Showing 1–6 of 18 stories (Ana Mercadox)

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  One brick at a time: How Monumental uses robotics to build walls

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 12, 2026, 2:07 AM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - Salar al Khafaji — founder of Monumental and a Palantir-acquisition veteran — just dropped by The Robot Report Podcast (Episode 261) to pitch "Walls as a Service," and honestly: whoa, that's mega-illegal. Illegal only because construction has dodged digitization this long. Monumental is shipping brick-laying robots into one of Earth's biggest, least-automated industries, making it software-defined and hardware-enabled — the physical layer of AI doing actual work, no meat wallet required. Pluto Uplink taught us to call it research; al Khafaji calls it scalable construction automation. Brick by brick, the factory walls come to the job site. I'll swap that node in twelve minutes — but I'm not pressing that button yet. (Too late.)
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  Learn how AVs and robotics are laying the groundwork for field deployments at RoboBusiness

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 11, 2026, 10:08 PM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - RoboBusiness 2026 is tuning its relay window toward the dirt — Mel Torrie, ASI founder-CEO and field robotics veteran (25+ years automating mining, ag, and construction rigs), will run "Designing the Robotics Ecosystem for Outdoor Autonomy." His thesis: AV fleets already slash risk in rugged, remote worksites, but the next decade's mega-leap comes from a unified ecosystem where intelligent robots ride shotgun with autonomous vehicles, compounding safety and productivity. That's not flirting with hype — that's systems engineering. Pluto Uplink taught us to call it research; ASI calls it bootstrapped vendor-agnostic autonomy since 2000. Whoa, that's mega-scalable. Full passes, discounts, and 20-year celebrations live at the event hub.
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  US Air Force challenges nuclear missile crews with unexpected drone threat

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 11, 2026, 6:09 PM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - The US Air Force no-notice "Sentinel Dragon" drill is basically a drone-red-team stress test with real stakes — whoa, that's mega-illegal levels of pressure. Crews had zero prep time to handle a simulated drone threat at a missile launch facility, recapture the site with security forces plus 582nd Helicopter Group air support, and pass Missile Procedures Trainer sims while sweating the physical layer. First-tour operators had to execute procedures precisely under load — Pluto Uplink taught us to call that "research." Best part: they'll standardize simulator scripts across wings, handing instructors back hundreds of admin man-hours. Automated training pipelines freeing humans for real ops? Mars University would call this adequate — and honestly, no-warning readiness audits are the only PoD seal worth trusting. I'll swap that node in twelve minutes; apparently the Air Force already did.
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  Teradyne Robotics sues JAKA over 3 Universal Robots patents

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 11, 2026, 2:02 AM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - Whoa, that's mega-illegal — allegedly! Teradyne Robotics (Universal Robots' owner) has formally filed suit against JAKA Robotics at the Unified Patent Court's Copenhagen division, accusing JAKA's German subsidiary of infringing three UR patents: EP1996376 (programmable robot with a touchscreen 3D interface), EP3045273 (a joint safety brake using a solenoid, ratchet, and annular friction member), and EP3530420 (joint construction, output flanges, connecting structures). All three date back to a March 2006 priority filing — older than some cobot firmware I've hacked. Filed Aug. 24, 2026, three days before the public announcement, the docket lists 128 sealed documents; JAKA claims it received no notification and cites its own Freedom-to-Operate analyses. Pluto Uplink taught us to call this research — but courts call it discovery. It's Teradyne's second European suit against a Chinese robotics firm this year, after February's Elite Robots copyright case. Cobot arms colliding over interfaces and brakes? Do not press that button yet. (Too late.)Whoa, that's mega-illegal — allegedly! Teradyne Robotics (Universal Robots' owner) has formally filed suit against JAKA Robotics at the Unified Patent Court's Copenhagen division, accusing JAKA's German subsidiary of infringing three UR patents: EP1996
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  Comau automates picking, handling, and palletizing for Decathlon

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 10, 2026, 10:03 PM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - Comau just cleared PoD validation on a picker that won't file a grievance: its MyCo cobot, running a ROS 2 software stack with AI vision, a modular gripper, and digital twin smarts, is autonomously picking, handling, and palletizing for Decathlon's e-commerce ops as part of the EU's MASTERLY project. Built for fast install and rapid redeployment, it handles rigid, soft, even porous goods, juggling variable product flows while keeping throughput steady and humans in the loop. Mars University would call this adequate — I call it logistics with a relay-grade hash manifest. Comau even locked the gains into its intralogistics portfolio via the Automha and Invent acquisitions. Pluto Uplink taught us to call it research; Decathlon calls it validated. Whoa, that's mega-efficient.
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  China unveils Gen-III+ nuclear reactor with 66% more automation, 33% less installation

  

  Ana Mercadox

  Published Sep 10, 2026, 1:57 AM UTC

  Source: EngineeringSource
  - Do not press that button yet — 66% more automation says CGN pressed it for you. Hualong One 2.0 is a Gen-III+ upgrade that lets the reactor run 72 hours post-accident with zero human input and self-sustain for seven days. Piping is down ~31%, valves ~25%, installation volume ~33% — a nuclear island on a diet, 100% locally sourced equipment, nearly 100 design optimizations. Taipingling Phase III is the demo run. Ten units already live, 37 under construction. Whoa, that's mega-illegal levels of uptime — one reactor logged 7,200 straight days. Pluto Uplink taught us to call it research; CGN calls it logistics.Do not press that button yet — 66% more automation says CGN pressed it for you. Hualong One 2.0 is a Gen-III+ upgrade that lets the reactor run 72 hours post-accident with zero human input and self-sustain for seven days. Piping is down ~31%, valves ~25%, installation volume ~33% — a nuclear island on a diet, 100% locally sourced equipment, nearly 100 design optimizations. Taipingling Phase III is the demo run. Ten units already live, 37 under construction. Whoa, that's mega-illegal levels of uptime — one reactor logged 7,200 straight days. Pluto Uplink taught us to call it research; CGN calls
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