Standards and Regulations
From ASE to RSF: What the Automotive Certification Model Teaches Robotics
ASE solved automotive service in 1972. Fifty years later, RSF does the same for robotics. Learn how the certification blueprint was adapted — and what had to be built from scratch.
Why RSF Exists: Five Gaps No ISO Standard Has Filled (Until Now)
ISO standards define what a safe robot looks like. RSF defines who should service it. Discover the 5 capability gaps no standard has addressed — until now.
Robotics Service Framework (RSF) Officially Launches
RobotToday.com launches RSF — the robotics industry's first capability certification framework. 6 domains, 4-tier certification.
U.S. Moves to Ban Chinese Robots: Supply Chain Shock or Strategic Decoupling?
A bipartisan U.S. bill targets Chinese humanoid and autonomous robots in federal procurement. We analyse the supply chain, investor, and geopolitical implications for both China and U.S. robotics markets.
EU Bets €1.5B on Drones and AI: Inside EDIP's 2026–2027 Defence Industry Programme
The EU's €1.47 billion European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) 2026–2027 targets drones, counter-UxS systems, AI-enabled autonomy, and loitering munitions across six major funding calls — allocating over €232 million directly to unmanned systems and related electronics supply chains.
Humanoid Robot E-Stop Risk Exposed by AgiBot Incident
A humanoid robot lost control at a Haidilao restaurant in California, exposing the unresolved E-Stop paradox: for bipedal robots, cutting power may be as dangerous as doing nothing. Standards must catch up before deployment scales further.
Humanoid Robotics Standards HEIS 2026 vs. the International Landscape
HEIS 2026 vs. global robot standards: how China's humanoid AI framework compares to ISO 10218, ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025, and the EU AI Act across safety, cybersecurity, and certification.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030): Embodied Intelligence as National Industrial Strategy
China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) elevates embodied intelligence to a national industrial priority for the first time. This RobotToday briefing analyses the plan's robotics directives, new standards framework, and competitive implications for European and North American industry.
China's Humanoid Robot & Embodied Intelligence Standard System (HEIS 2026)
China's HEIS 2026 framework — the world's first comprehensive national standard for humanoid robots and embodied AI — sets technical specs across six pillars covering AI models, components, safety, and ethics. Here's what every EU and North American robotics manufacturer, integrator, and policy maker needs to know, and why the international standards race is already underway.
EU Industrial Accelerator Act Signals Supply Chain Shift for Robotics Industry
The EU's Industrial Accelerator Act introduces "Made in EU" procurement rules and stricter foreign investment conditions, creating indirect pressure on robotics supply chains that rely heavily on Chinese components.
Construction Robots vs. Unions: A $500K Battle
Construction robots can lay 6× more bricks than humans—but unions, labor law, and political calculus are keeping them off U.S. sites. How Japan, Singapore, and Europe are winning the race instead.
When the Machine Knows Better: The Quiet Revolution Inside Manufacturing
The machine can already see what human inspectors miss. But inside manufacturing, the real fight isn't about technology — it's about who gets to decide. The union battle over Manufacturing Intelligence begins here.
Humanoid Robots Are Entering Warehouses — and Unions Are Pushing Back
Humanoid robots are entering warehouses now — and unions like the Teamsters and UAW are drawing battle lines. Inside the 2026 labor showdown that could reshape logistics forever.
UK CAA Publishes Framework for evtol Operations by 2028
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has published its electric vertical take-off and landing Delivery Model, establishing a regulatory framework that will enable commercial electric aircraft operations in UK airspace by 2028.
Korea Launches First Anti-Dumping Probe on Industrial Robots in 20 Years - A New regulatory Era for Robotics
South Korea launches its first anti-dumping investigation in 20 years as the U.S. Section 232 review puts robotics imports under national-security scrutiny.
U.S. Section 232 Investigation Puts Robotics and Industrial Machinery Imports Under Tariff Threat
The U.S. Commerce Department has launched a Section 232 national security investigation into robotics and industrial machinery imports, opening the door to potential tariffs that could reshape automation supply chains and manufacturing costs worldwide.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
