. What do you think will be the next milestone in the advancement of humanoid robots? #humanoids #robots #AI

The first TRUE end-to-end drone surveying solution? Drone surveying has long promised efficiency and accuracy, but ground control setup has remained a persistent challenge—until now. Wingtra has launched WingtraGROUND, an all-in-one solution designed to simplify the process, integrating field setup, aerial mapping, and data processing into a single workflow. For surveyors, the challenge isn’t just capturing aerial data—it’s ensuring that data is accurate. Traditionally, this has meant juggling multiple tools and manually syncing information, leaving room for errors. WingtraGROUND addresses this by guiding users through setup step by step, automatically syncing data, and cutting setup time by a factor of four. "Until now, even with the best drone, you still needed expertise in various third-party tools to ensure accuracy," says André Becker, Senior Product Manager at Wingtra. "By bringing everything into one ecosystem, we’re removing a major barrier to reliable drone data collection." The shift could have far-reaching implications, making high-accuracy drone mapping more accessible to industries that rely on precise geospatial data. #DroneSurveying #AerialMapping #GIS

Flapping-wing drones have been around for years... but the X-Fly Bionic Bird takes a different approach. Designed to mimic the motion of a real bird, it combines mechanical wing flapping with onboard stabilization for controlled flight. A six-axis gyro and G-sensors help counteract the vibrations caused by flapping, keeping it steady even in windy conditions. It has a 150-meter range, a replaceable battery for extended use, and a flexible frame designed to withstand crashes. Whether it’s a novelty or a step forward for bio-inspired flight remains to be seen!

The moto-robot that drives, jumps, and balances—all on its own, thanks to AI. Developed by the Robotics and AI Institute, this agile robot drives, turns, jumps, and even pulls off precision tricks—all powered by reinforcement learning. From smooth landings to track-stands, every move is autonomously controlled. Does this robot have a commercial future? #robotics #innovation

Meet the Wheeled Legged Drone! Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have unveiled a hybrid aerial-ground robot that moves seamlessly between flight and wheeled mobility. Equipped with a reconfigurable single-wheeled leg, it maintains stability in stance mode and achieves high-speed cruising with much higher endurance than a typical quadcopter. The robot has promising applications in surveying and search and rescue. Where else could it be used? #robotics #drones

🦾 Robots that push with precision Researchers from ETH Zürich have developed a learning-based controller that enables a quadrupedal robot with an arm to push and reorient unknown objects with high accuracy. Using constrained reinforcement learning, the system adapts to different object properties—mass, material, size, and shape—while achieving a 91.35% success rate in simulation and over 80% on hardware. The robot dynamically adjusts its pushing strategy, ensuring stable and contact-rich interactions without prior object knowledge.

How do drones handle extreme electromagnetic fields? ⚡ The Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark’s Digital and High-Frequency Electronics team put specially designed drones to the test in a high-voltage lab, assessing their resilience and performance under intense electrical conditions. With support from Fachhochschule Kiel, these experiments push the boundaries of drone reliability for power line inspections and other critical infrastructure applications. #drones #innovation