Robotics in October 2026

October 2026

• 23 Oct 2026SetbackFarm

  Farm spraying drones DJI, Hylio, XAG · Cleared or mass market

  The American Spray Drone Coalition said US sales of new farm spray drones fell 59%, from 8,950 in 2024 to about 3,700 in 2025, blaming a customs hold on DJI shipments.

  DroneXL, 23 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 22 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  Massachusetts' aviation regulator told Amazon it cannot open a drone takeoff and landing site anywhere in the state without a state certificate, and that Amazon had not yet applied for one.

  DroneXL, 22 Oct 2026

• 22 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  Massachusetts' transportation department told Amazon it could not open a Prime Air drone pad in Westborough or elsewhere in the state without its certificate, and said Amazon had not applied.

  DroneXL, 22 Oct 2026

• 22 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  FSD (Supervised) Tesla · Cleared or mass market

  Tesla's AI vice president said Tesla was building its own maps from what its cars collectively learn, to fix FSD problems with speed limits, parking and choosing routes.

  Electrek, 22 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 22 Oct 2026SetbackHumanoids

  Optimus Tesla · Demo only

  Musk said Tesla would start delivering Optimus to outside customers around the end of 2027, saying the hands, durability and AI still needed work first.

  Electrek, 22 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 22 Oct 2026SafetySelf-driving

  Tesla Robotaxi Tesla · Paying customers

  NHTSA, the US road-safety agency, was weighing an investigation into claims that Tesla Robotaxis speed through active school zones, covering about 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles.

  Electrek, 22 Oct 2026

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneHumanoids

  Digit Agility Robotics · Paying customers

  Farm machinery maker AGCO signed an agreement with Agility to use Digit at its factory in Hesston, Kansas, in a US pilot expected to begin in 2027.

  The Robot Report, 21 Oct 2026

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneMedical

  da Vinci 5 Intuitive · Cleared or mass market

  Intuitive said it placed 315 da Vinci 5 systems in the third quarter of 2026, up from 240 a year earlier.

  MedTech Dive, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Nuro Driver Nuro · Pilot

  Electrek reported that Uber's robotaxi program with Lucid and Nuro now calls for at least 35,000 Lucid Gravity vehicles worldwide, up from Uber's original commitment of 20,000.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026

• 21 Oct 2026SetbackFarm

  Farm spraying drones DJI, Hylio, XAG · Cleared or mass market

  The American Spray Drone Coalition, a distributors' group, said US sales of new farm spray drones fell 59% in 2025, to about 3,711, after US customs held DJI shipments.

  DroneXL, 21 Oct 2026

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Cybercab Tesla · Paying customers

  Tesla said it was trying to deliver Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026, adding that all Cybercabs built in Texas so far were going to its own Robotaxi fleet.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  FSD (Supervised) Tesla · Cleared or mass market

  Tesla said it expected unsupervised FSD, meaning customers' cars driving themselves with nobody paying attention, to reach customer cars in the middle of 2027, instead of its usual "end of next year" answer.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  FSD (Supervised) Tesla · Cleared or mass market

  Tesla said it had 1.74 million active FSD subscriptions in its third-quarter 2026 report, up 67% in a year, a count that also includes owners who paid upfront.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026SetbackSelf-driving

  FSD (Supervised) Tesla · Cleared or mass market

  Tesla said unsupervised Full Self-Driving, with no driver watching, would reach customer-owned cars in Q2 2027, at first only by owners adding their cars to its Robotaxi fleet inside its zones.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026SetbackSelf-driving

  FSD (Supervised) Tesla · Cleared or mass market

  Tesla's AI software head said customer-owned cars might first drive without supervision around the second quarter of next year, later than the fourth-quarter 2026 target Musk had given in April.

  TechCrunch, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneHumanoids

  Optimus Tesla · Demo only

  Tesla said it had started making what it called its first production-quality Optimus robots at its Fremont, California factory, with Musk calling it early production and warning of a slow ramp.

