Today in Robotics — Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Today's spread runs from the software layers teaching humanoids to obey plain language to the policy and infrastructure debates shaping where robots get built and flown. There's fresh muscle in manufacturing—Vention's new lab, a 3D-printed nuclear vessel—and a reminder that drones remain caught between enterprise demand and Washington's restrictions.
- 01 AI controller translates VR, video and language commands into humanoid robot actions
A controller that maps VR, video, and spoken commands to humanoid actions hints at more intuitive ways to teach robots the manual tasks that still trip them up.
Read at source ↗ - 02 Vention opens Physical AI Lab for manufacturing in Montreal
Vention's Montreal lab targets the hard part of robotic manipulation—moving it from research demos to reliable production-line deployment at scale.
Read at source ↗ - 03 Robotics roadmaps from around the world spotlight of the month: United States of America
US researchers and industry are pushing for a cohesive national strategy to sustain basic research while boosting domestic robot production and adoption.
Read at source ↗ - 04 US Army to bolster its obstacle breaching capability with autonomous vehicles
Seattle's Overland AI is bringing autonomous vehicles to the Army's obstacle-breaching missions, one of the riskiest jobs to hand off from humans.
Read at source ↗ - 05 Scientists 3D print steel pressure vessel for nuclear reactors using three robots
Oak Ridge used three robots to 3D print a steel pressure vessel, a notable proof that advanced manufacturing can tackle demanding nuclear components.
Read at source ↗ - 06 Boston Dynamics veteran launches Dynamic Creatures to bring characters to life with robotics
A Boston Dynamics veteran's new venture aims robotics at entertainment, building original characters and brand recreations rather than warehouse labor.
Read at source ↗ - 07 DJI FlightHub 2 On-Premises gets major enterprise upgrade
DJI's on-premises FlightHub 2 upgrade answers utilities and infrastructure operators who want drone data kept firmly under their own roof.
Read at source ↗ - 08 DJI says FCC is going too far with its latest drone ban proposal
DJI pushes back on the FCC's latest ban proposal, as US pilots already navigate restrictions keeping its newest Lito series off the market.
Read at source ↗
The RobotCafe digest — five minutes, the whole field.