With big events like ProMat and NVIDIA GTC bringing an avalanche of new releases, March was a non-stop month for the robotics industry. In addition, humanoid robotics news drew our readers’ attention this month.
Here are the 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in the past month. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter and listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay updated on the latest robotics developments.
10. Ten surgical robotics companies to watch in 2025
Intuitive Surgical remains the leading surgical robotics provider — but other companies with savvy strategies are generating buzz and raising money. Surgical robotics experts agree that the most promising technologies provide robot-assisted surgery options that don’t directly compete with Intuitive. The decades-long leader in soft-tissue procedures launched its next-gen da Vinci 5 system last year. Read more.
9. China to invest $137B in robotics and high-tech industries, reports IFR
While other countries debate the best mix of public policy, academic research, and private investment to advance their economies, the People’s Republic of China is focusing on robotics. China’s National Development and Reform Commission has announced plans for a state-backed venture capital fund focused on robotics, artificial intelligence, and innovation, said the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR. Read more.
8. Figure AI unveils BotQ high-volume humanoid manufacturing facility
Humanoid robots have been slowly making their way into the workforce. However, one question remains unanswered: How will robotics companies make these complex systems at scale? In March 2025, Figure AI introduced BotQ, its new high-volume factory for humanoids. The company said BotQ’s first-generation production line will be capable of manufacturing up to 12,000 robots per year. Read more.
7. Dobot enters the humanoid robot race with Atom
Dobot, a Chinese developer of collaborative robot arms, recently announced it developed a humanoid robot called Atom. The company is entering an increasingly crowded and still young market. Dobot hasn’t shared much about Atom yet, but it has shared a few videos of the robot operating autonomously. Read more.
6. Apptronik brings in another $53M to fuel Apollo production
Apptronik last month announced it added an extra $53 million to its oversubscribed Series A funding round, bringing the total funding from the round to $403 million. The humanoid developer said the round reflects strong market demand and investor confidence in its leadership, unique design, and technology. Read more.
5. Google DeepMind introduces two Gemini-based models to bring AI to the real world
Google DeepMind introduced two new artificial intelligence models: Gemini Robotics, its Gemini 2.0-based model designed for robotics, and Gemini Robotics-ER, a Gemini model with advanced spatial understanding. DeepMind said it has been making progress in how Gemini solves complex problems through multimodal reasoning across text, images, audio, and video. Read more.
4. Boston Dynamics plans to use NVIDIA’s Isaac GR00T to build AI capabilities for Atlas
Boston Dynamics in March announced that it has expanded its collaboration with NVIDIA to build the next generation of AI capabilities for humanoid robots. As an early adopter of NVIDIA’s Isaac GR00T framework, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot uses the NVIDIA Jetson Thor computing platform. Read more.
3. National Robotics Programme launches RoboNexus to help Singapore startups
Singapore is one of the top countries in the world in terms of robotics density, thanks in part to government promotion. The National Robotics Programme today launched RoboNexus, an accelerator program designed to fast-track promising robotics startups and small and midsize enterprises, or SMEs, from Singapore onto the global stage. Read more.
2. RightHand Robotics receives strategic investment from Rockwell Automation
RightHand Robotics, a leader in robotic piece-picking for logistics operations, has received a strategic investment from Rockwell Automation. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Rockwell Automation is one of the world’s leading industrial automation providers. Read more.
1. Behind the scenes: Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid learns to sequence auto parts
In March 2025, Boston Dynamics released a new video of its electric Atlas humanoid. The video shows behind-the-scenes snippets of the Atlas engineering team and the robot in various states of assembly and repair. It’s a refreshing look at the complex systems that make up a humanoid robot, and it’s also an honest look under the hood at a time when many companies are guarded about the IP within their robots. Read more.
