The Week in Robotics
This week in robotics — sourced, verified, and put in context against our index of 4,235 robots.
New Iron
TECH
Via TechCrunchDoorDash unveils six-propeller delivery drone, plans Northern California pilot
DoorDash revealed its new drone delivery aircraft at its Dash Forward 2026 event, built by DoorDash Labs, the same R&D team behind its sidewalk delivery robot Dot.
The drone has six slow-spinning propellers and a winch for picking up, carrying, and dropping off packages. It runs on DoorDash's new Autonomous Delivery Platform (ADP) software, which routes orders across human couriers, sidewalk robots, and drones based on factors like weather, flight range, and ground traffic.
DoorDash said it will begin early pilot deliveries in Northern California with partners including Chipotle, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Momo N Curry, following a Part 135 air carrier certification from the FAA announced in July.
Via Interesting Engineering116 underwater drones complete autonomous swarm navigation, setting world record
Northwestern Polytechnical University and Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies staged a test in which 116 TH-618 autonomous underwater vehicles navigated a preset route in a swimming pool with no human control after launch, a feat certified by Guinness World Records following an August 29 demonstration.
Each TH-618 used real-time onboard data to hold its assigned route and correct course when disturbed, relying on a camera-based navigation system. The vehicles are about 24 inches long, 7.8 inches wide, and weigh roughly 11.3 pounds, with a stated range of up to 18.6 miles and over eight hours of operation.
The demonstration surpasses a prior EU-funded project that coordinated a swarm of 41 autonomous robots, more than doubling that figure.
Boots on the Ground
DEPLOYMENT
Via Interesting EngineeringDoW grants Amprius up to $75M to convert EV line into drone battery plant
The U.S. Department of War has awarded Amprius Technologies a grant of up to $75 million to convert an existing EV battery production line, operated by a South Korean manufacturer, into a high-volume facility for drone battery cells.
Once completed in early 2028, the line is expected to produce 12 million Amprius silicon-anode cells per year for Group 1, 2 and 3 unmanned aerial systems, meeting NDAA domestic-sourcing requirements.
The overall conversion project is expected to cost about $100 million, combining the federal grant with in-kind investment from Amprius and its unnamed South Korean partner. Amprius noted that most of the grant remains unfunded pending future appropriations and milestone achievement.
Via TechCrunchAurora CFO defends target of 30,000 driverless trucks by 2030
Aurora told investors it expects more than 30,000 self-driving trucks on the road generating $5 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2030, up from a projected 200 driverless trucks and an $80 million revenue run rate by the end of 2026.
CFO David Maday said the company expects to grow to more than 1,000 driverless trucks by the end of 2027, and plans to shift from owning trucks under a transportation-as-a-service model to a driver-as-a-service subscription model where customers own the trucks and pay Aurora a per-mile fee.
Aurora's current customers include Detmar Logistics, Hirschbach, McLane, and Werner, who pay about $2 per mile under the existing model. Shares fell 12.42% to $5.29 following the company's investor day.
Follow the Money
INVESTMENTVia TechCrunchTesla secures $30B in new credit lines to help scale Cybercab, Optimus
Tesla has secured $30 billion in fresh credit lines that it says could be used to help scale the Cybercab robotaxi, Optimus robot, and Tesla Semi.
Citibank agreed to a $20 billion three-year delayed-draw term loan facility, while Wells Fargo signed an $8 billion five-year revolving credit facility and a separate $2 billion revolving credit facility with a 364-day term.
Tesla said in a regulatory filing it does not plan to draw on these facilities this year, and has already projected at least $25 billion in capital expenditures for 2026.
Via The Robot ReportSoftBank invests $225M in ASI to commercialize autonomous construction fleets
Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI) and SoftBank Group Corp. announced a joint venture to commercialize brand-agnostic autonomous heavy equipment for large infrastructure projects such as roadways, airports, railways and waste management.
As part of the collaboration, SoftBank has provided $225 million in new funding to ASI. ASI's Mobius fleet orchestration platform already coordinates mixed fleets of haul trucks, dozers, loaders and compactors across customers including Fortune 500 companies in construction, agriculture, logistics and landscaping.
ASI CEO Mel Torrie said the goal for the new funding is growing ASI's commercial operations across the broader construction market.
Via CairoSceneMaven Robotics raises $100M Series A backed by Shorooq and Presight
US-based industrial robotics startup Maven Robotics has raised $100 million in a Series A round joined by UAE investors Shorooq Partners and Presight, through the Presight Shorooq AI and Bedaya funds, alongside RoboStrategy, LocalGlobe, Vine Ventures and XTX Ventures.
Founded in California in 2024, Maven develops wheeled, dual-armed robots for industrial and logistics environments, initially focusing on mixed palletising and tote handling. The company plans to use the funding to build 250 third-generation robots, expand production and develop a fourth-generation system capable of handling a broader range of industrial tasks.
On the Calendar
AHEADRobotics shows, conferences and competitions opening in the next eight weeks. Dates confirmed against each organiser’s own page.
- Oct 6–8Motek 2026
- Oct 12–16CIIF 2026 — China International Industry Fair
- Oct 20–21RoboBusiness 2026
- Nov 3–6CeMAT ASIA 2026
- Nov 9–12CoRL 2026 — Conference on Robot Learning
The Number
DATAHalf the month’s rounds were under $14M; its three largest took 62% of the capital. Biggest: Sharpa at $668M.
Full capital index →This is funding we have recorded, not all robotics funding — we find more rounds partly because we read more news than we used to. Amounts are the disclosed round size, not a valuation. Months run to the last complete one.
60 percent of the humanoids we track publish a price. 170 of 281, against 39% across the whole index — the most-hyped category is also the most transparent. Counted from the live index on the day this issue was assembled.