Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in London that he opposes restricting AI development with an 'emergency brake' or strict regulation, and advocates establishing a 'seatbelt' to constrain AI through smarter safety standards, monitoring mechanisms, and accident-prevention measures.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology announced on October 19 that the first five recommended national standards for "Technical Requirements for Humanoid Robots" have been officially released, numbered GB/T 48317.1—2026 through GB/T 48317.5—2026, covering general provisions, environmental perception, decision planning, motion control, and task operation. They were released on September 28, 2026, and will take effect on April 1, 2027.
Intel has filed a conditional waiver request with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to continue maintaining and upgrading foreign-made advanced robotic equipment in its chip factories. The company is concerned that a ban on the import and sale of new foreign-made advanced robots could affect the maintenance and upgrading of the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) used to transport materials in its fabs, and says there are currently no U.S.-made alternatives that meet its requirements; replacing existing equipment could take years.
Song Zhiyong, Administrator and Party Secretary of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, published a signed article titled "Promoting the Healthy and Orderly Development of the Low-Altitude Economy" in Study Times, noting that the 2026 Government Work Report has designated the low-altitude economy as a national emerging pillar industry. The article uses data to respond to doubts: as of the end of March this year, 3.8 million drones were registered under real-name registration nationwide, with 430,000 drone operators; flight hours in 2025 reached 45.3 million, up nearly 70% year on year; on the industry side, a scale of 1,200 large and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and 40,000 operating enterprises has taken shape, and 47 flight service stations have been built.
ASTM International's robotics committee F45 is developing proposed standard WK100792 to measure the impact of optical information degradation on the task performance of robotic arms and mobile manipulators.
On October 19, Unitree Technology rose sharply during intraday trading and closed at 495.92 yuan per share, up 16.15%, with total market cap recovering to 200.582 billion yuan. This was its largest single-day gain since listing on the STAR Market on August 19, excluding its first trading day (a gain of 460.34%).
The article analyzes the gap between the payment side and the product side of China's exoskeleton robot industry: after a hospital in Zhejiang was included in medical insurance, the utilization rate of rehabilitation exoskeletons rose from 15% to 66%, but most places reimburse training service fees rather than the equipment itself. IDC data shows that in 2025 China's overall exoskeleton market will exceed 1.6 billion yuan, with about 26,000 units shipped, of which medical rehabilitation sales are about 1.42 billion yuan, accounting for 88.3%, while shipments are only about 3,200 units, accounting for 12.5%; consumer assistance shipments are about 19,000 units but sales are only about 110 million yuan.
The article examines how local governments have become the largest buyers of robots: by the end of June 2026, more than 70 embodied intelligence training grounds had been built nationwide, with 46 under construction or planned, covering 18 provincial-level administrative regions; from 2024 to June 2026, localities issued more than 40 related policies in total.
An article in the US bimonthly Foreign Affairs notes that China is listing embodied intelligence as a "future industry" and incorporating it into the 15th Five-Year Plan, promoting the integration of AI with robotics software and hardware. China already controls about 80% of global lidar production capacity; Unitree Robotics listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in August this year, raising nearly $1 billion in its IPO, and more than two-thirds of its quadruped robot sales go to consumer and industrial scenarios. The article argues that if embodied intelligence becomes a general-purpose technology, China's robotics supply chain will gain influence similar to that of critical minerals.
The State Administration for Market Regulation approved and released China's first six national standards in the humanoid robotics field. They were issued on September 28, 2026, and publicly announced on October 15, and take effect on April 1, 2027. They comprise five standards in the Humanoid Robot Technical Requirements series and one Technical Specification for Humanoid Robot Simulation Testing Platforms.
The FCC's new component restriction rules took effect on October 13, 2026, and the author has compiled a usage guide for robotics teams based on them. The article distinguishes three types of checks: restricted suppliers, restricted components, and restricted complete devices. It notes that the component rules are based on whether the actual producer is a Covered List entity, that already-authorized equipment is not affected by the new ban, but that redesigns or component replacements require separate review. It also recommends collecting component model numbers, producers, FCC records, and intended use for evaluation by testing labs or lawyers.
