EP.63 ROBOT DOGS BECAME FIREFIGHTERS
New NVIDIA models for humanoid robotics, another company in the humanoid race & much more...
How a robot became a firefighter 🧯
Unitree has unveiled a fire rescue version of its B2 quadruped robot, designed to tackle dangerous environments and assist in firefighting operations.
The robot can be fitted with various mission-specific modules, including LiDAR for mapping, communications equipment, and a robotic arm. Its standout feature is a high-pressure water cannon capable of projecting water or foam up to 60 meters at a rate of 40 liters per second. The nozzle, mounted on the back, can tilt up to 85 degrees for directional targeting. Once the hose is no longer needed, the robot can automatically detach and shift to other roles.
A self-cooling sprinkler system integrated into the module helps the robot withstand high temperatures during operation. Built from durable composite metal materials and sealed to resist dust and water, the fire rescue version is engineered for extreme conditions.
Following successful drills and demonstrations, the fire rescue robots are now operational with the Qingdao Firefighting and Rescue Support Team. Commercial availability has begun, though pricing has not been disclosed.
Cobot colleague tirelessly lends a hand! 🤝🏼
To boost capacity and address a skilled labor shortage, German engineering firm METEC has deployed ABB’s GoFa™ collaborative robot to automate CNC machine tending. The cobot, fitted with dual three-point grippers and a blow-off nozzle, handles repetitive tasks like loading raw parts, removing finished components, and clearing metal chips—freeing up human workers for more complex duties.
Developed in partnership with automation specialist STiMA, the solution is designed for tight spaces and runs without safety cages, making it ideal for flexible manufacturing setups. It also includes a mobile parts buffer and an integrated chip management system, allowing for unattended operation even during night shifts. Programming was streamlined using ABB’s RobotStudio®, enabling fast adaptation to METEC’s diverse component range.
By integrating the GoFa cobot, METEC has significantly increased output, improved machine uptime, and reduced production costs—all while maintaining high-quality standards across its custom-machined parts.
🦾 Feature sponsorship with ABB Robotics
Dyna Robotics unveils robust AI brain for automation! 🧠
Startup Dyna Robotics has launched DYNA-1, a powerful foundation model built to drive robotic automation in commercial settings. Developed using reinforcement learning and a custom reward model, DYNA-1 enables robots to repeat complex tasks with minimal errors over long periods.
In internal tests, robotic arms powered by DYNA-1 folded over 700 napkins in 24 hours with 99.4% accuracy—without human intervention. The system is engineered to overcome challenges like extracting single napkins from stacks and adapting skills across tasks like cup-filling or laundry folding.
Designed for use in restaurants and retail, DYNA-1 enables low-cost deployment, with the hardware expected to be significantly cheaper than traditional robotic systems. Dyna says its model’s adaptability reduces setup time and maintenance while improving reliability—paving the way for practical, AI-powered workplace automation.
Meme of the week 🤖
Why did the robot blush?
Because it finally realized it wasn't just a 'hard drive' – it had feelings too! 🥁|
Persona AI raises $27M to develop humanoid robots 🤖
Persona AI has raised $27 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to develop humanoid robots for shipyards and manufacturing. The Houston-based startup, founded in 2024 by robotics veterans including ex-NASA and Nauticus Robotics leader Nic Radford, is focused on bringing embodied AI into physically demanding industrial environments.
The company’s humanoids are designed to perform tasks with industrial-grade precision and human-like dexterity, targeting labor-intensive sectors such as shipbuilding. The platform aims to address acute workforce shortages and enhance safety, while its robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model reduces upfront costs for clients.
Joining Radford are CTO Jerry Pratt, formerly of Figure AI, and COO Jide Akinyode, ex-Nauticus Robotics. Together, they bring deep experience in humanoid robotics, dexterous manipulation, and complex systems integration.
NVIDIA powers humanoid robot industry 👾
NVIDIA is powering the next phase of humanoid robotics with a robust cloud-to-robot platform built for physical AI, as announced at GTC 2025. At the core of the initiative is Isaac GR00T N1.5, an upgraded version of NVIDIA’s open-source foundation model for general-purpose humanoid robots. Designed to train and operate embodied AI agents, GR00T N1.5 features improved generalization across environments and tasks.
To accelerate model development, NVIDIA also introduced GR00T-Dreams—a synthetic data generation blueprint that produces vast amounts of training data from single images. By using Omniverse and the Cosmos simulation platform, developers can quickly create motion sequences and train robots to execute new behaviors in record time.
NVIDIA’s strategy is already being adopted by industry leaders including Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, NEURA Robotics, Foxconn, Lightwheel, and XPENG Robotics. These companies are incorporating Isaac technologies into their own development pipelines to build, test, and deploy humanoid robots for industrial and commercial applications.
