Skild AI deploys generalist robot brain on Foxconn Blackwell lines. Skild AI’s omni-bodied foundation model now controls dual-arm Blackwell rack assembly at Foxconn’s Houston factory — picking busbars, drilling 16 screws in succession, adjusting on the fly. First commercial deployment of a generalized Physical AI brain. ABB and Universal Robots partnerships create the data flywheel: every deployed robot feeds training data back.

STMicroelectronics retrofits legacy chip fabs with 100+ humanoid robots. STMicro will deploy humanoid robots across its older European facilities for wafer handling and equipment interaction — tasks these decades-old fabs cannot automate with conventional systems.

FAA selects 8 eVTOL pilot projects spanning 26 states. Archer, Joby, BETA Technologies, Elroy Air, Reliable Robotics, and Wisk Aero secured spots in the new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program covering urban air taxis, cargo logistics, and emergency medical. Operations could begin summer 2026.

NHTSA signals FMVSS overhaul for autonomous vehicles. Transportation Secretary Duffy hosted the first National AV Safety Forum, directly addressing removal of steering wheel and pedal mandates for purpose-built robotaxis. Zoox filed the nation’s first deployment exemption for a novel AV design.

Policy & Regulatory Radar: The EU faces “double regulation” — robots now fall under both the Machinery Regulation and the AI Act. The Digital Omnibus package proposes delaying high-risk AI obligations by up to 16 months past the August 2026 deadline. In the US, the bipartisan SELF DRIVE Act advances as the first federal AV framework since 2017.