Today's Highlights
· USC and collaborators open-source Ψ₀, a VLA foundation model for whole-body loco-manipulation — using roughly 1/10 the data, it outperforms second-place GR00T N1.6 by over 40% on multiple long-horizon dexterous manipulation tasks.
· Sharpa (Chinese tactile AI startup), together with Tsinghua, Berkeley, and others, releases FTP-1, claiming it as the first general-purpose tactile foundation model, with a single policy spanning 21 heterogeneous tactile sensors and multiple embodiment types.
· Tashi Zhihang (Chinese robotics startup) signs an agreement with Tianhai Electronics (Chinese automotive wire harness leader) to advance large-scale robotic assembly of flexible wire harnesses, billing it as the world's first embodied-intelligence deployment on a wire harness production line.
· Xinjian Transmission (Chinese precision drive components maker), a key supplier of planetary roller screws for Tesla Optimus, has had its ChiNext IPO application accepted — robotics component makers are racing to list on China's A-share market.
· China's embodied intelligence sector raised over ¥46 billion in the first half of the year; global robotics investment hit a record of approximately $16 billion — even as debate over a "bubble squeeze" intensifies in parallel.
I. Research & Papers
Ψ₀: Open-source VLA Foundation for Whole-Body Loco-Manipulation, Emphasizing Data Efficiency · vla
Adding to the open-source humanoid foundation model lineup alongside GR00T and π0, Ψ₀ is notable for its data efficiency. Trained on roughly 800 hours of human video + 30 hours of real-robot data, it surpasses baselines trained on ten times the data across multiple long-horizon dexterous manipulation benchmarks, and outperforms second-place GR00T N1.6 by over 40%. Architecturally, it uses Qwen3-VL as the visual-semantic backbone with an MM-DiT flow matching action expert, and applies real-time chunking during training to mitigate action jitter caused by VLA inference latency. Weights and code are open-sourced.
USC PSI Lab × NVIDIA × WorldEngine · Commentary: AI 共享前沿 source (WeChat, CN)
FTP-1: Claimed First General Tactile Foundation Model, One Policy Across 21 Sensors · perception
Tactile sensing has long been trapped in a fragmented landscape — one sensor type, one hand, one task set per model — with GelSight, force/torque, and other sensors being mutually incompatible in input format, resolution, and form factor, making experience non-transferable. FTP-1 unifies 21 heterogeneous sensor types and multiple embodiment forms under a single policy, arguing that touch should have an independent, high-frequency, transferable representation and control pathway rather than serving merely as auxiliary input to a vision-language model. The team claims it as the first general-purpose tactile foundation policy.
Sharpa × Tsinghua University × UC Berkeley × Shanghai Jiao Tong University × ETH Zürich · Commentary: 新浪财经 source
Fei-Fei Li: A Functional Taxonomy of World Models — Breaking "World Model" into Three Types · world-model
Responding to the overuse of "world model" as a label for nearly every video generation system, Fei-Fei Li proposes a functional taxonomy: she divides world models by role into renderers (outputting pixels for human viewing), simulators (propagating state transitions according to physics/dynamics), and planners (selecting actions over trajectories) — the three forming a closed loop underpinning "spatial intelligence." The goal is to provide clearer vocabulary for design, evaluation, and toolchains, and to distinguish genuine world models from pure visual generation.
Fei-Fei Li (World Labs / Stanford) · Commentary: 梧桐区评论 source (WeChat, CN)
LeCun's Camp Adds Formal Theory to the JEPA World Model · world-model
Complementing Fei-Fei Li's functional taxonomy, Yann LeCun's team provides a mathematical grounding for JEPA (Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture): it defines the conditions under which JEPA can learn a faithful world model, and benchmarks show that current implementations remain quite fragile and fall well short of that standard. This provides theoretical and empirical support for LeCun's long-standing argument that large language models cannot serve as world models, and that world learning must happen in representation space rather than in word-level statistics.
