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#Boston Dynamics
Oct 7Wed
  1. Robotics 24/771

    Boston Dynamics appoints Rohit Prasad as new CEO

    Boston Dynamics announced the appointment of Rohit Prasad as its new CEO, effective October 7, 2026. Previously, Robert Playter stepped down at the end of February 2026, and Amanda McMaster served as interim CEO. Prasad spent 12 years at Amazon, where he was head of Alexa and Artificial General Intelligence and a senior vice president, and led development of the Amazon Nova family of foundation models; the company will draw on his AI background to accelerate the commercialization of physical AI.

Oct 6Tue
  1. Boston Dynamics25

    Boston Dynamics Spot robots in public safety rescue applications

    Boston Dynamics describes six years of Spot robot use in public safety, including disaster-site search and rescue, hostage incident response, drug lab investigations, and post-fire structural surveys. The standard public safety kit includes Spot Cam, beyond-line-of-sight radio, an integrated robotic arm (capable of lifting 15 pounds and dragging 50-pound objects), thermal imaging, and two-way voice communication. Agencies including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, FDNY, and Italy's Carabinieri have used Spot for CBRNE detection and suspected explosive ordnance checks, with deployment to the scene possible within minutes.

Oct 5Mon
Oct 3Sat
  1. Robotics 24/762

    Boston Dynamics unveils new-generation dexterous hands for the Atlas humanoid robot

    Boston Dynamics has released a new generation of dexterous hands for the Atlas humanoid robot, moving from 7 degrees of freedom in the previous generation to 13 degrees of freedom across four fingers, using a single actuator type for direct drive and full encapsulation. The new design is aimed at manipulation rather than simple grasping: a four-DOF opposable thumb supports fingertip sliding, pinching, three-finger grasping, and gripping tools such as drills and welding torches, while the strength still allows it to carry a mini-fridge payload of 100lb+, and it supports high-fidelity simulation for sim-to-real reinforcement learning.

Oct 1Thu
  1. IEEE Spectrum Robotics66

    Boston Dynamics unveils newly designed hand for Atlas robot, increasing degrees of freedom from 7 to 13

    Boston Dynamics has released a redesigned hand for the Atlas robot, increasing degrees of freedom from 7 to 13 and adding finger splay, enabling it to grip tools such as trigger-operated drills and welding guns. The design abandons humanlike appearance (dropping the pinky finger) and uses direct-drive actuators embedded in the joints, with no tendon cables and actuator packs that can be replaced as a whole, balancing simulability, mass producibility, and low-cost repair. Alberto Rodriguez said the team is studying the design adjustments needed to produce 100,000 hands per year and plans to use reinforcement learning to explore beyond-human motions such as finger splay.

  2. Boston Dynamics67

    Boston Dynamics unveils dexterous hand for next-gen Atlas robot: 13-DOF four-finger design

    Boston Dynamics has unveiled a dexterous hand for its next-generation Atlas humanoid robot, increasing from GR2's 7 degrees of freedom to 13, using a four-finger design with a 4-DOF opposable thumb, direct drive, and only a single actuator type. The design drops the pinky finger to reduce cost and complexity, is equipped with fingertip and palm pressure tactile sensors, supports pinch grasping, three-finger grasping, and pressing tool triggers, and was optimized for high-fidelity simulation for sim-to-real transfer and reinforcement learning, with preliminary sim-to-real results on dynamic tasks already available.

    Why it matters: The original article details the degrees of freedom, actuation, and simulation design tradeoffs of the next-generation Atlas dexterous hand, letting readers understand how the hand design serves reinforcement learning and real-world work.

Sep 26Sat
  1. IEEE Spectrum Robotics20

    Video Friday: Skydio F10 Fixed-Wing Drone's Robotic Arm Autonomous Launch and Recovery, Unitree Humanoid Robot Performance, and More Robotics Videos of the Week

    IEEE Spectrum released this week's robotics video roundup, including the Skydio F10 fixed-wing drone using a robotic arm for autonomous launch and recovery, a look back at the Honda P2, Unitree's biomimetic dexterous hand starting at $6,500, and 19 Unitree humanoid robots performing alongside 120 dancers at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 opening ceremony on September 22.

Sep 23Wed
  1. Boston Dynamics41

    Inside Boston Dynamics' Stretch Durability Testing: An Interview with Mechanical Engineer Diane Heinle

    Boston Dynamics mechanical engineer Diane Heinle discusses durability testing for the Stretch robot: she is responsible for the dynamic cable design on the Stretch arm, cycling cables millions of times in the lab at speeds and forces far beyond real-world conditions, simulating years of warehouse wear in a matter of weeks. The durability lab is known as the "Tick-Tock Room" because the cable testers swing back and forth like metronomes, and the test data is also used to refine the design and maintenance schedules, avoiding downtime at customer sites.

Sep 16Wed
  1. Boston Dynamics21

    Boston Dynamics Joins DoW SkillBridge Program as Industry Partner

    Boston Dynamics announced it has become an official industry partner of the DoW SkillBridge program, helping US service members transition into civilian careers before leaving the military. The program allows service members to gain industry experience during their final 180 days of service. The company is currently hiring for field application and field service roles through the program; opportunities can be found on the SkillBridge website by filtering for Boston Dynamics under Provider.

