Robotics news

Runway opens its Praxis-1 robot model to everyone

The video AI company released the weights and code of its robot model under the Apache 2.0 licence. Runway says it beats FLUX 3 Action on NVIDIA’s RoboLab-120 test. Runway ran the tests itself, and the model ranks fifth on the test’s overall list.

Runway released Praxis-1 with open weights on November 11. The 27-billion-parameter model learns from video how objects move, then turns camera images and text instructions into robot movements. Runway first showed it in September, but only to selected partners.

Germany and Nvidia sign a pledge on industrial AI

Two ministries signed a declaration of intent with Nvidia to build AI models for robots and factories. It names no money; Nvidia announced plans to invest in four German startups.

Germany’s economy and research ministries signed a declaration of intent with Nvidia on October 19, at the first “Invest in Germany” summit in Berlin. They plan to develop advanced AI models for robots and machines, built on Nvidia’s open models. The government gave no figures for the money involved.

US Army sets up a command to field autonomous systems

A memo from the acting Army secretary creates the Futures and Autonomous Systems Command and an acquisition office for autonomy. Priority systems are due by fiscal 2028.

The US Army announced on October 2 that it is forming the US Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, known as FASCOM. A memo signed by Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle also creates a new acquisition executive for autonomy. It follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s September 30 speech announcing a Pentagon-wide autonomous warfare command.

Image AI maker Black Forest Labs released a robot model

It tops NVIDIA’s RoboLab-120 simulation leaderboard.

Black Forest Labs released FLUX 3 Action, a 7-billion-parameter model that turns camera images and text instructions into robot movements. It leads NVIDIA’s RoboLab-120 leaderboard with 42.9%. The weights are free for non-commercial use, and most speed and real-robot figures come from the company.

Google’s Intrinsic made its core robot software open source

The AI models and cloud tools stay paid.

Intrinsic published Intrinsic Core on GitHub on September 22, at the ROSCon conference in Toronto. The free toolkit covers real-time control, finding parts with cameras, motion and grasp planning, and simulation for robot arms. Its Flowstate tool, advanced AI models, and cloud services remain paid.

Toyota’s “400,000 robots” are mostly a renewal plan

They are not a humanoid army.

Toyota estimates that modernising factories could cost about ¥1 trillion, or $6.4 billion, a year from 2028 across its group and suppliers. The 400,000 robots in the reports include many existing machines that will be replaced.

Europe has a new AI and robotics pipeline

The test is whether research reaches real factories.

The EIT programme plans to support founders, fund scale-ups, and connect robotics teams with industry through 2028. Its targets are useful, but they are goals rather than delivered products.

Arm wants one shared language for robot skills

A label must lead to a fair test.

Arm has proposed six levels for describing robot abilities and brought more than 80 companies into its physical AI programme. The framework is a starting point, not an independent safety standard.

Tesla’s Cybercab has no steering wheel

Now it must prove it is safe.

Tesla started a small Cybercab service in Austin. The cars have no pedals or steering wheel, so passengers cannot take control during a problem.

London has robotaxis, but a safety driver is still inside

Some Uber users in London can now get a Wayve self-driving car. A trained driver stays inside and can take control if needed.

Robots are learning how to handle mistakes in the real world

New robot models are moving from clean labs into busy places such as warehouses and kitchens. They are getting better at noticing problems and trying again.