Today in Robotics — Sunday, October 18, 2026
Sunday's lineup runs from the practical to the geopolitical, with a motor-selection primer sitting a few clicks away from drones hitting fuel depots. We've also got cities drawing lines around robotaxis, a fresh ADI take on physical AI, and a maple-seed-inspired robot that falls then sails.
- 01 How to choose a BLDC motor for robotic arms and mobile robots
A grounded guide to picking BLDC motors, weighing sensors, safety, and whether you're building an arm or a mobile platform, because the actuator choice shapes everything downstream.
Read at source ↗ - 02 Cities want to put the boot on robotaxis
As self-driving cars scale up, cities are pushing back with new laws and road rules, a reminder that autonomy's biggest hurdle may be local policy rather than code.
Read at source ↗ - 03 Ukrainian drones strike fuel depots and tech hubs near Russia’s St. Petersburg: Reports
Ukrainian drone strikes on fuel depots and tech hubs near St. Petersburg show how far uncrewed systems now reach into strategic infrastructure.
Read at source ↗ - 04 ADI explains the race to make AI physical
A new ADI whitepaper tackles the hard part of embodied AI: getting it out of the lab and into production machinery that actually runs.
Read at source ↗ - 05 Bioinspired robot airdrops into remote waters via morphing wing-sail
This bioinspired platform airdrops into remote waters by falling like a maple seed and sailing via a morphing wing-sail, a clever answer to fast, long-term ocean deployment.
Read at source ↗ - 06 Video Friday: When Two Robots Become One
This week's video roundup spotlights reconfigurable machines where two robots merge into one, plus the usual calendar of upcoming robotics events.
Read at source ↗
The RobotCafe digest — five minutes, the whole field.