Chinese startup UBTECH Robotics just snagged a $37M contract to deploy its Walker S2 humanoid robots at the China-Vietnam border in Fangchenggang, where they'll guide passenger queues, direct vehicles, patrol corridors, and inspect cargo containers. The deployment follows China's 2023 directive to build a national humanoid robotics innovation system by 2025.

The company just rolled out Qingtian Rent, a rental platform that lets you hire robots for weddings, concerts, trade shows, and business meetings. AgiBot’s advanced Yuanzheng A2 model rents for $1,380 per day, while budget options like the Unitree Go2 robot dog start at $138 daily. The move could potentially reshape the global robotics market: China's rental sector hit $140M in 2025 and is projected to explode to $1.4B next year.

Google DeepMind is rolling out an on-device version of its Gemini Robotics AI model that allows it to operate without an internet connection.