Good morning, robotics enthusiasts. As U.S. police roll out a range of robots—from Boston Dynamics’ Spot to drones—Thailand is taking it further with its first humanoid police officer, a dystopian-looking machine clad in a full police uniform.

Robots are expected to play a key role in law enforcement as more police departments around the globe embrace physical AI surveillance and response—but can we keep the boundaries of privacy and control in check?

In today’s robotics rundown:

• Thailand deploys humanoid police

• Robots go the distance at Beijing marathon

• Ex-Figure CTO’s ‘Persona’ humanoid

• Robot fingers touch and feel more like humans

• Quick hits on other robotics news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

ROYAL THAI POLICE

👮🏼‍♂️ Thailand deploys humanoid police

Image source: Royal Thai Police/Facebook

The Rundown: Thailand just introduced its first AI-powered police robot, AI Police Cyborg 1.0, during the bustling Songkran festival in Nakhon Pathom province—marking a strategic leap in how humanoids are being used worldwide.

The details:

• The robot was deployed to manage the massive crowds that gather for the water festival, where traditional policing resources can be stretched thin.

• It is equipped with a 360-degree AI camera system that integrates live feed with CCTV and drone footage, feeding info to the province’s command center.

• The cameras enable facial recognition, behavioral analysis, and weapon detection, allowing the robot to identify potential threats.

• The system is also reportedly context-aware—with the ability to distinguish between harmless festival items like water guns and actual threats.

Why it matters: Humanoids are still learning to walk on their own, so deploying fully active robo-police feels more like a symbolic gesture than a strategic move. Still, with the global security robot market projected to hit $44 billion by 2030, concerns around privacy are only set to grow.

BEIJING ROBOT MARATHON

🏃🏻 Robots go the distance at Beijing marathon

Image source: CGTN/YouTube

The Rundown: The world’s first humanoid half-marathon took place in Beijing this weekend, where 21 bipedal robots joined 12,000 human runners on a 21 km course—though only four robots made it to the finish line.

The details:

• The winning robot, UBTech’s Tiangong Ultra, completed the race in 2 hours and 40 minutes, after three battery swaps and a fall during the race.

• Many robots struggled with the physical demands of the race: some fell at the starting line, others overheated, and one even lost its head.

• Bloomberg reports that it took more than three hours for the other three bots to finish the course, while the fastest human finished in 1 hour and 2 minutes.

• The robots received technical support throughout the race, including battery swaps, cooling sprays, and navigation assistance from their engineering teams.

Why it matters: Even though only a few robots made it to the finish line and Unitree, one of China’s most hyped robotics companies, addressed the viral clip of its G1 collapsing by clarifying that it wasn’t an official participant, the marathon was surely a success—at capturing public attention and showcasing China’s future in embodied AI.

PERSONA AI

🤖 Ex-Figure CTO’s ‘Persona’ humanoid

Image source: Persona AI/X

The Rundown: Robotics newcomer Persona—a Houston startup founded by three robotics veterans, including former Figure CTO Jerry Pratt—just teased an image of its upcoming humanoid on X.

The details:

• Persona, which launched mid-2024, is developing a rugged, five-foot-eight-inch humanoid designed for heavy-duty industrial environments. 

• The other co-founders include CEO Nic Radford, who co-founded Nauticus Robotics and led NASA’s Valkyrie team, and robotics expert Jide Akinyode.

• Persona has already attracted significant attention and raised over $10M in pre-seed funding from investors in the U.S., London, and Singapore.

• The company is operating in “anti-stealth mode,” openly sharing its progress and aiming to deliver its first units to customers within 18 to 24 months.

Why it matters: Persona’s founders see their robot as the “Ford F-150 pickup truck” of humanoids—prioritizing durability and real-world utility over the sleeker but less robust designs of many competitors. While the space is crowded, it does seem to be smartly positioned for a slice of a market projected to reach $7T by 2050.

CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

👌🏽 Robot fingers touch and feel more like humans

Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown

The Rundown: Chinese researchers are moving closer to human-like touch sensitivity with a new finger-shaped multimodal tactile sensor, detailed in Advanced Materials, that overcomes challenges of existing sensor tech.

The details:

• This sensor can detect not only the magnitude but also the direction of applied forces—a challenge that has limited previous sensor designs.

• Its structure consists of an internal force-sensing section featuring silicone microneedle arrays, a silicone bump, and five silver electrodes.

• The sensor uses the triboelectric effect for signal generation, enabling it to distinguish 12 common real-world materials with an accuracy of 98.33%.

• Interlocking microstructures within the sensor mimic the nuanced touch of human skin, allowing for more sensitive detection of subtle force directions.

Why it matters: Compared to rivals FingerVision and Ras Labs, researchers say their CAS sensor stands out for its ability to discern 12 materials in real time. The team envisions future enhancements, such as expanding the range of detectable materials and tactile cues, for use in smart prosthetics and intelligent manufacturing.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in robotics today

NYC researchers unveiled RUKA, an open-source, tendon-driven robotic hand (with 15 degrees of freedom) that can operate for 20 hours without performance loss.

Chinese automaker Chery Auto updated its first humanoid, Mornine, with autonomous navigation and walking (while sporting a long blond wig) capabilities.

AI security robot maker Knightscope said that it has secured a 33K-square-foot headquarters in Silicon Valley to “power” its next phase of growth.

Chinese researchers are crafting biodegradable robots and robot parts, made from pork gelatin and plant cellulose, that can decompose within weeks.

U.S. robotics startup Foundation Robotics released a clip on X showing the evolution of its first humanoid Phantom’s legs.

Strawberry-harvesting robots in Japan, which use lidar tech for 3D mapping, are transforming agriculture while eliminating the need for human labor.

EU-funded researchers developed autonomous robots that can sort and remove batteries from electronics in e-waste recycling centers.

Chinese researchers developed the “world’s smallest and lightest” untethered terrestrial-aerial microbot that is capable of transforming into different shapes.

UK-based Open Bionics unveiled a wireless bionic arm, Hero, that the company claims to be the lightest hand available and fully waterproof.

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