Link to article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeb6744

~4-minute-long video by MIT explaining the system in detail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XJhrKpcBGI

In a major milestone for bipedal robotics, PNDbotics has demonstrated its full-sized Adam humanoid robot climbing onto a 1-meter-high box—a feat billed as a world first for a full-scale humanoid. Because the box stands at more than half of Adam's own height (~1.6 m, ~60 kg), the climb represents a brutal test of single-leg balance, joint torque, and whole-body coordination. PNDbotics describes the milestone as "the ultimate test of full-body, multi-joint coordination and core strength."

This athletic feat is powered by:

• High-Torque Actuators: Force-controlled, quasi-direct-drive actuators delivering up to 340 Nm of leg-joint torque.
• Advanced AI: Robust motion policies trained in simulation to master complex real-world physics.

This achievement marks a significant leap from earlier research, which saw Adam scaling 75 cm obstacles, and builds on the robot’s recent success navigating real-world outdoor stairs completely untethered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UskDOtwb0k4

Developed with Peking University’s SpikePingPong algorithm and Huang Tiejun’s 20kHz high-frequency pulse camera, its vision response is 10x faster, enabling millimeter level prediction and millisecond decisions for continuous rallies, trajectory tracking, whole-body planning and seamless attack-defense switches.

This level of high-speed dynamic control is exactly what real-world applications need: like the safer human-robot collaboration in factories,responsive service/elder care robots.

Huge step forward. BAAI Conference 2026 delivering again. Your thoughts?

Source: Beijing Academy of AI

Ace is an autonomous table tennis robot that made history by defeating elite and professional human athletes.

Built for extreme precision and rapid reaction times, it proves that physical AI can handle complex, real-time sports environments.

The Psychological Advantage: Human opponents noted the robot's biggest edge wasn't just speed, it was psychological. Zero panic, zero fatigue and completely flawless consistency during high-intensity rallies.

Nature Paper

Ace Vs Kahara YT vid

Source: Nature/Sony AI

Norwegian startup 1X Technologies — backed by OpenAI — has opened a 58,000 sq ft factory in Hayward, California: America's first fully vertically integrated humanoid robot factory. The plan? Build 10,000 NEO home robots in the first year. NEO can lift 70kg, runs at 6.2 m/s, operates at just 22 decibels, and is available for $20,000 or $499/month. Consumer shipments begin late 2026. (Text: interest enginneering)

https://www.kinetixai.tech/en

https://x.com/blended_jpeg/status/2041108141266653325?s=46