The Mobile Robot Industry Alliance roundup of recent industry news: Hai Robotics deployed 291 FlashPick robots, 78 charging stations, and 5 inbound and 32 outbound workstations at Anta's Langfang regional warehouse; after going live, storage height rose to 8.7 meters, storage density increased 3x, and 120,000 storage locations were provided, with inbound efficiency of 1,063 cases/hour, outbound efficiency of 4,417 cases/hour, and daily capacity exceeding 210,000 items; Geek+ plans to subscribe RMB 50 million for a 20% post-capital-increase equity stake in Beijing Shenyi, a company focused on physical AI and general embodied brains, at a post-investment valuation of possibly RMB 250 million.
China Tower Corporation Limited Weihai Branch won the bid for the Weihai Public Security Bureau's low-altitude police drone airport service project (second tender) at 599,000 yuan, with a total evaluation score of 91.90 points. The project is intended to enhance public security organs' patrol and prevention, emergency response, and investigative evidence-gathering capabilities. The agency service fee of 9,000 yuan is to be paid by the winning bidder. Shandong Nanxin Lihe Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Zixi Technology Co., Ltd. participated in the bidding but did not win.
The People's Government of Qingquan Township, Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, has issued a public tender for the "Pomelo Base Drone Application Green Pest Control Project" (project number: YOY26A00116), with a budget of 3.45 million yuan and a maximum price of 3.3 million yuan. The procurement covers one batch of drone-based green pest control services for the pomelo base. Tender documents can be obtained online via the Chongqing Municipal Government Procurement Network from October 15 to October 22. The deadline for submitting bids is November 6 at 9:30. Joint bids are not accepted.
According to people familiar with the matter, the German federal government plans large-scale cooperation with Nvidia to advance the deployment of AI in industry. The goals include laying the foundation for physical AI (which can be used to train robots and autonomous vehicles) and training high-performance industrial large models with international competitiveness; about 12 German companies plan to participate, including Siemens, Audi, and Black Forest Labs.
From January to September 2026, China led the development of 220 international standards at the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, including a top-level framework for smart city data utilization and smart manufacturing guidelines for the steel industry, and newly proposed 318 international standards proposals, including for solid-state batteries and humanoid robot datasets. To date, China has led and published a total of 2,368 international standards and submitted a total of 4,079 international proposals.
On October 12, the 2026 Shanghai Next-Generation Intelligent Manufacturing Development Forum was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), with about 500 delegates attending. The forum released the Baoshan District Action Plan for Building Shanghai's Intelligent Manufacturing Leading Zone (2026–2028), announced the start of construction of the Baoshan Intelligent Manufacturing Laboratory, and saw Shanghai Electric Group and China Mobile Shanghai sign a strategic cooperation memorandum. Shanghai has cultivated 2 national pilot-level and 28 national excellence-level smart factories.
The project "R&D of Satellite Communication and UAV Collaborative Inspection System for Blind-Spot-Free Intelligent Transportation," led by Hainan Yunyi Low-Altitude Economy Development Co., Ltd., was selected for Hainan Province's 2026 industrial science and technology innovation project approval list and granted 2.99 million yuan in provincial financial support. The project was jointly submitted by Hainan University, the Hainan Aerospace Information Research Institute, and Shenzhen Mengxiang Xingtong Network Co., Ltd., and aims to build a "satellite + UAV" collaborative operation model, focusing on breakthroughs in satellite communication link optimization, UAV swarm scheduling, and multi-source data fusion technologies.
The "Qiusuo" 4.0 evaluation benchmark was officially released on October 13. It is China's first evaluation benchmark covering the entire AI industry chain, spanning computing power, model algorithms, intelligent systems and products, industry applications, and security governance. The system is divided into four major sections: basic software and hardware, models and intelligent systems, security governance, and industry implementation. It includes 16 evaluation tools and covers areas such as intelligent computing clouds, large models, agents, and embodied intelligence. Product validation has already been completed in scenarios including finance, electric power, and petroleum and petrochemicals, and multiple rounds of pilot evaluations have been carried out.
