Vegas gets free robot taxis

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It’s Friday! Amazon's Zoox just launched the world's first public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, offering completely free rides in purpose-built autonomous vehicles with no driver controls.

How could this breakthrough change the way entire cities think about transportation infrastructure?

In today's recap:

• Zoox debuts first public autonomous taxi service

• Ant Group's R1 robot demonstrates real cooking skills

• Tesla offers Musk $1T for robot revolution goals

• AI transforms robots into factory dancers

ZOOX

Amazon's Zoox starts free Vegas rides

Recaply: Amazon's self-driving car company Zoox has officially launched its robotaxi service in Las Vegas. The company is offering completely free rides to anyone who downloads their app. These aren't regular cars - they look like boxes on wheels with no steering wheel or gas pedal. People can now ride in these futuristic vehicles around the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Key notes:

• Zoox robotaxis started giving free rides to the public on September 10, 2025.

• The boxy vehicles have no driver controls and can carry up to four passengers.

• Rides are available from five popular spots including Resorts World and Luxor hotel.

• Each trip covers up to three miles around the Las Vegas Strip area.

• The company plans to charge regular taxi prices once they get government approval.

Impact: This launch makes Las Vegas the first city where regular people can ride in purpose-built self-driving cars. The free rides help visitors experience the future of transportation while Zoox gathers real-world data to improve their service.

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ANT GROPUP

Ant Group challenges Tesla with R1 robot

Recaply: The company behind Alipay just unveiled its first humanoid robot designed for real-world tasks. Ant Group's R1 robot can cook meals, assist with healthcare, and guide tourists. The robot performed live cooking demonstrations at technology conferences, though it moved quite slowly. The company sees robots as the next step in making daily life easier through technology.

Key notes:

• R1 demonstrated shrimp cooking at IFA 2025 Berlin and Shanghai tech conferences.

• Designed for multiple roles including healthcare companion and tour guide work.

• Moves slowly but handles complex tasks like ingredient preparation and meal serving.

• Testing continues in community centers and restaurants across China.

• No pricing or launch timeline announced yet by parent company Ant Group.

Impact: As robots master practical tasks like cooking and caregiving, they could soon help solve labor shortages in restaurants and healthcare facilities worldwide.

TESLA

Tesla offers Musk $1T for robot goals

Recaply: Tesla's board unveiled a massive compensation package that could make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire if he delivers on ambitious robot revolution targets. The plan grants Musk 423.7 million Tesla shares worth $143.5 billion today, but only if the company reaches an $8.5 trillion market value and hits breakthrough robotics milestones.

Key notes:

• Tesla must deliver 1 million robots and 1 million robotaxis for Musk to earn the full package.

• The company needs to grow from $1.1 trillion to $8.5 trillion in market value.

• Musk would receive 12% of Tesla shares spread across 12 performance milestones.

• The package aims to keep Musk focused on Tesla instead of pursuing other business interests.

• Critics question whether Tesla can meet these ambitious robotics and financial targets.

Impact: This unprecedented pay package signals Tesla's serious commitment to becoming a robotics leader, not just an automaker. The astronomical targets reflect Wall Street's belief in AI-powered automation, though success depends on Musk delivering innovations he has promised for years.

UCL & GOOGLE DEEPMIND

AI transforms robots into factory dancers

Recaply: The collaboration between UCL, Google DeepMind, and Intrinsic produced RoboBallet, a game-changing algorithm that orchestrates fleets of robotic arms like master choreographers. Each robot becomes a network node in an intelligent coordination system.

Key notes:

• Synchronized movement planning drops from hours to mere seconds.

• The network approach treats robots and objects as interconnected nodes.

• Real-time automation replaces cumbersome manual programming processes.

• Production lines adapt instantly to layout changes with minimal downtime.

• Eight arms execute 40 complex tasks while avoiding collisions perfectly.

Impact: Manufacturing flexibility soars as factories become truly adaptive ecosystems. This technological leap enables production lines that respond to change as naturally as dancers adjust to new music.

NEWS

📰 What matters in Robotics right now?

• Hive Robotics raised €2M pre-seed funding led by b2venture, building AI control systems that unify robot swarms across air, land, sea, and space domains.

• AI2 Robotics secured a $70M contract with HKC Corporation for over 1,000 humanoid robots across three years, targeting 10x annual revenue growth while planning an IPO within two years.

• Borg Robotics unveiled its Borg 01 modular humanoid robot, featuring autonomous switching between bipedal walking and wheeled bases for industrial automation, launching Q2 2025.

• SwitchBot launched companion robots Noa and Niko with soft-bodied designs, expanding its smart home ecosystem into personal robotics.

• Washington State University developed a strawberry-picking robot using soft silicone grippers and fan systems to detect and harvest fruit in dense foliage.

• Physical Intelligence reportedly approaches a $5B valuation funding round, with its

EVENTS

• IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids 2025): Sep 30 – Oct 02, 2025 . Seoul, South Korea

• IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2025): Oct 19 – Oct 25, 2025 . Hangzhou, China

• 8th International Conference on Robotics, Control and Automation Engineering (RCAE 2025): Oct 24 – Oct 26, 2025 . Xi’an, China

• 7th International Conference on Robotics and Computer Vision (ICRCV 2025): Oct 24 – Oct 26, 2025 . Hong Kong, China

• IEEE International Symposium on Safety Security Rescue Robotics (SSRR 2025): Oct 29 – Oct 31, 2025 . Galway, Ireland

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