  TechCrunch, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Tesla Robotaxi Tesla · Paying customers

  Tesla said its Robotaxi service had driven nearly 2 million miles in total with no one supervising by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

  Electrek, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 21 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Wing Wing (Alphabet) · Cleared or mass market

  Wing said it had launched Walmart drone delivery as one Charlotte-area service from seven Supercenters, some of which had been flying since December 2025, with two more stores due within a week.

  DroneXL, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 20 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  Amazon said Prime Air would start drone deliveries in Tallahassee, Florida, by mid-November, at a public showing of its MK30 drone; the building to house the drones was still under permit review.

  DroneXL, 21 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 20 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  DroneXL reported that Amazon's hoped-for late-October start of Prime Air flights in Westborough, Massachusetts, had slipped, with a zoning appeal set for November 2 and a Planning Board hearing on November 10.

  DroneXL, 20 Oct 2026

• 20 Oct 2026MilestoneConstruction

  Gecko inspection robots (TOKA) Gecko Robotics · Paying customers

  Gecko Robotics said the US Navy and General Services Administration added $300 million to its ship-inspection contract, quadrupling the contract's maximum value six months after the initial $71 million award.

  The Robot Report, 20 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 20 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Matternet M2 Matternet · Paying customers

  Matternet said its M2 drones had begun routine flights carrying children's lab samples from Great Ormond Street Hospital to The Doctors Laboratory in London, for the drone network Apian.

  DroneXL, 20 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 20 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Skydio X10 and Dock Skydio · Cleared or mass market

  Skydio said police in Upper Darby, near Philadelphia, were using a Skydio X10 launched from a Skydio Dock on their headquarters roof for a drone-as-first-responder program started this summer.

  DroneXL, 20 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 19 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  Westborough, Massachusetts, voted 510 to 13 for a local rule banning commercial drone launch pads, aimed at Prime Air; it still needs state approval to take effect.

  DroneXL, 21 Oct 2026

• 19 Oct 2026MilestoneFarm

  Farm spraying drones DJI, Hylio, XAG · Cleared or mass market

  China's commerce ministry published rules requiring export licenses from November 18 for self-flying spray drones carrying over 80 liters; DroneXL noted DJI's Agras T100 sprayer has a 100-liter tank.

  DroneXL, 19 Oct 2026

• 16 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Prime Air (MK30) Amazon · Paying customers

  Portland, Oregon's city council moved toward a possible pause on drone hubs, and Amazon's first meeting with city planners was cancelled.

  DroneXL, 16 Oct 2026

• 16 Oct 2026RegulatorHome

  Robot lawn mowers Husqvarna, Segway Navimow, Mammotion, Worx · Cleared or mass market

  An FCC notice dated October 16, 2026 listed Husqvarna's robotic platforms among robots cleared since September 9 to avoid the US ban on approvals for new foreign-made robots.

  DroneXL, 20 Oct 2026

• 16 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Zipline Zipline · Cleared or mass market

  DroneXL counts more than 30 Zipline sites across the US, with more being added.

  DroneXL Zipline operator tracker, updated 16 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 15 Oct 2026MilestoneService

  Aescape Aescape · Paying customers

  Aescape launched the Brady Protocol, a 30-minute deep tissue session designed with American football player Tom Brady, at all its locations. Brady is also an investor.

  Aescape press release, 15 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 15 Oct 2026MilestoneService

  Aescape Aescape · Paying customers

  Aescape said its robot massages are available at fitness, hotel and wellness venues including Equinox gyms.

  Aescape press release, 15 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 15 Oct 2026SetbackDrones

  Wing Wing (Alphabet) · Cleared or mass market

  Kirkwood's City Council let a draft special use permit for Wing drone deliveries, which capped deliveries at 2.5 pounds, die without a motion, DroneXL reported.

  DroneXL, 22 Oct 2026

• 13 Oct 2026MilestoneConstruction

  Vulcan and Titan 3D printers ICON · Paying customers

  ICON raised $200 million, led by Baillie Gifford and BlackRock funds, to start making Titan machines.

