By Brianna Wessling | August 1, 2026

This month, large funding rounds, new approaches to robot training, and new robot models drew our readers’ attention. Not to mention, a large change in U.S. policy when it comes to importing robotics dominated headlines in the last week of July 2026.

Here are the 10 most popular articles on The Robot Report in the past month. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter and listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the latest robotics developments.

10. AI² Robotics raises $735M valuation for wheeled humanoid robots in July 2026

AI² Robotics has raised about $735 million in a fresh financing round that pushed its valuation past 50 billion RMB, or about $2.8 billion U.S. The funding positions the Shenzhen-based company among the leaders of China’s fast-moving physical AI sector. Read more.

9. Why robotics teams need virtual gyms before deployment

The challenge for today’s robots is no longer limited to automating a task. It is adapting to ever-changing environments — and that variability remains one of the hardest problems. This distinction matters more and more as the industry moves from programmed automation toward physical AI. Read more.

8. Humanoid says KinetIQ Ascend reinforcement learning approaches human-level dexterity

Robotic manipulation is making progress with artificial intelligence. London-based Humanoid, which also raised Series A funding in July 2026, introduced KinetIQ Ascend, its reinforcement learning approach designed to reach 99.9% manipulation reliability at human speed and beyond. Read more.

7. AMD unveils Kria module for real-time control, unified memory for robots in July 2026

Advanced Micro Devices is making a full-stack play for robotics with its new Ryzen AI Embedded X100 series and Kria AI Robotics platform. AMD promised deterministic real-time control, unified CPU–GPU–NPU memory, and an open, non–vendor-locked software stack that it claimed can outperform NVIDIA Orin and Thor on system-level robotics workloads. Read more.

6. Walden Robotics launches at $1.1B valuation

Physical AI and the promise of general-purpose robotics have drawn more investment from tech leaders. Walden Robotics emerged from stealth with $300 million in funding. The company said it is building and deploying robots that continuously learn and improve while performing real work. Read more.

5. Apptronik unveils Apollo 2 and a flagship data collection and training facility in July 2026

Apptronik made two major announcements in July 2026. First, the company launched Apollo 2, its updated humanoid robot. Second, it opened its newly expanded Robot Park, its flagship data collection and training facility for humanoid robots in Austin, Texas. Read more.

4. Report shares the state of physical AI and robotics

While robotics developers have used artificial intelligence for years, the past few years have seen a fundamental shift in how the technologies work together. Rather than rely solely on deterministic programming for things like navigation and object recognition, robots are increasingly able to perceive, comprehend, decide, and act with AI. Read more.

3. Weave Robotics launches Isaac, its first mobile humanoid robot

Weave Robotics has introduced Isaac 1, a wheeled home humanoid designed to take on everyday chores such as folding laundry, tidying rooms, making beds, and putting away toys. The San Francisco-based startup is launching Isaac 1 as a consumer robot priced at $7,999, or $449 per month. Read more.

2. BrainCo demonstrates brain-controlled robot AI platform

BrainCo has developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) platform that allows users to direct a robot through neural signals. At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, a person wearing a lightweight EEG headset and BrainCo’s BCI thought about grabbing a cap, and a robotic arm reached out and performed the action. Read more.

1. Experts react to FCC limits on U.S. imports of new humanoid and mobile robots

As competition in next-generation robotics and AI intensifies, the U.S. government is restricting imports of certain robots produced in foreign countries. The Federal Communications Commission said a White House-convened executive branch interagency body has determined that such products “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States.” Read more.

About The Author

Brianna Wessling

Brianna Wessling is an Associate Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media. She joined WTWH Media in November 2021, after graduating from the University of Kansas with degrees in Journalism and English. She covers a wide range of robotics topics, but specializes in women in robotics, robotics in healthcare, and space robotics.

She can be reached at bwessling@arrowfly.com