apollo

In a new behind-the-scenes look at the DeepMind robotics lab, leadership showcases "thinking" robots and long-horizon planning, but admits that data efficiency remains a critical hurdle before the technology is ready for the real world.

The Austin-based robotics firm is in advanced talks for a new funding round led by B Capital, just months after its $350M Series A, as it races to scale Apollo against heavily-funded rivals.

Google DeepMind has launched Gemini Robotics On-Device, an efficient vision-language-action model designed to run locally on robotic hardware. This development aims to reduce latency, improve robustness in varied environments, and enable advanced dexterous manipulation for a new generation of autonomous robots capable of fast task adaptation.

Apptronik has been named to CNBC's 2025 Disruptor 50 list at #33, becoming the first humanoid robotics company to achieve this recognition. The selection highlights Apptronik's scalability, AI integration through its Apollo robot, a recent $350M Series A funding, and key partnerships, signaling the growing prominence of humanoid robots.

Soft Robotics Podcast host Marwa ElDiwiny and engineer Scott Walter dissect the rotary-vs-linear actuator debate shaping today’s humanoid robots—explaining why most builders favor compact rotary joints while others bet on planetary-roller-screw cylinders.