Daily AI & Robotics Wrap: Humanoid Competition Heats Up and Soft Robots Advance
October 16, 2025
Today’s news highlights the intensifying race in the humanoid robotics sector, with new, well-funded startups emerging from stealth, significant funding aimed at commercialization, and breakthroughs in soft robotics material science that could redefine robot agility. The focus remains on leveraging embodied AI to move robots from controlled industrial environments into complex human-centric spaces like homes and workplaces.
Stealth Humanoid Ventures Raise Nine-Figure Funding to Challenge Market Leaders
Two Silicon Valley ventures, Rhoda AI and Genesis AI, have emerged from stealth mode, collectively raising hundreds of millions of dollars to develop general-purpose humanoid robots capable of competing with established players like Figure AI and Tesla’s Optimus. The significant funding rounds underscore the rapidly growing investor confidence in the commercial viability of bipedal machines.
Palo Alto-based Rhoda AI secured a $162.6 million Series A round, bringing its total capital raised to $230 million and valuing the company at nearly $1 billion. Rhoda AI’s primary innovation focus is on a “general purpose bimanual manipulation platform” with a key capability being heavy lifting, a crucial function in industrial settings where many current humanoids struggle to maintain balance and stability while handling objects over 50 pounds. The founding team includes individuals with experience from successful ventures like Quantumscape and Softbank’s Pepper robot project.
Genesis AI, a “full-stack robotics” outfit, is taking a different approach by focusing on developing sophisticated software models to control its humanoids. The company is working with hardware vendors to build custom robots that feature wheels instead of legs, aiming to create cheaper, lighter, and potentially safer robots for industrial and domestic use cases. This software-first strategy suggests a belief that the intelligence layer, or the “robot brain,” is the most critical differentiator in the next generation of robotics.
- Rhoda AI has raised over $230 million and is focusing on humanoids capable of heavy lifting for industrial use.
- Genesis AI is prioritizing the development of training software models for cheaper, wheeled humanoid designs.
Cartwheel Robotics Unveils ‘Yogi’ Embodied AI Platform, Targets December Debut
Humanoid Global Holdings Corp. announced significant progress from its portfolio company, Cartwheel Robotics, on the development of its flagship humanoid, “Yogi.” The Yogi platform is an embodied AI system designed for natural movement and intuitive response, positioning the robot as a companion and assistant for light tasks in both homes and workplaces, with potential applications in the healthcare sector.
The company is developing a proprietary full-stack humanoid platform that integrates custom hardware, advanced AI models, motion systems, and software. Yogi is built with medical-grade silicone and protective soft materials to prioritize user comfort and safety, incorporating high-torque actuators and a modular, swappable battery system for extended daily operation.
To support its scaled development and testing, Cartwheel Robotics is expanding its operations into Reno, Nevada, with construction underway for a new facility expected to be completed by January 2026. The company is actively pursuing a Seed financing round and plans to debut a full-body walking prototype of Yogi at the Humanoid Summit in December 2025. This focus on a “genuine human connection” and “approachable presence” highlights a growing trend toward social and domestic humanoid applications, distinct from the industrial-first approach of many competitors.
Jelly-Like Humanoid Gymnast Achieves Shapeshifting Agility with New Soft Robotics Material
In a major materials science breakthrough for robotics, researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London have developed a pioneering, super-agile soft robot. The creation, which they liken to the Marvel anti-hero Venom due to its amorphous characteristics, is a “jelly-like humanoid gymnast” capable of cleverly changing shape and moving through its flexible body and limbs.
The innovation relies on a special material called electro-morphing gel (e-MG), which enables the robot to show shapeshifting functions by manipulating electric fields from ultralightweight electrodes. This allows the robot to bend, stretch, and traverse environments in ways that are difficult or impossible for current rigid or semi-rigid soft robots. Demonstrations show the e-MG robot swinging along a ceiling, mimicking the complex locomotion of a human gymnast.
The researchers suggest that this technology could be paired with traditional, rigid robotics to create hybrid constructions, significantly expanding the potential applications of soft robotics into areas like space exploration, advanced healthcare devices, and complex industrial environments where adaptability is key. This marks a critical step toward creating robots that can safely and effectively operate across a diverse range of unpredictable, real-world settings.
AheadForm Unveils Ultra-Lifelike Humanoids with Bionic Skin and Emotion Detection
The pursuit of human-like realism in robotics continues to advance, with Chinese firm AheadForm Technology showcasing its Elf and Lan series of humanoid robots. These droids are designed to serve as companions and guides, featuring ultra-lifelike aesthetics intended to avoid the “uncanny valley” effect often associated with realistic, yet slightly off-putting, humanoids.
The robots boast bionic skin textures, lifelike facial features, and advanced capabilities for emotional interaction. The Elf V1 series, for example, is equipped with 30 facial muscles powered by brushless micro-motors and managed by a high-precision control system. This hardware, combined with low-latency emotion detection technology, allows the humanoids to read users’ emotions and respond with nearly identical human facial expressions.
The Lan Series is slated for roles requiring more mobility and handling ability, such as product demonstration and guiding people. The robots are built using a combination of lightweight metal alloys, synthetic polymers, and silicone-based materials that support flexible movement and are attached over a mechanical skeleton.
FEV Expands Consulting Portfolio to Accelerate Humanoid Integration in Industry
FEV, a leading engineering service provider, announced the expansion of its portfolio to include ‘advanced robotics,’ specifically aimed at helping companies leverage the potential of AI and humanoid robotics for commercial applications. The move comes as requirements for efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness in automation are constantly increasing across various industries.
FEV’s new offering bundles its existing expertise in vehicle development, software, AI, and strategic consulting to provide comprehensive support for the entire humanoid robotics value chain. Services range from strategic market and technology consulting and business model development to hardware and software development and industrial integration.
The company also utilizes its own proprietary humanoid robot for testing applications in both simulation and real-world scenarios. This integrated approach is designed to help manufacturers develop new humanoid robots, assist users in their practical implementation, and support suppliers entering the rapidly growing industry, effectively acting as a bridge between cutting-edge technology and practical business solutions.
AI-Powered Robotic Platform Slashes Green Chemistry Development Time
In a non-humanoid but highly significant AI and robotics development, researchers at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Spain have unveiled “Reac-Discovery,” a groundbreaking robotic platform for green chemistry. The system, which integrates artificial intelligence, automation, and 3D printing, has demonstrated the ability to dramatically cut the chemical process design time for catalytic reactors from traditional months or even years down to mere days.
The platform is a semi-automated digital framework composed of three core modules: Reac-Gen (computational design), Reac-Fab (advanced 3D printing of reactor architectures), and Reac-Eval (autonomous performance testing). This unprecedented acceleration is critical for developing environmentally benign chemical processes, such as transforming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into valuable industrial feedstocks.
The breakthrough highlights the expanding role of AI-driven robotics in scientific discovery and sustainable industrial transition, enabling faster prototyping and evaluation of reactor designs to minimize resource consumption and optimize chemical reactions for economic and ecological viability.