Robotics
Robots leaving the lab and arriving in factories, homes and the news: humanoids, the batteries that power them, the laws struggling to keep up, and the robot vacuums already cleaning our floors.
London start-up Machenta raises a record £30m seed to teach robots a task from one demonstration
Imperial College spin-out Machenta has raised a $40m seed round, the largest ever for a UK robotics start-up, for an AI model it says learns a task from one demonstration.
Unitree's H2-X 'guardian' robot lifts a car in a viral video. What do we actually know?
A dramatic promo shows Unitree's new humanoid disarming a knife attacker and lifting a car to free a trapped person. There is no price, no release date and no word on whether any of it was autonomous.
The history of robotics: an interactive timeline from ancient automata to humanoids
From a steam-driven pigeon to robotaxis in London, the machines and ideas that built modern robotics, with the British milestones along the way.
Humanoid robots in 2026: what they are, what they can do and what they still can't
The videos are real, but they rarely show an ordinary working day. We separate genuine capability from demo magic, from Digit's warehouse shifts to Optimus's learning problem.
Nvidia's robot ducks: Pollen's $399 Microduck, and how to buy one in the UK
Jensen Huang shared the GTC Berlin stage with Pollen Robotics' wobbly Microducks. Here's why the demo matters, and what Microduck, Reachy Mini and Reachy 2 cost in the UK.
Tesla starts building Optimus robots in Fremont, but Musk says the ramp will take a year
Tesla says the first production-quality Optimus humanoids are rolling off a Fremont line. Musk's own timetable, 20,000 a week and outside customers around the end of 2027, shows how far there is to go.
Sam Altman confirms OpenAI will build a humanoid robot
The brain matters more than the body, Altman says, but expect a demo in 2027 as OpenAI joins a crowded and fast-moving humanoid robotics race.
Britain bets £40m on eight robotics adoption hubs
From surgery to farming to waste sorting, the government wants British businesses actually using robots, not just building them in labs.
Intel asks the FCC for a lifeline for its factory robots
A US ban on foreign-made advanced robots has caught the automated vehicles that shuttle silicon wafers around chip plants, and Intel wants an exception.
1X's NEO home robot: what '10,000 orders' really means, and can you get one in the UK?
1X says it booked a full year of production, 10,000 robots, in five days. Those are refundable $200 pre-orders, deliveries haven't been confirmed yet, and UK buyers can't order at all.
How is Britain doing in the humanoid race? A spotlight on UK robotics
From Shadow Robot's hands to Humanoid's new unicorn, the UK is strong on robot dexterity and AI. Building robots in volume, and keeping its best companies British, is another matter.
Tesla and SpaceX set up merger committees: what it could mean for AI and robots
Elon Musk says both boards have formed independent committees to weigh a combination, reportedly worth around $3.5 trillion. No deal exists yet, but Optimus and AI sit at the heart of the pitch.
Humanoid robots in 2026: prices, availability and what they can really do
Tesla Optimus, Figure, Atlas, Unitree and the rest: what each humanoid costs, whether you can buy one in the UK, and how far the reality lags behind the videos.
A robot, a teenager and a legal grey area: what the Cologne case means for the rest of us
German police have seized a humanoid robot after an alleged assault on a 16-year-old girl. The harder question is who the law can actually hold responsible.
Nine minutes to charge, 20 hours a day: the British battery behind the next Digit humanoid
Agility Robotics has picked Cambridge-based Nyobolt to power Digit 5. Battery life is the unglamorous problem that decides whether humanoid robots ever pay their way.
From chatbots to robots: DeepSeek's move into physical AI
The Chinese AI lab is reported to be leading a funding round for Winverse AI, a robotics start-up valued at around $400m. It's part of a wider race to give robots a brain.
The best robot and AI gifts for Christmas 2026 (UK)
Twelve clever presents from £30 to £900, from a drone that takes off from your hand to AI smart glasses, a robot pet and a lawn mower that needs no wire.
The best coding robots for kids in the UK (2026)
Seven coding robots that make brilliant Christmas presents, from a screen-free robot for under-sixes to a Python-ready kit for teens and a robot dog that learns tricks, chosen from expert reviews.
The best robot vacuums in the UK (2026)
Six robot vacuums worth buying in 2026, from a self-emptying bargain under £200 to a flagship that climbs thresholds and slides under the sofa, chosen from expert UK reviews.