Yann LeCun's team · Commentary: 图灵人工智能 source (WeChat, CN)
Other papers today: World Pilot — guiding a VLA with "world-action" priors to address the gap left by static image-text pretraining in continuous contact interactions source (WeChat, CN); GeoAlign — reinforcing geometric alignment in VLAs to improve precision tasks such as gripper edge-contact and transparent object localization source (WeChat, CN); Looped World Models — a 1B-parameter recurrent world model claiming substantial parameter efficiency gains over baselines ten times its size source (WeChat, CN); World Action Models as zero-shot policies, jointly modeling perception, action, and future states with a shared Transformer source (WeChat, CN); Berkeley "Do as I Do" — teaching robots to self-learn multiple dexterous manipulation skills by watching YouTube videos source (WeChat, CN); a single-line optimizer change that mitigates degradation of language instruction following after VLA fine-tuning source (WeChat, CN).
Open Source · Tools · Benchmarks
· Qwen-AgentWorld / Qwen-RobotWorld: Alibaba is progressively open-sourcing three categories of "world model" frameworks targeting language, virtual, and physical worlds, using community engagement to build research influence source (WeChat, CN)source (WeChat, CN).
· LabVLA: Zhejiang University's zjunlp lab releases an embodied VLA model for scientific laboratory scenarios, with weights and code open-sourced on HuggingFace and GitHub — pushing AI for Science from "thinking" to "doing" source (WeChat, CN).
· Kaiwu World Model 3.0: Released by Daxiao Robotics (Chinese embodied AI startup), a subsidiary of SenseTime (Chinese AI company), which claims it as the first open-source world model in China to achieve commercial deployment source (WeChat, CN).
II. Funding & Deals
Simple AI (深朴智能) ｜ New Round ｜ Hundreds of millions of RMB · embodied
Linear Capital and Puhua Capital led the round, with Junshan and others following; this is the third round of hundreds-of-millions-of-RMB funding within six months for this general-purpose embodied intelligence robotics company, which focuses on training embodied foundation models via a "human learning" approach. Proceeds are earmarked for model R&D and multi-scenario validation. Source: 百数朝智网 source (WeChat, CN)
10Beauty ｜ New Round ｜ $23.5 million (~¥160 million) · adjacent
The Boston-based AI nail care robotics company will use the funds to deploy 850 fully automated nail service units and expand into retail and hotel channels. A former DJI executive has joined this niche service robotics segment, illustrating how embodied AI deployment is penetrating high-frequency, standardized vertical consumer scenarios. Source: 具身涌现 source (WeChat, CN)
FaceMind (脸谱心智) ｜ Pre-A ｜ Tens of millions of RMB · world-model
Xinglian Capital joined as a new investor while existing backer 360 (Chinese internet conglomerate) over-subscribed; FA firm Shendu Capital indicated a new round is already in progress. The company entered the world model space via anime/virtual content, making it one of the early-stage players to raise capital amid the current world model wave. Source: 融了么 source (WeChat, CN)
Innok Robotics (Germany) ｜ New Round ｜ Over €3.3 million · industrial
Headquartered near Regensburg, Innok specializes in mobile robots for outdoor and brownfield (legacy facility) environments; the funds will accelerate business expansion. This is a relatively rare early-stage European robotics fundraise in the current news cycle. Source: 阿西莫夫的机器人 source (WeChat, CN)
Lanjian Relu ｜ New Round ｜ Amount undisclosed · industrial
Founded less than two years ago, this Chinese robotics company targets construction sites and outdoor heavy-duty environments, positioning itself as "the next generation of labor." Beyond humanoids — which struggle with real-world deployment — construction and engineering operations represent one of the few sectors with demonstrably clear commercial demand. Source: 科创界 TechIn source (WeChat, CN)
Daxiao Robotics (SenseTime subsidiary) ｜ Angel+ Round ｜ Amount undisclosed · world-model
SenseTime's embodied intelligence spinout, which has released the Kaiwu World Model 3.0, has secured an Angel+ round following cumulative fundraising of several hundred million dollars in the first half of the year — continuing the trend of major tech-company embodied AI units spinning out and raising independent capital. Source: 企投通 source (WeChat, CN)
