Today in Robotics — Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Executive chess dominates the day as Rivian's stealthy Mind Robotics lands a marquee hire, while autonomy stories span Martian mileage, counter-drone interceptors, and the quieter work of stress-testing machines before they meet the real world. There's also a reminder that drones increasingly shape conflict and information both on the battlefield and in simulation.
- 01 Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires former Ford EV chief Doug Field
Field's resume spanning the Model 3, Apple's car project, and Ford EVs signals Mind Robotics is building serious hardware credibility from day one.
Read at source ↗ - 02 Laplace Intelligence red-teams robots and self-driving cars before they hit the real world
A profitable Michigan spinout using AI agents to red-team robots in simulation addresses the unglamorous but critical question of catching failures before deployment.
Read at source ↗ - 03 Powerus unveils Guardian-3 fully autonomous drone interceptor
Powerus pushes counter-drone defense toward full autonomy with Guardian-3, reflecting how quickly interceptor systems are racing to keep up with proliferating threats.
Read at source ↗ - 04 Q&A: Mars Perseverance Rover Distance Record
Perseverance's 28.10-mile odometer reading sets a new Mars record, a quiet testament to incremental autonomous driving on another planet.
Read at source ↗ - 05 Russian bot farms are still trolling, even after Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex
Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian data centers dented but didn't silence disinformation operations, showing the limits of hitting digital infrastructure physically.
Read at source ↗ - 06 Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires Doug Field as president
The Verge frames Field's presidency as a coup for Rivian's secretive robotics venture, underscoring how much talent the humanoid race is now attracting.
Read at source ↗ - 07 Promise Robotics partners with D.R. Horton on physical AI for homebuilding
A multi-year deal with America's largest homebuilder gives Promise Robotics a real path to prove physical AI can scale in construction.
Read at source ↗ - 08 New drone interceptor takes off like a quadcopter, then flies forward autonomously
Guardian-3's quadcopter-to-forward-flight transition illustrates the hybrid aerodynamics increasingly needed to chase down fast-moving hostile drones.
Read at source ↗
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