
On our new Real World AI stage, we’ll be focusing on the intersection between the digital and physical, and all the ways we’ll continue to see a blending of the two.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is expanding its artificial intelligence programming by creating a second dedicated stage called the Real World AI Stage, alongside its existing AI Stage. This new stage focuses on the intersection between digital and physical applications, covering topics such as autonomous hardware, defense technologies, industrial systems, space hardware, robotics, and de-extinction efforts. The Real World AI Stage will feature sessions on safety-critical AI deployment, edge computing, scaling from prototype to production, and the role of AI in reviving extinct species, with speakers from various companies and venture firms participating in the three-day conference in San Francisco.

From left to right: Rodney Brooks, Jonathan Hurst, and Ken Goldberg. Robotics has evolved from a promising technology into a critical business tool across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, defense, and beyond. At RoboBusiness 2026, which takes place Oct. 20 and 21 in Santa Clara, Calif., industry leaders will reflect on the breakthroughs that defined the past two decades. In the show’s opening keynote session, as RoboBusiness marks its 20th anniversary, leaders in robotics

Tacta’s robotic hand comes in three- and five-finger configurations. | Source: Tacta Systems Tacta Systems last week launched the TactaBot, which includes the company’s Tacta Hand, Skill Capture system, and a Dexterous Intelligence AI model. These three components work together to create capable, scalable, and adaptable robotic hands for high-value work. “We have vison-only robots and a variety of different robots that do really good work today, which is moving objects and so on, but

The Robot Report Podcast · Building robots that survive the warehouse In Episode 256 of The Robot Report Podcast, we talk with Josh Cloer, general manager for North America at Nomagic. Josh Cloer, general manager at Nomagic. Cloer is a commercial leader who has consistently turned breakthrough robotics technology into tangible business results. As general manager at Nomagic, he is expanding the company’s footprint into North America, deploying physical AI systems that bring a new l
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