The algebra of robotics automation
3/4 scientists looking to leave the United States according to recent poll in Nature
The Future of AI and Robotics in Manufacturing in the USA
Very interesting discussions at the Friday night event on ‘The Future of AI and Robotics In Manufacturing in the USA’ hosted by Founder of Cognivix, Daniele Bernardini, Co-Founder of UC-Berkeley Deep Tech Innovation Lab, Matt Rappaport and Nixon Peabody LLP’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice.
The clearest signal from the event was the need to unpack the algebra of robotics and automation, whether the argument was about general purpose humanoids versus specially designed robots, or about adding robotics to manufacturing versus redesigning the entire automation process.
The variables range covering:
costs sunk in existing infrastructure
time required to re-automate
skills/labor available
range of tasks requiring robotics or automation
volume of low mix to high mix manufacturing
capital available for re-automation
New facilities, and large operations can afford to move up the robotics and automation ladder and it makes sense for that to be as comprehensive and as specialized as possible. However, the long tail of manufacturing in the U.S. is only going to survive the next 5 to 10 years with simple, affordable and adaptable solutions.
It’s not an ‘either/or’ situation but ‘and’, which is reflected in the range of robotics solutions being developed. The downside for the U.S. is the lack of local robot arm manufacturers, although we have been leading in the roll out of AMR companies. Hopefully also in local humanoid robot companies.
Rockwell’s $2 Billion Push to Modernize and Reshore U.S. Manufacturing
(via Robert Little, Chief of Robotics Strategy at Novanta)
Rockwell Automation is committing $2 billion over the next five years to revitalize U.S. manufacturing—with AI-first systems, modern robotics, infrastructure upgrades, and workforce development.
Key benefits:
✅ Already achieved $360 million in cost savings over five quarters and $250 million in annual productivity gains
✅ Systems that unify data, control, and intelligence across the factory floor to boost throughput and quality
Why it matters:
Rockwell Automation represents how we can rebuild manufacturing through robotics and automation. As CEO Blake Moret explains:
“The winning hand is technology thoughtfully applied by an engaged and inspired workforce.”
“We are bringing additional manufacturing back into the U.S.… making sure that we are de-risking sources of those components that are important inputs to manufacturing.”
American science in trouble
Three-fourths of American scientists who responded to a recent poll by the journal Nature said they are considering leaving the country. They don’t lack for suitors. China is aggressively recruiting them, and the European Union has set aside a €500 million slush fund to do the same. National governments in Norway, Denmark, and France—nice places to live, all—have green-lighted spending sprees on disillusioned American scientists. The Max Planck Society, Germany’s elite research organization, recently launched a poaching campaign in the U.S., and last month, France’s Aix-Marseille University held a press conference announcing the arrival of eight American “science refugees.” via The Atlantic
Robots, Bevs and Devs - rollup via Dhruv Diddi, SoloTech
(What amazes me is that we managed to fit 200+ people in at Circuit Launch!)
Overheard at the Robots, Bevs and Devs this week:
"How are Solo Tech interns so cracked?" 🤯
"Dude, there’s no parking left." 🚗💨
"I didn’t know high schoolers could be THAT good!" 🎯
All during our Solo Tech Summer Internship Showcase at Circuit Launch, and each one of them made me proud.
From day one, they were writing design docs, wrenching robots, and tearing through research papers, not just learning the ropes, but shaping Physical AI systems that blur the line between prototype and product.
I’m deeply grateful to our unstoppable intern team for their curiosity, grit, and problem-solving and to the Solo Tech team and partners who made this possible. 🙏
Join me in celebrating the following amazing projects showcased:
📂 Solo-Export — One model, many formats, device-specific exports by Samarth Shukla
📹 Synthetic Physical Video Generation — From seed video to synthetic trained robots by Pranav Saroha
🤖 GROOT Laundry Navigation — Multiple model ensemble for Laundry use case by Shaan Patel
👨💻 Voice Command Robot — Whisper to robots in ROS by Sam Mathew
🧭 3D Contextual Reconstruction — From videos to point cloud by Kushagr Khanna
🦾 Dynamic Grasping — Infer and grasp objects dynamically by Paarth Rajpal
🌽 Agricultural Rollout — What are rural agriculture AI needs by Mayela Sanchez
With the key guidance from:
Zeeshaan Mohammed — Founding ML Engineer & Robot Tuning Maestro
Devinder Sodhi — Multitasking Contributor behind the code and partnerships
Andra Keay — SVRobo Leader and Robotics Legend
Beyond an internship, this is proof of what the next generation of AI + robotics talent can achieve when given the tools, trust, and freedom to create! 🦾 We are just getting started with community access to Physical Intelligence!
Want to learn more? Sign up for AI & Robot Gym Access now 🌟
COMMUNITY NEWS
Coolest Thing Made in California - Apply by Aug 29, 2025
The 2025 search is on! Nominations are now open in the search to find the Coolest Thing Made in California. With past finalists including everything from edible cups to personal air taxis, each product represents the innovation and creativity coming from California’s manufacturing industry. Submit your favorite California-made products and see what takes home the title!