Recently, the draft for public comment of the national standard "Specification for the Construction of Humanoid Robot Data Training Grounds" (plan number: 20261784-T-604), which Zhujing participated in drafting, was released. The standard is administered by TC591 and executed by TC591SC5, with the China Machinery Industry Federation as the competent authority.
Recently, the draft for public comment of the national standard "Specification for Construction of Humanoid Robot Data Training Grounds" (plan number: 20261784-T-604), in whose drafting Zhujing participated, was released. The national standard is administered by TC591 and executed by TC591SC5, with the China Machinery Industry Federation as the competent authority.
The International Embodied Intelligence Skills Competition review event will be held in Shanghai from October 23 to 25, with 9 tracks and 23 events including manufacturing, inspection and analysis, and warehousing and logistics, and plans to bring together more than a thousand competing teams. The competition uses a four-module, 100-point assessment framework of "task execution, embodied data collection and feedback, autonomous intelligence, and innovation capability," with differentiated conversion coefficients set by body form such as humanoid, quadruped, and wheeled, and by the two operating modes of autonomous and teleoperation.
The UK is investing £40 million to establish eight regional hubs that help businesses and public services bring robots into existing operations, offering demonstrations, technical advice, training, and connections with suppliers and system integrators. The hubs cover agricultural automation in Lincoln, robot-assisted surgery in Newcastle, manufacturing in Yorkshire and Wales, waste sorting, and delivery robots and autonomous vehicles in Milton Keynes.
A3 (Association for Advancing Automation) will hold the 2026 International Robot Safety Conference (IRSC) on November 3-5 at Huntington Place in Detroit.
The UK's Greater South West Robotics Adoption Hub has launched with total funding of £9.8 million. The National Composites Centre (NCC) leads a one-to-one robotics adoption advisory service for small businesses. The Bristol Robotics Laboratory leads the project through the University of Bristol, partnering with UWE Bristol and 23 other partners, with £7.2 million from Innovate UK and £2.6 million in partner co-funding. The hub is one of eight UK robotics adoption hubs and is planned to be fully operational in January 2027, covering sectors including maritime, energy, food and beverage, aerospace manufacturing, and healthcare.
Three mobile robot platforms from India's ANSCER Robotics have received conditional FCC approval, exempting them from trade restrictions related to the FCC Covered List and supporting their entry into the US market. The approval carries ongoing obligations including a validity period, quarterly reporting, and agreed progress on a US manufacturing plan. Founded in 2020, the company produces AMRs, AGVs, PSR pallet trucks, and the PSR Trail depalletizing system, and completed a $5.4 million Series A funding round in May this year.
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to robot-fighting startup Rek, requiring it not to hold any boxing or mixed martial arts matches involving humans in California without approval. In a match on September 18, human fighter Frankie LaPenna faced a Rek humanoid robot that was controlled remotely by a human through a virtual reality system. Rek's next planned match will pit two weapon-equipped robots against each other.
A3 announced that ANSI/A3 R15.08-3-2026 Part 3 has been published and is available for purchase, completing the three-part series. Part 3 focuses on users' responsibility to maintain acceptable risk in daily work operations and throughout the machine lifecycle, including risk assessment, change management, employee training, and periodic review and inspection, and is offered alongside ANSI/A3 R15.06 Part 3 to provide consistent guidance.
On September 22, Shandong Yobotics Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai Robotics Technology Research Institute held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony and the launch of full-series CR certification in Jinan. The two parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in areas such as robotics technology research, inspection and testing, CR certification, and industrialization of results. The Shanghai institute will provide CR certification services for Yobotics' full line of robot products, and through a "one test, multiple certificates" model obtain China CR certification as well as international certifications such as EU CE and North American NRTL.
From September 10 to 11, the Conference on Technical Discussion and Implementation of National Standards for Robotics and Biomimetics was held in Shenyang, jointly organized by the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machinery Industry, the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and SIASUN Robot. At the conference, the drafting of two national standards was launched: "Industrial Collaborative Robots - Safety Test Methods for Human-Robot Interaction" and "Exoskeleton Robots - Risk Assessment Methods for Human-Robot Interaction Safety." Representatives from more than 50 enterprises, universities, and research institutes across the country conducted a first round of discussions on scope of application, framework, key indicators, and test methods.