  ICON press release, 13 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 13 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Manna Manna Air Delivery · Cleared or mass market

  Manna said it had made almost 400,000 paid delivery flights over the past seven years.

  Manna newsroom, 13 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 13 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Manna Manna Air Delivery · Cleared or mass market

  Manna said its first batch of delivery drones built in America was in production, but did not say where, how many aircraft, or whether its Tulsa factory was finished.

  DroneXL, 19 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 12 Oct 2026MilestoneMedical

  Versius CMR Surgical · Cleared or mass market

  Stryker agreed to invest about $400 million in CMR Surgical and become the only sales agent for Versius in the US. Stryker also got an option to buy the whole company later. The deal still needs regulatory approval.

  CMR Surgical press release, 12 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 8 Oct 2026MilestoneHumanoids

  Apollo Apptronik · Pilot

  Jabil said it has been working with Apptronik to bring Apollo into working factories.

  The Robot Report, 8 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 8 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Kodiak Driver Kodiak AI (Kodiak Robotics) · Paying customers

  Kodiak and carrier Charger USA began self-driving freight runs between Dallas and Laredo.

  Kodiak news, 8 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 7 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  DJI FlyCart DJI · Paying customers

  Wind farm operator Ørsted announced a four-week trial flying 55–65 kg maintenance kits to turbines at its Hornsea 2 North Sea wind farm, using a drone DroneXL identified as a DJI FlyCart 100.

  DroneXL, 19 Oct 2026

• 6 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Einride autonomous pods Einride · Cleared or mass market

  Two cab-less Einride trucks began hauling freight every day between EASE Logistics warehouses in Ohio, with no one in the cab, on EASE property and local public roads.

  ABC6 Columbus, 7 Oct 2026

• 5 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Coco delivery robot Coco Robotics · Paying customers

  Coco and Deliveroo announced robot deliveries in the UK, starting at Canary Wharf in London in October 2026, then Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham.

  Coco press release, 5 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 5 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Drones as first responders Skydio, Flock Safety, Brinc, Axon · Cleared or mass market

  Lakeland, Florida's city commission approved a ten-year, $22 million Axon agreement that adds docked drones (drones launched from a base station) to police body cameras, TASERs and software.

  DroneXL, 21 Oct 2026

• 5 Oct 2026MilestoneHome

  Matic Matic Robots · Paying customers

  The Verge reported that Matic had gone from 1,500 robots shipped a year earlier to 17,000 in homes.

  The Verge, 5 Oct 2026, as quoted on Matic's press pageCompany-reported

• 5 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Waabi Driver Waabi · Pilot

  Volvo and Waabi began hauling freight for customers in Texas, starting with Warp, between Dallas and Houston. A person still sits in the driver's seat.

  Waabi, 5 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 5 Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Wing Wing (Alphabet) · Cleared or mass market

  Wing named Denver and Seattle as Walmart drone delivery cities for 2027, bringing the plan to 19 metro areas. Fourteen of them were not yet flying.

  DroneXL Wing operator tracker, updated 12 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 4 Oct 2026MilestoneSelf-driving

  Cybercab Tesla · Paying customers

  169 Cybercabs were registered to operate in Austin, according to a fan news site using Texas DMV data. Registration does not show how many carry riders.

  Not a Tesla App, 4 Oct 2026

• 2 Oct 2026RegulatorHome

  Matic Matic Robots · Paying customers

  After the US FCC put foreign-made home robots on its restricted 'Covered List' in July 2026, it exempted Matic's robot, which Matic says is assembled in California. Devices on the list cannot get new FCC approvals needed to be sold.

  Matic press release (Business Wire), 6 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 1 Oct 2026MilestoneHumanoids

  Clone Alpha Clone Robotics · Pre-orders

  Clone posted a video of the hand of its Torso 3 prototype, labelled as remote-controlled by a person.

