Good morning, robotics enthusiasts. San Francisco-based Physical Intelligence just gave a glimpse of how its decentralized AI model can enable robots to clean homes they have never seen before.

Unlike most bots that rely on environments similar to their training data, Physical Intelligence is thinking outside the box—are we finally approaching adaptable robots that can handle real homes without rigid programming?

In today’s robotics rundown:

• Physical Intelligence’s novel robot brains

• U.S.-China trade war hits Tesla Optimus

• A rice-sized bot for precision brain surgery

• This worm-shaped bot jumps 10 feet high

• Quick hits on other robotics news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE

🧠 Physical Intelligence’s novel robot brains

Image source: Physical Intelligence/YouTube

The Rundown: San Francisco-based Physical Intelligence just introduced π-0.5, a robotic foundation model designed to perform household chores — like wiping up spills and making beds — in never-before-seen environments.

The details:

• Built on a VLA model, π-0.5 processes high-level instructions in natural language and translates them into precise low-level motor actions.

• The model can accept a range of commands, from general instructions like “clean the bedroom” to more specific ones like “put that dish in the sink.”

• It has been trained with a mix of data sources, which enables it to understand the physical execution of tasks as well as their semantic context.

• The task is executed with a network of 100 decentralized “π-nodes” distributed throughout the robots’ bodies, with each node functioning as a mini-brain.

Why it matters: Similar to Google DeepMind’s Gemini, π-0.5 uses embodied reasoning and generalization to enable robots to perform complex tasks in unknown, real-world environments. While the AI isn’t perfect, it is a big step toward robots performing useful work in real homes with minimal manual programming.

TESLA

🤖 U.S.-China trade war hits Tesla Optimus

Image source: Tesla

The Rundown: Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that Tesla’s production of Optimus humanoids has been disrupted by China’s recent export restrictions on rare earth magnets, a key component in the robots’ electric motors.

The details:

• China, which produces nearly all of the world’s heavy rare earth metals and 90% of the magnets made from them, halted exports in response to U.S. tariffs.

• Exporters must now obtain licenses from China’s Ministry of Commerce to ship rare earth magnets, which reportedly can take weeks or even months.

• According to Musk, China is seeking assurances from Tesla that the magnets will not be used for military purposes and only for humanoid robots.

• Last month, Tesla completed a new pilot production line for Optimus at the Fremont Factory, with “legions” of robots expected soon.

Why it matters: The ongoing trade war is fueling concerns about global shortages of critical minerals from China — posing risks for Tesla and other tech companies building EVs, jets, and electronics. Still, Elon Musk says Tesla remains on track to produce thousands of Optimus robots this year.

ROBEAUTÉ

 🍚 A rice-sized bot for precision brain surgery

Image source: Robeauté

The Rundown: French startup Robeauté just secured €27M ($30M) to advance the development of its neurosurgical microbot—a device, no larger than a grain of rice, engineered to navigate the intricate pathways of the human brain.

The details:

• The microbot is injected through a 4-mm opening in the skull and can navigate neural pathways using its own engine, propulsion, and steering system.

• Once in, it can perform pre-programmed tasks such as biopsies, drug delivery, electrode implantation, and real-time data collection.

• Surgeons can monitor and control the robot’s movement in real time using an ultrasonic GPS placed on the patient's head.

• Once the job is done, they can trigger the bot to retrace its path and exit the brain safely, minimizing trauma to healthy tissue.

Why it matters: The microbot’s first human trials involving advanced biopsies of brain tumors are planned for 2026; future uses include targeted therapy delivery. Alongside U.S. rivals like Bionaut Labs, Robeauté’s microbot promises to be a transformative leap in minimally invasive brain surgery and personalized neurological care.

GEORGIA TECH

🪱 This worm-shaped robot jumps 10 feet high

Image source: Georgia Tech

The Rundown: Georgia Tech engineers just developed a 5-inch soft robot, inspired by parasitic worms, that can leap up to 10 feet — or roughly the height of a basketball hoop — despite having no legs.

The details:

• Inspired by the remarkable jumping mechanics of a nematode worm, the robot is made from a silicone rod reinforced with a carbon-fiber spine.

• Nematode worms bend and kink their bodies to store and rapidly release elastic energy, allowing them to leap up to 20 times their body length.

• The robot mimics these movements, using reversible kink instability to accumulate and unleash energy in just a tenth of a millisecond.

• Detailed in Science Robotics, the robot has potential applications in search and rescue or environments where wheeled or legged robots might struggle.

Why it matters: The soft robot leverages "mechanical intelligence" to solve complex movement challenges without relying on heavy computation or rigid components. While still in early phases, this innovation can pave the way for more robust and versatile soft robots targeting a wide range of inventive use cases.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in robotics today

Chinese robotics powerhouse Unitree opened a 107K-square-foot Hangzhou factory to build humanoids as part of its massive three to five-year expansion plan.

Chinese automaker XPeng unveiled its first AI humanoid, IRON, at the Shanghai Auto Show, where it walked fluidly and waved to the crowd.

U.S. engineers created a material that can morph into new shapes and follow electromagnetic commands like a remotely controlled robot, even without motors.

MIT developed a new stamping technique that enables engineered muscles to contract in multiple directions, like the iris of an eye, to power future biohybrid robots.

Ukraine is set to deploy 15,000 AI-powered drones and ground robots to the frontlines this year as the war with Russia intensifies.

San Francisco-based Reborn, which is focused on building an open ecosystem for AGI, announced a strategic partnership with China’s Booster Robotics.

Autonomous vehicle startup Scout AI emerged from stealth with $15M in funding and backing from the Pentagon to make “large robotic armies.”

MIT developed a new approach, dubbed “Relevance,” to enable robots to better understand the real world by tuning into the most relevant data for assisting humans.

Airbus UK won a $194M contract from the European Space Agency to build what will be the first European rover set to touch down on Mars in 2030.

Starship Technologies announced that its sidewalk delivery robots have completed more than 8M autonomous deliveries in some 150 global locations.

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team