Microsoft Unveils Rho-alpha, Google DeepMind's D4RT, and Waabi's $1B Uber Partnership - Robotics Brief #53
January 29, 2026 -
Robotics Brief
Hi there,
Welcome to this edition of the Robotics Brief, where we delve into the latest advancements and collaborations in the world of AI and robotics. Microsoft has introduced Rho-alpha, a cutting-edge AI model aimed at enhancing robotic learning by translating natural language into control signals. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind has unveiled D4RT, a model designed to improve 4D scene reconstruction by efficiently converting 2D inputs into 3D representations.
In the realm of drone technology, Sky Hunter, a Ukrainian defense startup, has secured $4 million in funding to advance its AI-driven drone technology. Additionally, SIRBAI has showcased the Middle East's first AI-powered autonomous drone swarm at UMEX 2026, marking a significant leap in defense capabilities. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.
Welcome to this edition of the Robotics Brief, where we delve into the latest advancements and collaborations in the world of AI and robotics. Microsoft has introduced Rho-alpha, a cutting-edge AI model aimed at enhancing robotic learning by translating natural language into control signals. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind has unveiled D4RT, a model designed to improve 4D scene reconstruction by efficiently converting 2D inputs into 3D representations.
In the realm of drone technology, Sky Hunter, a Ukrainian defense startup, has secured $4 million in funding to advance its AI-driven drone technology. Additionally, SIRBAI has showcased the Middle East's first AI-powered autonomous drone swarm at UMEX 2026, marking a significant leap in defense capabilities. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.
Microsoft Unveils Rho-alpha AI Model for Robotics
Microsoft has introduced Rho-alpha, a new AI model designed to enhance robotic learning and adaptability by translating natural language commands into control signals. Read more
Google DeepMind Unveils D4RT for 4D Scene Reconstruction
The Google DeepMind team has introduced D4RT, an AI model that enhances 4D scene reconstruction and tracking by converting 2D inputs into 3D representations efficiently. It is significantly faster than previous methods, enabling real-time applications. Read more
Sky Hunter Secures $4 Million for AI Drone Tech
Ukrainian defense startup Sky Hunter has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding to advance its AI-driven drone technology, aimed at enhancing its interceptor drones used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Read more
SIRBAI Unveils AI Drone Swarm at UMEX 2026
SIRBAI has introduced the Middle East's first AI-powered autonomous drone swarm technology at UMEX 2026, showcasing a significant advancement in defense capabilities. Read more
China's PLA Unveils AI-Driven Drone Swarm System
The People's Liberation Army of China has demonstrated a new drone swarm technology, enabling a single operator to manage 200 drones. This advancement highlights China's progress in military drone capabilities. Read more
MISUMI Group Appoints New President for MISUMI Americas
MISUMI Group has appointed Dave Evans as the new President of MISUMI Americas, where he will focus on integrating AI-powered manufacturing solutions. Read more
Overland AI and CAL FIRE Collaborate on Autonomous 4-Wheelers
The Seattle-based startup Overland AI has partnered with CAL FIRE to deploy self-driving four-wheelers to enhance wildfire management in California. Read more
Pablo Air Gains Investment from Korean Air for Drone Tech
Pablo Air, a Korean startup, has received investment from Korean Air to advance swarm AI drone technology and maintenance capabilities. The partnership aims to develop autonomous flight systems and inspection drones. Read more
Lockheed Martin and XTEND Collaborate on AI Drone Swarms
The partnership between Lockheed Martin and XTEND focuses on advancing drone swarm technology with AI for military use. Read more
42dot Expands Team for Atria AI Development
42dot is hiring over 50 specialists to enhance its Atria AI autonomous driving technology, aligning with its strategy under the Hyundai Motor Group. Read more
AGIBOT Unveils Genie Sim 3.0 at CES 2026
At CES 2026, AGIBOT introduced Genie Sim 3.0, an open-source simulation platform for embodied intelligence, aiming to enhance model development and reduce hardware dependency. Read more
aiMotive Launches Automated Driving Tech at CES 2026
At CES 2026, aiMotive revealed its new automated driving technologies, featuring the aiDrive software and aiSim 6 simulation platform. Read more
Anduril Announces AI Grand Prix Drone Contest
The AI Grand Prix by Anduril is a drone-flying competition where participants develop software for autonomous drones, featuring a $500,000 prize pool and job opportunities at Anduril. Read more
Lianhe Sowell to Invest $200M in UAE Robotics HQ
On January 26, 2026, Lianhe Sowell International Group Ltd announced a $200 million investment to establish a Specialized Industry Robotics Headquarters in the UAE, focusing on robotics R&D and manufacturing. Read more
Tesla Invests $2 Billion in xAI for AI Integration
Tesla has announced a $2 billion investment in xAI, an AI company founded by Elon Musk. This move is part of Tesla's strategy to enhance its autonomous driving and robotics capabilities. Read more
Mitsubishi Electric Invests in Akari Inc. for AI Robotics
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is investing ¥5 billion in Akari Inc. to develop AI-driven factory robotics, aiming to address labor shortages and enhance automation in Japan's manufacturing sector. Read more
