Welcome, sci-fi realists…

This week, local lawmakers in California (and eventually other states with robotaxis) have decided that robotaxi operators will face fines for blocking first responders. This is great news for human safety and definitely among the least controversial regulations for robotics across the country. Even more good news is operators agree that reprogramming their vehicles to ensure public safety is crucial to secure trust.

Now, if only we can find a way to keep food delivery bots from blocking walkers and joggers on sidewalks. As we reported in previous newsletters, this is common. Regulations and fines might be too much, but still, we’re sure experts can come up with something less punitive. 

But, that’s a story for another day.  

Anyway, here's what you need to know about robotics right now:

Astribot’s inexpensive T1 humanoid makes its official debut in the U.S.

Astribot’s new T1 humanoid debuted in the U.S. at IROS 2026, a robotics conference held in Pittsburgh, PA last week. The event ran from September 27 to October 1 and gave attendees a firsthand look at this surprisingly cheap humanoid. Although T1 is marketed as a consumer product that’s great for performing domestic tasks (e.g., folding laundry and packing bookbags), it’ll work in warehouses and its $18,000 starting price makes it an attractive option for businesses.

Astribot is based in China, which might cause you to ask how the FCC’s rules against Chinese robotics (due to potential security risks) affect the sale of T1 in the U.S. You should know that the sale was officialized before July 28, 2026 and the new rules only apply to bots sold after that date.

T1 features a physical AI model called Lumo-2 that provides the reasoning needed for it to complete tasks from start to finish. It will also have an embedded operating system (OS) so developers could tinker with it and optimize their T1s with more capabilities. 

What this likely means for the future: T1 coverage has focused on the debut, but what makes it particularly unique is the price. Humanoids typically cost more than double that amount, so it could be a viable option for companies that operate warehouses, etc. 

Robots in Action

These T1 models are seen in action at IROS recently in the video below. Within the first few seconds of the video, they serve an unexpected use case: lab work. This is one to keep an eye on going forward. They are also shown sorting and compartmentalizing objects (which is useful in warehouses) and serving food (great for addressing labor shortages). 

Also, the fact that onlookers can stand so close proves the T1 has been thoroughly vetted for safety concerns and won’t just attack at random, unlike other recent models. Check out more:  

Around the Horn

Bots Behaving Badly:

We learned that humanoids make great stunt doubles as the company Figure AI’s metal refinery stunt in Finland suggests. Specifically, Figure’s F.02 models that were decommissioned and no longer useful were told to end their own lives by jumping into vats of molten steel. If you’ve seen the Terminator franchise, you’ll definitely see the comparison. 

While they were just obeying orders from their masters at Figure, the whole situation still looks like bad behavior. It would be like jumping off a bridge or doing something ridiculously dangerous when someone dares you to.

We don’t have a crystal ball, but we can confidently say Figure and other companies will come up with more creative ways to dispose of humanoids they no longer need in the future.

Industry Signals

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