III. Commercial Deployment
Galaxy General (银河通用) Reports Order Surge for Galbot G1, Rushes to Expand Production · embodied ⚠️ Unverified — single-source claim
Following its Spring Festival Gala appearance, Galaxy General (Chinese humanoid robotics startup) says orders for its Galbot G1 have surged and the company is urgently ramping production to accelerate deliveries. Building on its earlier ¥236 million contract for 500 units from Yibin city and the Galbot S1's deployment in a CATL battery cell factory, the company's "showcase → order → delivery" cycle appears to be tightening. However, the reported order volume is from a single secondary source; specific unit counts and customer identities have not been independently verified. Source: MSN repost source
Tashi Zhihang Partners with Tianhai Electronics to Scale Robotic Assembly of Automotive Flexible Wire Harnesses · embodied ⚠️ Partnership announcement
The two companies have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance intelligent upgrading of automotive wire harness assembly, claiming this will be the world's first large-scale embodied intelligence deployment on a wire harness production line. Tashi Zhihang (Chinese dexterous manipulation startup) combines multimodal perception, force control, and its general-purpose embodied foundation model AWE3.0; its A1 robot previously set a Guinness World Record for completing over 100 sub-millimeter (0.5mm²) wire harness assembly insertions within one hour. At this stage, this is a cooperation agreement — "large-scale" remains a target rather than an existing production capability. Source: TOM 科技 source
ROBOTIS to Build Humanoid Robot Factory in Tashkent · humanoid
South Korean robotics company ROBOTIS plans to build a humanoid robot factory in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, extending its production capacity and supply chain into Central Asia. This is a capacity-building move; production timelines and scale have yet to be disclosed. Source: Zamin.uz source
Jiyi Intelligent Debuts New Products, Robots Head to the Factory Floor · industrial ⚠️ Launch event claims
Jiyi Intelligent (Chinese industrial robotics startup), founded about 8 months ago, held a launch event and unveiled two complete robot models focused on operating directly in factory environments. As a new company's debut, the factory demonstrations are more a capability showcase than evidence of scaled production-line deployment; real-world depth remains to be validated. Source: 新华网 source
Caocao Mobility Brings Robotaxi Service to Abu Dhabi · autonomy ⚠️ Expansion announcement
Caocao Mobility (Chinese ride-hailing platform, Geely affiliate) is launching its Robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, seen as an entry point for Geely's overseas plan involving 100,000 autonomous vehicles; Caocao contributes operations capability while Geely provides customized vehicles and supply chain support. This is currently a market entry and operations setup phase; scaled operational data have not yet been provided. Source: 看中东 DeepMENA source (WeChat, CN)
IV. Industry Developments
UBTECH Launches Wheeled Industrial Humanoid Robot Cruzr Y1 · industrial ⚠️ Launch event claims
The Cruzr Y1 made its global debut at an OPPO supply chain technology exhibition, targeting flexible operations including bin/carton destacking, palletizing, machine tending, and sorting — addressing the pain points of traditional automation such as halting on minor material misalignment and slow changeover. Hardware includes Chinese-made Horizon Robotics S100P/S600 (Chinese AI chip maker) chips, 360° omnidirectional wheels with a vertical lift module, and integrated harmonic joint modules; fully loaded runtime exceeds 4 hours with hot-swap battery support for 24-hour shift operation, and a full SDK is open for secondary development. This is a new product demonstration; mass production and deployment figures have not been released. Source: 名企参访直通车 source (WeChat, CN)
XPENG Robotics Sprints Toward Mass Production; He Xiaopeng Takes Personal Charge as Product Head · humanoid
