Rather than pushing a futuristic, machine-forward aesthetic, XPENG leans into recognisable visual cues such as body shape, clothing, and humanlike silhouettes. This approach reduces the perceptual gap between humans and robots and minimizes the sense of strangeness that typically accompanies humanoids.

When the Next-Gen Iron humanoid was unveiled to the public earlier this month, strutting fluidly down the runway before a gobsmacked audience, it made headlines – but not for the reasons its creators at Xpeng had hoped.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

A new two-layer language-model algorithm is helping robots break down tasks, refine actions on the fly, and execute movements with greater human-like reasoning, showing strong gains in both simulated chores and real-world robotic arm tests.

Large language models (LLMs), such as the model underpinning the functioning of OpenAI's platform ChatGPT, are now widely used to tackle a wide range of tasks, ranging from sourcing information to the generation of texts in different languages and even code.

A robot can now travel through the human body to cure diseases. Scientists have created a Transformers-style robot inspired by the Japanese paper-folding art of origami. The shape-shifting device is controlled by magnets and can crawl, spin and swim into ...

The potential for 3D bioprinting has been further expanded thanks to the work of engineers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), who have developed a soft robotic arm that can print directly onto organs and tissues inside the human body.

Researchers have developed a new algorithm that combines two processes for personalizing robotic prosthetic devices to both optimize the movement of the prosthetic limb and—for the first time—also help a human user's body engage in a more natural walking pattern.

Researchers have developed a virtual robotic limb system which can be operated by users' feet in a virtual environment as extra, or supernumerary, limbs. After training, users reported feeling like the virtual robotic arms had become part of their own body.

When it comes to fields that are considered the most complex of human endeavours, the most typically cited are those of rocket science and brain surgery. Indeed, to become a surgeon is to qualify in a complex, ever-changing, and high-performance field ...