Unitree launches the world's first humanoid App Store
PLUS: Inside a giant mech cockpit, surgical fleet hits 10k, and 'blind' humanoids
Welcome back to your Robot Briefing
Unitree Robotics just launched what it's calling the world's first App Store for humanoid robots, where developers can upload, share, and download skills to teach robots everything from martial arts to ballet via smartphone control.
If robot capabilities become as downloadable as iPhone apps, will we see an explosion of innovation — or a flood of untested code running on walking machines in people's homes?
In today's Robot update:
Unitree launches world's first 'App Store' for humanoids
Snapshot: Unitree Robotics unveiled a developer platform that lets users control robots via smartphones and download new skills, effectively creating an 'App Store' for embodied intelligence.
Breakdown:
Takeaway: This platform transforms robot programming from a specialized skill into something accessible to everyday developers and enthusiasts. The move signals a shift toward consumer-facing robotics where communities can collectively build and share robot capabilities.
POV: Inside a giant mech cockpit
Snapshot: Tsubame Industries released a viral clip showing the pilot's immersive view inside the Archax robot as the heavy hatch seals the operator within the cockpit.
Breakdown:
Takeaway: This POV content strategy effectively humanizes large-scale robotics by letting audiences experience what it feels like to pilot a giant machine. The viral response shows that immersive, operator-perspective content resonates far beyond typical tech audiences.
Surgical robot procedures jump 20% as global fleet hits 10,000
Snapshot: Intuitive Surgical reported a massive surge in demand with its da Vinci robot fleet surpassing 10,700 units and procedure volume growing 20% year-over-year.
Breakdown:
Takeaway: The gap between system growth and procedure growth reveals that hospitals are performing more surgeries per robot, validating the technology's value proposition. This utilization trend suggests surgical robotics has crossed into widespread clinical adoption, setting the stage for sustained long-term growth as the global surgical market continues embracing automation.
Why today's humanoids are like 'blind gymnasts'
Snapshot: A new industry analysis compares current humanoids to 'blind gymnasts'—capable of rehearsed feats but lacking true adaptability—while exploring the 'jagged' nature of AI robotics progress.
Breakdown:
Takeaway: Understanding the gap between viral robot demos and actual capabilities helps separate genuine progress from hype in the humanoid space. The industry faces real technical hurdles in building robots that can generalize skills rather than simply memorizing specific routines.
Other Top Robot Stories
CMU Research Helps Robots 'Think on Their Feet' Read more - Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed BFMZero, a new approach to help robots better handle dynamic situations and adapt in real-time.
Figure's Explosive Growth Shows Industry Competition See announcement - Humanoid robotics company Figure revealed it received 176,000 job applications and successfully hired 425 people, demonstrating the intense interest and competitive hiring landscape in the robotics sector.
Inside the Opaque World of Humanoid Robotics Read the interview - Harper's Magazine publishes an in-depth interview exploring the challenges journalists face when covering the robotics industry, including limited access and marketing-driven narratives that obscure technical realities.
🤖 Your robotics thought for today:
Unitree just launched an app store where anyone can upload robot skills via smartphone—martial arts, ballet, dance routines, downloadable like iPhone apps.
So if robot capabilities become community-built and shareable, why are companies still hiring specialized engineers to program every task from scratch?
What am I missing?
Until tomorrow,
Uli