  Humanoids Daily, 1 Oct 2026Company-reported

• 1 Oct 2026MilestoneWarehouse

  Collaborative robot arms Universal Robots, FANUC, ABB, and others · Cleared or mass market

  Teradyne and Chinese cobot maker Elite Robots settled a separate legal dispute by agreement.

  Universal Robots news centreCompany-reported

• 1 Oct 2026MilestoneMedical

  Medical exoskeletons Lifeward (ReWalk), Wandercraft, Ekso Bionics (owned by Wandercraft since Oct 2026) · Cleared or mass market

  Wandercraft bought Ekso Bionics from ChronoScale and said it would keep supporting Atalante X, EksoNR, Eve and Indego Personal. The price was not disclosed.

  Wandercraft press release via Yahoo Finance, 1 Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneService

  Aescape Aescape · Paying customers

  Aescape says it is at more than 150 locations across the US, in wellness centres, gyms and spas.

  Aescape website, Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneDrones

  Drones as first responders Skydio, Flock Safety, Brinc, Axon · Cleared or mass market

  Lakeland, Florida, bought drone-as-first-responder flights (police drones sent to emergency calls) as part of a 10-year, $21.98 million Axon contract that also covers body cameras and in-car video.

  DroneXL, 22 Oct 2026

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  ElliQ Intuition Robotics · Paying customers

  New York extended the program with a new three-year, $2.1 million agreement. More than 3,500 older adults applied for a unit in 2025.

  The Robot Report, 13 Oct 2026

• Oct 2026MilestoneConstruction

  Hadrian X FBR (formerly Fastbrick Robotics) · Paying customers

  FBR says that during a demonstration program in the United States, Hadrian built the walls of a home in a single work shift.

  FBR Wall as a Service pageCompany-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneConstruction

  Hadrian X FBR (formerly Fastbrick Robotics) · Paying customers

  FBR's website offers Hadrian for purchase by selected partners, at a base price of A$7.8 million. It lists a top speed of 360 blocks an hour.

  FBR Hadrian pageCompany-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneConstruction

  Jaibot Hilti · Paying customers

  Hilti's US website still offers Jaibot, describing a cordless robot that can work up to 8 hours between charges.

  Hilti US Jaibot pageCompany-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneHome

  Home cooking robots Moley Robotics, Posha, Vorwerk (Thermomix) · Paying customers

  Posha, a countertop robot that cooks meals on its own, takes $25 reservations in the US at $1,500 to $1,750. Its site says the next batch ships in March 2027.

  Posha order page, Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneHome

  Home cooking robots Moley Robotics, Posha, Vorwerk (Thermomix) · Paying customers

  Vorwerk's Thermomix TM7, a countertop machine that chops, cooks and walks you through recipes step by step, is on sale in the US.

  Thermomix USA site, Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneHumanoids

  4NE1 NEURA Robotics · Pre-orders

  NEURA takes reservations for 4NE1 with a €100 refundable fee per robot, which holds a place in the delivery queue.

  NEURA Robotics 4NE1 reservation page (checked 19 Oct 2026)Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  Obi Obi · Paying customers

  Obi is on the US government's Federal Supply Schedule, so qualifying veterans can get one at no cost through the VA.

  Obi website, viewed Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  Obi Obi · Paying customers

  Obi says it builds its devices in its own factory in Jacksonville, Florida.

  Obi, Our Story pageCompany-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  Obi Obi · Paying customers

  Obi says it meets FDA rules for a Class I (lowest-risk) electronic medical device.

  Obi website, viewed Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  Automatic pill dispensers Hero Health, Spencer Health Solutions (Custom Health), Philips · Paying customers

  Hero says Medicare does not pay for a direct Hero subscription, though some patients can get it cheaper or free through a doctor's remote monitoring programme.

  Hero Health site (llms.txt), viewed Oct 2026Company-reported

• Oct 2026MilestoneAging at home

  Jennie Tombot · Pre-orders

  Tombot's website says the first batch is sold out and the company is still preparing its first puppies for delivery. It gives no price yet.

  Tombot, Meet Jennie page, viewed Oct 2026Company-reported

Every month on record