Weekly Piece of Future #111
From Precision Gene Editing to Paralyzed to Standing and Emergency Robots
Hey there, fellow future-addicts!
Welcome to this week's edition of Rushing Robotics, where we dive into the most exciting and transformative innovations happening across AI, robotics, biotechnology, and more. The world is advancing at lightning speed, and each new breakthrough brings us one step closer to the future. From life-changing medical treatments to cutting-edge robotic developments, the future is not just on the horizon—it's here, and it's mind-blowing.
🤯 Mind-Blowing
This week, a paralyzed man has regained the ability to stand independently following an experimental stem cell treatment, signaling a monumental breakthrough in spinal cord injury recovery. Agibot, a Chinese robotics start-up, plans to manufacture thousands of humanoid robots next year, pushing AI-driven automation further into industrial spaces. Additionally, the latest CRISPR-based tools are improving gene editing, while a major milestone in organ transplants was achieved with a successful pig-to-human liver transplant. Plus, robots are gaining personalities—literally—by embodying iconic TV characters like Chrissy Snow, making huge strides in both robotics and entertainment.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
The world of aerospace and robotics continues to make waves. Jetson ONE's eVTOL aircraft has successfully completed its first flight, setting the stage for more sustainable air transportation. China has revealed its first emergency rescue robot, built for extreme conditions and disaster response. Additionally, a new transparent solar cell technology has achieved a record 12.3% efficiency, offering a glimpse into the future of renewable energy. Mercedes-Benz is also embracing humanoid robots in car manufacturing, showcasing the potential for collaboration between humans and AI-driven machines.
🧬 BioTech
BioTech is making rapid strides, from mental health support to advanced neurological treatments. Therabot, an AI-powered chatbot, has demonstrated significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, providing valuable real-time support for those in need. The world’s first wearable rTMS device offers a portable solution for brain stimulation therapy, transforming the way neurological conditions are treated. In the world of neurosurgery, miniature robotic tools, powered by magnets, are being developed to perform keyhole brain surgeries, promising faster recovery and less trauma for patients.
💡 Products/Tools of the Week
This week, we bring you the latest tools designed to make life easier and more efficient. Fenestra+ is a mobile graphic editor created for the window and door manufacturing industry, making design and cost estimation more streamlined. Gestell is an advanced ETL tool that helps structure unstructured data for large language models (LLMs), optimizing AI-driven workflows. Codespell.ai is a platform that accelerates software development by automating repetitive tasks and improving code quality. Eddie AI is a video editing assistant that uses AI to simplify and speed up the editing process, saving time for content creators.
🎥 Video Section
This week’s videos explore the cutting edge of robotics and AI. WPP dives into the intersection of AI, robotics, and creativity in production, featuring Boston Dynamics and Canon. Figure introduces natural walking, and CNET takes us through the humanoid robots showcased at Nvidia GTC. Unitree Robotics amazes with the world’s first kip-up by their Unitree G1 humanoid robot and introduces the first-ever side-flipping humanoid robot, setting a new standard for robotics.
As always, the future is unfolding at an exhilarating pace, and we’re here to bring you the latest and greatest developments. Stay hungry, stay futurish!
🤯 Mind-Blowing
A paralysed man has regained the ability to stand independently following an injection of reprogrammed neural stem cells, marking a significant milestone in spinal cord injury treatment. He was one of four participants in a groundbreaking clinical trial conducted by Hideyuki Okano and his team at Keio University in Tokyo. Another participant regained movement in his arms and legs, while the remaining two did not exhibit substantial improvements. The findings, announced at a press conference on March 21, have not yet undergone peer review. Researchers emphasize that while the treatment appears safe, larger trials are required to confirm its efficacy and determine whether the observed improvements were directly caused by the intervention or resulted from natural recovery.
Chinese robotics start-up Agibot has announced plans to manufacture up to 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, aligning its production targets with those of Elon Musk’s Optimus project. The company is focusing on deploying its new products in industrial environments, aiming to replace human labor in specific tasks to provide measurable customer value. Shanghai-based Agibot, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics, anticipates delivering between 3,000 and 5,000 units this year—a substantial increase from fewer than 1,000 units produced in the previous year, according to a Chinese online news outlet. In March 2025, Agibot introduced the Genie Operator-1 (GO-1), an advanced AI model designed to process extensive image and video data. This model enhances humanoid robots' ability to interpret human actions and execute real-world tasks, further strengthening the company’s vision for AI-driven automation.
A newly developed CRISPR-based tool is enhancing the precision of gene editing and improving disease modeling. Researchers at Yale have created advanced mouse models that allow for the simultaneous assessment of genetic interactions across multiple immunological responses, including those related to cancer.
Using these specialized tool strains, Chen’s lab successfully induced and monitored changes in immune system cells in response to gene editing. This technology enables researchers to fine-tune multiple genes concurrently and rapidly generate models for conditions such as genetic liver diseases, lung cancer, and skin cancer.
The wait for a life-saving organ transplant is a harrowing experience. Every eight minutes, another patient is added to the already extensive transplant list, and thousands succumb each year while awaiting a donor organ. To address this critical shortage, scientists are investigating alternative solutions such as artificial organs and xenotransplantation. Recent breakthroughs in gene editing have made cross-species transplants—once thought impossible—a potential reality. A significant medical milestone was recently achieved: scientists successfully sustained the function of a genetically modified pig liver for a limited period. In a 50-year-old brain-dead recipient, the transplanted pig liver functioned and maintained essential biological processes for more than a week.
