Today in Robotics — Sunday, September 20, 2026
Sunday's lineup leans hard into the practical and the tactical: what happens when a humanoid finally gives out, and how militaries are learning to both fly drones and shoot them down. There's a notable acquisition from SoftBank too, plus an ETH Zurich creation with impeccable Halloween timing.
- 01 What do you do with a humanoid robot when it breaks down?
As humanoids proliferate, their end-of-life becomes a serious question—this reframes decommissioning as delicate surgery rather than simple scrapping.
Read at source ↗ - 02 6 days left to get ahead at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
A ticket-pricing reminder for Disrupt 2026, worth noting if you're planning to be among the founders and investors gathering next week.
Read at source ↗ - 03 Pentagon to give Cape Canaveral a much-needed anti-drone security overhaul
The Space Force's key launch site is getting anti-drone defenses, a sign that spaceport security now has to reckon with airborne threats.
Read at source ↗ - 04 US Marine Corps share videos of what training with drones looks like
The Marines offer a rare look at how drones are being woven into unit training, from first lessons to large-scale exercises.
Read at source ↗ - 05 Teaching a Robot Hand to Walk
ETH Zurich researchers got a robotic hand to walk on its fingers—unsettling, clever, and conveniently spooky just ahead of Halloween.
Read at source ↗ - 06 Low-cost US interceptor destroys drones without jamming their signals
A startup's cheap kinetic interceptor kills small drones by hitting them directly, sidestepping the limits of jamming-based defenses.
Read at source ↗ - 07 SoftBank agrees to acquire Robotics and AI Institute
SoftBank's long-rumored purchase of the Robotics and AI Institute is now official, pending a US foreign-investment review.
Read at source ↗
The RobotCafe digest — five minutes, the whole field.