Today in Robotics — Friday, October 9, 2026
Today's lineup runs from the fingertips up: Boston Dynamics talks hands, a tactile approach helps humanoids navigate without sight, and a two-armed robot learns to throw and catch like us. We also check in on recycling robots, cobots headed to Pack Expo, drone deals, and the uneasy question of why we keep treating AI like a friend.
- 01 Boston Dynamics gives more insight into its redesigned humanoid hand
Atlas's redesigned hand gets explained by the team itself, a reminder that dexterous manipulation, not just walking, is where humanoids live or die.
Read at source ↗ - 02 Danu Robotics’ fight to build a better recycling robot
Six years in, founder Amy Ma's push to sort recyclables better shows how unglamorous waste streams remain one of robotics' hardest, most worthwhile problems.
Read at source ↗ - 03 We can’t help treating AI like it’s human. But should we?
Sherry Turkle argues we're wired to believe machines care for us, a question that grows sharper as social robots and chatbots get more convincing.
Read at source ↗ - 04 Robot Talk Episode 165 – Robots behind the research, with Kushant Patel
Brookhaven's Kushant Patel discusses robots and software that keep scientific instruments like particle accelerators running, a quietly essential corner of automation.
Read at source ↗ - 05 Two-armed robot throws and catches balls with human-like movements
A two-armed robot throwing and catching with human-like coordination tackles the agility and timing that still separate most machines from us.
Read at source ↗ - 06 FANUC America brings AI and packaging cobots to Pack Expo
FANUC brings AI-equipped cobots for packaging, food handling, and palletizing to Pack Expo, signaling where collaborative automation is headed on the line.
Read at source ↗ - 07 TAPNAV: Humanoid Navigation through Tactile Active Perception
TAPNAV uses active touch to help humanoids navigate when vision fails and odometry drifts, a clever answer to localization in dark or obscured spaces.
Read at source ↗ - 08 DJI’s best Mini drone deal includes more than you think
DJI's Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo dips under $1,000, packing flagship imaging and tracking into an accessible bundle for hobbyist pilots.
Read at source ↗
The RobotCafe digest — five minutes, the whole field.