On September 9, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other departments released the eighth batch of 11 new professions, and "Embodied Intelligent Robot Application Technician" (occupation code 4-04-05-16) was officially added to the national occupational list. The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center led the technical support work, including job research, argumentation on occupational boundaries, and drafting of application materials, with the Chinese Institute of Electronics as the proposing organization.
Why it matters: The original article outlines the definition of the new profession, its boundaries with similar occupations, and its main tasks, so practitioners can use it to understand the job profile and the direction of future occupational standards.
Seer Robotics has released its Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) Policy v1.0, opening vulnerability reporting channels to security researchers, customers, and the public, covering products such as the SRC series robot controllers, in-house AMRs and mobile robots, charging stations, and scheduling systems.
PaXini has cumulatively led or participated in 51 international, national, and industry standards projects, including 1 international standards project, 32 national standards projects, and 18 industry standards projects, covering areas such as perception, data, and complete robots. Recently, two national tactile sensor standards projects, with PaXini as the first lead drafter, were approved for development, launching the first national standards series in China's tactile sensor field.
Through procedures including application, recommendation, review, and expert evaluation, Boshi Co., Ltd. was selected for the preliminary list (demonstration enterprises) of the first batch of national emerging industry development demonstration base creation objects announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and is the only enterprise in Heilongjiang Province to be selected.
In its monthly spotlight column, IEEE RAS published an interpretation of China's robotics roadmap, outlining the policy trajectory from the 13th Five-Year Plan to the 15th Five-Year Plan, along with industrial achievements and remaining shortcomings.
MassRobotics surveyed members and ecosystem partners from August 17 to 23, 2026 (n=14) and added one-on-one interviews to assess the practical impact after the FCC defined "advanced robotics device" in July and added it to the Covered List. Results show sentiment splits by manufacturing footprint: companies manufacturing entirely or mostly in the United States all reported favorable effects, while companies manufacturing mostly or entirely overseas reported unfavorable effects or no impact.
A project led by Nanjing Tianchuang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., titled "Key Technology R&D for Complete Explosion-Proof Embodied Intelligent Robots for Special Operations," has been selected for the 2026 Jiangsu Provincial Frontier Technology R&D Program. It was jointly applied for with China General Nuclear Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Southeast University, and Nanjing Environment Group Co., Ltd.
Sanhua Automotive Components was selected for the 2026 Zhejiang Province "Future Factory" pilot list through its "Future Factory for Intelligent Thermal Management Components for New Energy Vehicles" project, joining the province's cultivation system of 40 pilot enterprises. The project is located in the Comprehensive Bonded Zone of Qiantang District, Hangzhou, with a total investment of approximately 100 million yuan and a planned completion date of October 2027. The factory will build a five-level integrated architecture spanning from the equipment layer to the decision-making layer, integrating ERP U9, MES, APS, and the self-developed PES 2.0, along with an intelligent automated warehouse and a "5G+AGV" logistics system.
Boshi Co., Ltd. was selected for the Heilongjiang Provincial Manufacturing Innovation Center (enterprise-level) list published by the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology. The center is an innovation platform that promotes industrial technological innovation and accelerates the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. The selection reflects the competent authorities' recognition of Boshi Co., Ltd.'s technological R&D, innovation platform development, and industrial driving capacity. Boshi Co., Ltd. will use the platform to deepen industry-academia-research collaborative innovation and strengthen core technology breakthroughs.
The full series of Maixing Intelligent Robots products under Elite Robots, including composite robots, AMR chassis, and autonomous forklifts, has passed CE certification, covering core standards for machinery safety, autonomous mobile safety, electrical and electronic safety, functional safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and wireless communication. The certification spans the entire process of risk analysis, safety design, software and hardware development, and technical documentation, and also completes verification of the new cybersecurity requirements added after the EU Machinery Directive upgrade. Maixing composite robots have achieved hundred-unit-scale deployment at leading manufacturers in industries such as 3C electronics, optical modules, and semiconductors.