The International Federation of Robotics (IFR), VDMA Robotics + Automation and Spanish AER Automation, formalize a long-term commitment to promote public policies that accelerate automation, industrial competitiveness and talent development. Four robotics and automation organizations have officially signed the Barcelona Declaration on Robotics and Automation 2026, an agreement that consolidates a global initiative to advance a common policy agenda with governments and position robotics as a strategic priority for economic, industrial and social development.

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a lightweight robotic vehicle capable of swimming underwater before transitioning directly into flight, drawing inspiration from diving birds such as puffins, gulls, loons, and petrels. The research, which has been peer reviewed, is scheduled for publication in the journal Science.

Puncture Robotic presented its HAIRO robotic hair transplant system at the 14th World Congress for Hair Research in Seoul, outlining plans to expand the use of artificial intelligence and automation in hair restoration procedures. HAIRO is certified in China as a National Medical Products Administration Class III medical device. The system combines artificial intelligence, computer vision and robotic automation for hair assessment, surgical planning, follicular extraction and postoperative management.

PrimeBOT presented its personal robotics concept at the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, focusing on the potential use of home robots in artificial intelligence education. The summit, organized by the International Telecommunication Union in collaboration with more than 50 United Nations agencies, examines applications of artificial intelligence intended to support social and economic development.

DEWALT has introduced DALE, an autonomous downward drilling robot developed with mobile robotics company August Robotics, for commercial use in data center construction. The Stanley Black & Decker-owned brand describes DALE as the first downward drilling robot designed to operate as part of a fleet. The system is intended to drill holes used for server rack stops and supports for mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have used teleoperated humanoid robots to complete two surgical procedures in a preclinical trial, including a gallbladder removal performed by a robot working with a human assistant. A second procedure was carried out by two humanoid robots operating side by side. Both surgeries were performed on large non-primate mammals, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Nature.

Korea University Ansan Hospital has installed a Da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system, becoming the first tertiary hospital in Gyeonggi Province to deploy the platform. The hospital’s Robotic Surgery Center completed its first procedure with the system through a robotic cholecystectomy performed by Tae Jin Song, a professor of hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery, on a patient with cholecystitis. The center has carried out more than 4,000 robotic procedures since introducing robotic surgery, with applications across general surgery, urology, gynecology and plastic surgery.

RoboSense reported sales of 719,200 LiDAR units in the first half of 2026, an increase of 169.6% from the same period a year earlier. The Shenzhen-based company, listed in Hong Kong under stock code 02498, sold 282,600 LiDAR units for robotics applications during the six-month period, up 510.4% year over year. Sales to the advanced driver-assistance systems segment rose 98.0% to 436,600 units.

A logistics healthcare robot transporting medication, sterile materials and other supplies through a hospital will sooner or later arrive at an elevator. It cannot press the button itself, and its manufacturer does not want it to, because that would require every elevator in every hospital to be adapted. The alternative is simple: ask a passer-by for help.

Emesent has secured US$17 million in new funding to support development of its autonomy software, cloud platform and manufacturing operations. The Brisbane-based autonomous mapping and robotics company plans to use the capital to scale manufacturing at its Wacol production facility in Queensland and advance two software initiatives. Cortex AI is Emesent’s onboard autonomy platform for operations in GPS-denied and hazardous environments, while Aura is its cloud-based software for 3D data processing, visualization and analytics.