Nominate a Product!
Berkeley SkyDeck Applications Close Aug 22, 2025
Roughly 20 startups are selected every 6 months to receive a $200,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. Learn more here.
Startups from all over the world are eligible and encouraged to apply. Historically, about 2/3 of the startups were founded outside the US. UC-affiliated companies and international startups continue to be a priority for SkyDeck. Learn more about the Global Founders Program.
California Competes Tax Credits Close Aug 11, 2025
The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is an income tax credit available to businesses that want to locate in California or stay and grow in California. Businesses of any industry, size, or location compete for over $180 million available in tax credits by applying in one of the three application periods each year. Applicants will be analyzed based on fourteen different factors of evaluation, including number of full-time jobs being created, amount of investment, and strategic importance to the state or region. Learn more about your eligibility here.
1st International Humanoid Olympiad
🚀 We’re thrilled to announce the 1st International Humanoid Olympiad (www.humanoidolympiad.org) that will take birth at the grounds of the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, from August 29 to September 2, 2025.
🤖 Why in Olympia and why now?
🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece is the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the place where the human body and spirit were first pushed beyond limits. Humanoids will stand on the same ground taking a significant step in their quest to become our peers.
🦾 2025 marks a pivotal moment in humanoid development. Physical AI is empowering an increasingly maturing robot hardware to accomplish feats that were though to be impossible. Robotic dexterity and intelligence are here to build a shared future, a society of humans and robots. Organized by Acumino and Endeavor Greece, the Humanoid Olympiad will feature:
🏅 Live participation of humanoids in Olympic inspired games
🎓 Inspiring talks by world experts in Humanoid Robots and Physical AI
🌍 Cutting-edge humanoid exhibitions from around the world
👩🔬 A thriving community of researchers, builders, dreamers, and pioneers
Get ready for the ultimate showdown of humanoid robots. Join us in Olympia as we reimagine what is possible with humanoid robots!
Silicon Valley Robotics Investor/Startup Database
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Robotics News
What if building robots was just a prompt away? - TechInAsia
10th World Robot Conference kicks off in Beijing - Global Times
Fourier Intelligence unveils the “Care-bot” GR-3, its first full-sized companion humanoid robot - TechNode
China’s humanoid robot exhibitions stir investment frenzy - Nikkei Asia
Today’s humanoid robots look remarkable, but there’s a design flaw holding them back - The Conversation
Oregon factory builds the walking robots of tomorrow: ‘These are going to be a part of everyday life’ - Oregon Tech
Farmers want California to change its autonomous tractor ban - NBC News
FORT Robotics Secures Additional $18.9 Million in Series B, Bringing Total Funding to $60.5 Million - PR Newswire
Joby Collaborates with L3Harris to Pursue Defense Applications for Autonomous Aircraft - Design and Development Today
Serve Robotics CEO: Drones are ‘complementary,’ not competitive - Yahoo Finance
US Issues exemption for self-driving Zoox vehicles, closes probe - Reuters
Tiny California Startup Buys Up Assets of Failed European Battery Giant - The information
Tesla Disbands Dojo Team in Blow to AI Autonomous Effort - Transport Topics
Elon Musk Predicts Tesla Will ‘Have Autonomous Ride-Hailing in Probably Half the Population of the US by the End of the Year’ - Yahoo Finance
Chinese Robot Stocks Climb After Unitree Teases a Mechanical Dog - Bloomberg News
Robotics company swarms agriculture with mechanical weed control - Messenger
Meet Amazon’s robots: Free tours offered at San Diego fulfillment center - Times of San Diego
Fire-Damaged LA Community Homes Rebuilt by AI-Powered Robots - Design, Development Today
Liquid Robotics and Hydronet Advance Undersea Mesh Networking for Underwater Autonomous Vehicles - Inside Unmanned Systems
Open Robotics and AI Software Deliver Novel Apps Faster Than Ever - Electronic Design
Army negotiating contract for autonomy software for robotic initiative - Breaking Defense
Waabi introduces mixed reality testing system for autonomous truck safety - FreightWaves
Baltimore is latest airport to deploy autonomous wheelchairs - Government Technology
US Army tests innovative autonomous tactical vehicle prototype - U.S. Army
What is NVIDIA’s Three-Computer Solution for Robotics? - NVIDIA
What is NASA’s Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy? - NASA
Robotics Events
Bots & Beer at Circuit Launch Mountain View - Aug 6
Robot Board Game Night at Bear Robotics - Aug 22
Actuate - Sep 23-24 (use our code “RS-subscriber-10” for 10% discount)
SVR Robotics Investment Summit - Sep 25
ROSCON Singapore - Oct 27-30
SVR Robotics Leadership Summit - Dec 10
Humanoids Summit - Dec 11-12
Join the organizing team at Silicon Valley Robotics - bots&beer@svrobo.org
Not subscribed to Nature. So found this reference instead:
https://www.newsweek.com/scientists-leave-us-over-trump-nature-survey-2052067