XPENG has restructured its robotics business: nine new departments have been established, with chairman He Xiaopeng personally taking on the role of head of the product division — aligned with the target of mass-producing the IRON humanoid by year-end and the company's global expansion plans. The move is widely interpreted as He Xiaopeng treating robotics as a make-or-break bet, with the organizational overhaul designed to capture the mass-production window. Source: 界面新闻 source
Xinjian Transmission's ChiNext IPO Accepted; Key Tesla Optimus Screw Supplier Eyes A-Share Listing · hardware
The IPO application of Xinjian Transmission — active in dexterous hand components and screw assemblies — has been accepted, with proceeds targeting an "annual production of 1 million humanoid robot and automotive planetary roller screw" industrialization project. The company is identified as a core supplier of planetary roller screws for Tesla's Optimus. On the supply chain side, "picks-and-shovels" players such as Haiqing Zhiyuan and Xianggong Intelligence are also successively entering the capital markets, reflecting a flow of capital from complete robot systems upstream toward components with more predictable demand. Source: 猎场备忘录 source (WeChat, CN)
Zhiyuan Robotics Partners with Haojing Technology, Targeting Telecom Operator Market · embodied
Zhiyuan Robotics (Chinese humanoid startup) is partnering with Haojing Technology (Chinese telecom software provider) to bring its product portfolio — the Yuanzheng A2 (reception and guidance), Spirit G2 (continuous industrial operation), and Kutuo D1 (patrol and mobility) — into telecom operator channels, with operator retail outlets becoming a new distribution entry point for embodied AI deployment. Source: 名企参访直通车 source (WeChat, CN)
H1 2026: China's Embodied AI Funding Tops ¥46 Billion; Global Robotics Investment Hits Record; "Bubble" Debate Heats Up · adjacent
In the first half of 2026, disclosed funding for China's embodied intelligence and robotics sector exceeded ¥46 billion across 288 deals; global robotics investment also reached a record high of approximately $16 billion. At the same time, discussion of "the bubble is deflating — the squeeze has already begun" is growing louder within and outside the industry. Hot money flowing in and valuations needing to be absorbed are the defining feature of the sector right now. Source: 于仁颇黎 source (WeChat, CN)｜HOKANEWS source
China's SAMR: Accelerate Standards Development for AI Agents, Embodied Intelligence, and Other Frontier Fields · adjacent
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has stated it will accelerate the pace of standards development for frontier technology areas including AI agents and embodied intelligence. Layered alongside the recent submission of L3/L4 autonomous driving national standards for approval and the adoption of a UN global technical regulation on autonomous driving systems, the standards and regulatory "infrastructure" is being built out rapidly. Source: 新浪财经 source
Momenta's Hong Kong IPO Said to Have Secured Mercedes-Benz, GIC as Cornerstone Investors · autonomy ⚠️ Unverified — sources claim
After clearing the Hong Kong Stock Exchange hearing and racing to be the "first Physical AI public company," sources indicate that Mercedes-Benz and GIC (Singapore's sovereign wealth fund) will participate as cornerstone investors in Momenta's Hong Kong IPO. If confirmed, this would strengthen the capital backing for its autonomous driving mass-production-to-Robotaxi data flywheel; the information comes from unnamed sources and has not been officially confirmed by the company. Source: The Business Times source
Hardware · Supply Chain
· Core Components (Japanese Media Perspective): Japanese media report that Japan has fallen significantly behind China in humanoid robot complete systems, but may still have an opportunity to catch up in core "bones and muscles" components such as reducers, servo motors, and torque sensors source (WeChat, CN).
· Linkerbot (灵心巧手): Claims over 80% global market share in high-degree-of-freedom dexterous hands, with monthly production capacity of 4,000 units, cumulative deliveries exceeding 10,000 units, and a full-year 2026 delivery target of 50,000–100,000 units (vendor-stated figures; ⚠️ unverified) source (WeChat, CN).
· Screw Demand in Dexterous Hands: As active degrees of freedom migrate into the forearm, a single dexterous hand now requires close to 12 active DOF — meaning 12 or more screws per hand — a positive demand signal for upstream screw manufacturers source (WeChat, CN).
Top comments (0)