Standards and Regulations
Teradyne’s IP Offensive and the Next Phase of Cobot Competition
Teradyne Robotics filed two European IP actions against Chinese cobot makers Elite Robots and JAKA within six months of 2026. This briefing maps the timeline, the differences between the cases, each side’s position, and what it signals about collaborative robot market competition.
FCC Robot Ban Takes Effect, Unitree Launches $620M IPO
The FCC's Covered List robot ban and a House-passed NDAA provision land within days of each other, while Unitree launches its $620M STAR Market IPO. A supply-chain and market-access update.
US Restrictions on Chinese Humanoid Robots: The Full Map
Every US restriction on Chinese humanoid robots — NDAA Sec. 163, GUARD Act, the 1260H list — plus the supply-chain math and a 4-tier map of decoupling.
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.
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.