Richtech Robotics and Microsoft Collaborate on AI for ADAM Robot
Richtech Robotics has partnered with Microsoft to enhance the AI capabilities of its ADAM robot. The collaboration focuses on improving the robot's contextual awareness and efficiency using Azure AI technology. Read more
Pony.ai and ATBB Partner for Robotaxi Services
Pony.ai has partnered with ATBB to advance robotaxi commercialization and enhance urban mobility solutions through their combined technologies and expertise. Read more
Applied EV Receives $30.7 Million for Autonomous Vehicles
Applied EV has been granted $30.7 million by the Australian Government to produce 100 autonomous electric vehicles, as part of a larger funding round to boost local manufacturing and technology. Read more
Grid Aero Raises $20M for Autonomous Drones
Grid Aero, a California-based aerospace startup, has secured $20 million in Series A funding to enhance its autonomous cargo drone technology, particularly the Lifter Lite aircraft, for defense and commercial use. Read more
Syos Competes for UK Military AI Drone Contract
Syos has been shortlisted for the UK Ministry of Defence's 'Project NYX', a $229 million contract to develop AI-powered drones to support Apache helicopters. Read more
Fauna Robotics Launches Sprout Humanoid Robot
Fauna Robotics has launched Sprout, a humanoid robot designed for safe use in shared human spaces, offering a developer-friendly platform for various applications. Read more
Gatik AI Secures $600 Million for Autonomous Trucks
Gatik AI Inc has announced securing $600 million in contracts to expand its autonomous delivery truck operations in the U.S., aiming to enhance delivery efficiency for major retailers. Read more
Waabi Secures $1 Billion and Partners with Uber for Robotaxis
Autonomous vehicle startup Waabi has raised $1 billion and partnered with Uber to introduce self-driving cars on the ride-hailing platform, marking its expansion beyond autonomous trucking. Read more
XPRIZE Wildfire Competition Finalists Announced
The XPRIZE Wildfire competition has announced five finalist teams competing for the $11 million prize in developing AI and drone technologies for wildfire detection and suppression. Read more
Tesla to Sell Optimus Robots to Consumers by 2027
Elon Musk announced that Tesla plans to sell its humanoid robot, Optimus, to private customers by late 2027. The robot is currently used in Tesla factories for basic tasks. Read more
Nexdata Opens AI Data Collection Facility in Singapore
Nexdata has launched its Embodied AI Data Collection Factory in Singapore, designed to gather high-quality interaction data for AI model training. Read more
Shield AI to Supply Drones and Software to Indian Army
Shield AI has been selected by the Indian Army to provide V-BAT unmanned aircraft systems and Hivemind autonomy software, aiming to enhance India's defense capabilities with autonomous systems. Read more
Nomagic Raises €8.3 Million for US Expansion
Nomagic, a Warsaw-based robotics startup, has secured €8.3 million in funding to enhance its US operations, focusing on optimizing warehouse operations with Physical AI. Read more
SEALSQ Showcases Post-Quantum Cryptography for Robotics
At the Physical AI Roundtable in Davos, SEALSQ demonstrated a robotics concept featuring post-quantum cryptography, in collaboration with WISeKey. Read more
ABB Robotics Leads Initiative for Robot Energy Standards
ABB Robotics is leading an initiative to develop an ISO Technical Specification for measuring the energy consumption and efficiency of industrial robots, collaborating with 11 countries and the Swedish Institute for Standardization. Read more
First Breach and Rincell Partner for U.S. Drone Manufacturing
First Breach and Rincell have announced a strategic partnership to boost U.S. drone manufacturing by integrating advanced American-made batteries, supporting the U.S. Department of War's Drone Dominance initiative. Read more
Ondas Networks Drone Gains Federal Approval
The Ondas Networks Optimus drone has received rapid procurement approval from the federal government, highlighting progress in AI integration in defense. Read more
Robbyant Releases Open-Source LingBot-VLA for Robotics
Robbyant, a company under Ant Group, has released LingBot-VLA, an open-source vision-language-action model intended to serve as a universal brain for robots. The model aims to improve cross-morphology generalization and reduce deployment costs. Read more
Apera AI Releases Apera Vue 9.52 and Apera Forge
Apera AI has launched Apera Vue 9.52, featuring Programmable Autopilot and Range Finding to improve robotic performance. Additionally, Apera Forge now offers AI training that is four times faster. Read more
NHS England Trials AI for Lung Cancer Detection
NHS England is trialing AI and robotic technology to improve lung cancer detection and diagnosis. The initiative aims to screen all smokers and ex-smokers by 2030, with trials at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS trust in London. Read more
WeRide Unveils WeRide GENESIS for Autonomous Driving
WeRide has introduced WeRide GENESIS, a generative AI platform designed to improve the simulation of autonomous driving. The platform aims to enhance training and validation by creating realistic virtual environments and complex driving scenarios. Read more
b2venture Closes €150M Fund for AI Startups
b2venture has closed its largest early-stage fund at €150 million, aiming to invest in around 35 startups across Europe, focusing on AI and robotics. Read more
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