Sep 10Thu
  1. Boston Dynamics66

    Boston Dynamics releases Spot 5.2 and Orbit update, connecting factory AI data around assets

    Boston Dynamics has released Spot 5.2, positioned as a middle layer connecting the various AI systems in a factory. The Orbit software has been restructured to organize data around assets, can import asset hierarchies and link them to inspections, supports connecting external data sources such as PLC sensors and security cameras, and adds an MCP layer for AI agents to autonomously schedule Spot deployments.

    Why it matters: The original article details the specific changes in Spot 5.2 regarding data connectivity, inspection modalities, and predictive maintenance, allowing readers to assess whether to update their own deployments.

Aug 27Thu
  1. Boston Dynamics30

    Ask a Roboticist: Meet Mark, the "Robot Doctor" on the Atlas Repair Team

    Mark DiLeo, lead technician on Boston Dynamics' Atlas service and repair team, shares how he repairs the bipedal humanoid robot. He reveals that the worst case was when the robot fell and its leg completely split from its torso; the research version R1 requires one to two days of downtime each time it falls, while the production version D1 was designed for manufacturing and on-site customer repair, making it easier to service, and the team can usually repair it within one to two hours, getting the robot back to performing backflips.

Aug 5Wed
  1. Persona AI70

    FCC Adds Foreign-Made Mobile Robots to Covered List; Persona AI Explains Impact on US Enterprise Customers

    In July 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic equipment to the Covered List, covering ground mobile robots weighing about 4.4 pounds or more that can sense their environment and connect wirelessly, including humanoid, quadruped, and wheeled platforms; drones, connected cars, and medical devices are exempt, and the restrictions apply only to new products.

    Why it matters: The original article outlines the scope, exemptions, and application deadlines of the FCC restrictions on new foreign mobile robots, helping readers judge their practical impact on procurement and supply chains.

Aug 4Tue
  1. Boston Dynamics38

    Ask a Roboticist: Meet Taylor, Engineer on Boston Dynamics Atlas Compute and Perception Team

    In an interview, Boston Dynamics mechanical engineer Taylor Frey-Baker discusses the design of the electric Atlas's head and how she entered the field. She is responsible for the compute core inside the head, which houses four perception modules with stereo vision; the head's modular design allows the entire unit to be swapped out and the compute core upgraded like a game cartridge. The hydraulic Atlas did not need a head because it performed movement demonstrations, whereas the electric Atlas relies on head cameras for a wider field of view and uses lights and sound to signal its status to people nearby.

Jul 15Wed
  1. Boston Dynamics50

    Boston Dynamics' Atlas appears in 2026 World Cup halftime show

    Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas handed the match ball to the referee and performed a series of soccer celebration moves during halftime of the 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match between Norway and Brazil on July 5. This was the first public appearance of the production version of Atlas and the first robot halftime performance in World Cup history. The behavior is based on reinforcement-learning whole-body control training and was tested in both the lab and real environments; it was a live demonstration rather than an on-site autonomous operational deployment. The event is related to Hyundai's "Next Starts Now" project.

Jul 14Tue
  1. Boston Dynamics48

    Boston Dynamics uses Spot quadruped robot to bridge the 'last meter' of porch delivery

    Boston Dynamics demonstrated a Spot quadruped robot jumping down from a delivery vehicle, carrying two 16x12x10-inch packages along a community walkway to two different customers' porches before returning. It is currently a demonstration; initially a driver will operate it, and after routes are saved it will deliver autonomously.

Jul 7Tue
Jul 1Wed
  1. Boston Dynamics48

    Boston Dynamics Spot robots take part in 2026 World Cup security patrols

    Boston Dynamics' Spot robots are deployed at the Dallas International Broadcast Center and New York/New Jersey stadiums, carrying out perimeter patrols to support asset protection and risk detection for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Spot 5.1, released this year, supports security missions: when it detects a person, it pauses, activates its AV lights, captures PTZ, panoramic, and thermal images, and triggers an alarm. The robot is positioned as an assistant to security personnel, with patrol findings ultimately reviewed by staff.

Jun 4Thu
Jun 2Tue
  1. Boston Dynamics27

    Boston Dynamics Mechanical Design Engineer Chastity Discusses Atlas Robot Foot Design and Her Path into the Field

    In an interview, Boston Dynamics mechanical design engineer Chastity Kelly explains the foot design of the Atlas humanoid robot. The new-generation foot has a symmetric structure, with the ankle joint located at the middle of the foot; combined with knees that can bend backward, this allows Atlas to walk forward and backward without turning around. The sole has multi-directional treads to provide two-way grip and prevent slipping on factory floors. She also shares her own journey: starting at a community college, she spent 15 years earning a PhD in mechanical engineering and entering the robotics industry.

Feb 6Fri
  1. FieldAI51

    FieldAI and Boston Dynamics deploy autonomous robot inspections on construction sites

    FieldAI describes the autonomous deployment of its Field Foundation Models (FFMs) with Boston Dynamics' quadruped robot Spot on construction sites, requiring no GPS, cloud connection, prior maps, or pre-planned routes, and able to carry out inspection, mapping, and monitoring tasks around the clock. The article states that over the past two years this has covered construction sites in Asia, Europe, and North America, cutting customers' inspection and documentation time by more than 90%, with data able to flow into BIM and digital twin systems, and several pilots having expanded into fleet-level deployments.

Oct 9Sun
  1. 机器人产业网 · 微信公众号50

    Boston Dynamics and five other robotics companies pledge not to weaponize robots

    Boston Dynamics, along with Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, and Unitree Robotics, jointly signed an open letter pledging not to weaponize advanced mobile general-purpose robots and their software, not to support others in doing so, and to prevent customers from weaponizing purchased platforms where possible.