According to reports, this marks the first successful pig liver transplant into a human. The procedure was performed at Xijing Hospital in Xi’an. “This is the first time we have attempted to determine whether a pig liver can function effectively in the human body and whether it might eventually serve as a replacement for a human liver,” said Prof. Lin Wang, who led the trial, in an interview with The Guardian. “Achieving this goal has been our dream.”
The robotics industry is reshaping the way innovations emerge, as a recent collaboration between two firms enabled a robot to assume the personality of a well-known TV character. By integrating Realbotix’s open-source robotics and lip-sync technology with Hollo.AI’s character-based AI digital twin and personality engine, a robot was reportedly able to embody the persona of Chrissy Snow, the iconic character portrayed by Suzanne Somers in the 1970s and 1980s sitcom.
This achievement was made possible through a partnership between Realbotix, a leading developer of humanoid robots, and Hollo.AI, a conversational AI and digital twin platform. The initiative was showcased live at the 37th Annual Roth Capital Partners Conference in Dana Point, California. Realbotix demonstrated that its humanoid robots are capable of adopting various personalities through third-party large language model (LLM) integrations. The Toronto-based firm specializes in creating customizable, full-bodied humanoids with AI integration, designed to enhance human interaction, learning, and entertainment.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
The Jetson ONE eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft has successfully completed the maiden flight of its first production model, designated SN1. A newly released video showcases SN1 demonstrating stable flight and a smooth landing without any complications. According to the company, SN1 marks a strong foundation for the upcoming series of Jetson ONE units. The aircraft is designed to provide a 20-minute flight duration on a single charge and supports pilots weighing up to 210 pounds. Constructed with a lightweight, race car-inspired aluminum chassis, Jetson ONE is powered by a high-performance electric brushless motor and is capable of reaching a top speed of 63 mph.
China has introduced its first emergency rescue and transport robot, developed through a collaboration between CSSC Haishen Company and Hangzhou-based DEEP Robotics. Unveiled in Beijing on March 26, the robot is engineered to function in extreme temperatures ranging from -20°C to 55°C, making it highly suitable for disaster response and emergency rescue missions.
Equipped with three distinct mobility modes—quadrupedal, wheeled, and tracked—the robot is capable of walking, running, climbing stairs and slopes, lying down, avoiding obstacles, and navigating complex terrain, as reported by Chinese media sources. Designed for deployment in demanding environments, the emergency rescue and transport robot is intended for use in natural disasters, safety incidents, battlefield first aid, and both pre-hospital and in-hospital patient transport scenarios.
An international team of researchers has developed a groundbreaking transparent solar cell that achieves a record-breaking efficiency of 12.3%. This innovative solar cell integrates perovskite and organic layers, offering approximately 30% transparency while effectively capturing solar energy. The research team consists of nine partners from seven countries, with funding provided by the EU-backed CitySolar project. Key institutions involved in the project include the University of Southern Denmark, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, University of Rome Tor Vergata, and the Paris-based Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. The project is coordinated by the Italian National Research Council. According to the researchers, this advanced solar cell benefits from the combined properties of perovskite and organic solar cells, enabling it to harness different sections of the light spectrum and improve energy conversion efficiency.
While concerns about job displacement often accompany the rise of robotics, Mercedes employees need not worry—at least for the moment. Rather than replacing workers, the company’s employees are actively engaged in training the Apollo robots via teleoperation and augmented reality. This collaborative process enables the robots to learn autonomously, reducing the necessity for continuous supervision. Notably, the Apollo robots are equipped with self-charging capabilities, allowing them to autonomously recharge when their power is low.
🧬 BioTech
A recent study demonstrated that Therabot significantly alleviated symptoms in individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or an eating disorder. The trial included 106 participants across the U.S., all of whom had a formal diagnosis of one of these conditions. Participants engaged with Therabot through a smartphone application, either responding to prompts or initiating conversations as needed. A control group of 104 individuals with similar diagnoses did not use Therabot, allowing for a comparative analysis.
The findings were notable: those using Therabot experienced a 51% reduction in depressive symptoms, a 31% decrease in anxiety symptoms, and a 19% improvement in concerns related to body image and weight. While AI chatbots do not replace professional therapists, these results suggest that they can serve as a valuable supplemental tool, providing real-time, on-demand mental health support to individuals who might otherwise lack access to care.
A advancement in neurological therapy has been unveiled with the world’s first battery-powered, wearable repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) device. This innovation marks a significant step toward improving accessibility to brain therapy for individuals with neurological disorders. Conventional rTMS devices are cumbersome, weighing over 110 pounds (50 kilograms), requiring substantial power, and necessitating clinical setup, which limits frequent treatment. In contrast, the newly developed wearable device weighs only 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms), comparable to a laptop, and operates with just 10% of the energy consumption of traditional systems. Developed by the Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the device features a high-frequency brain stimulation system powered by a lightweight magnetic coil and advanced high-voltage pulsed driving technology. This breakthrough enables patients to receive rTMS therapy while engaging in everyday activities, eliminating the need for a fixed clinical setting and enhancing treatment flexibility.
A research team at the University of Toronto in Canada has developed a set of miniature, magnet-powered robotic tools that could revolutionize keyhole brain surgery by eliminating the need to open the skull. This breakthrough technology offers significant advantages over traditional surgical methods, including faster recovery, reduced pain, and minimal scarring. These robotic tools, measuring just 0.1 inch (3 millimeters) in diameter, perform essential surgical tasks such as gripping, pulling, and cutting tissue. Their compact size is made possible by the use of external magnetic fields instead of conventional motors. By leveraging magnetically responsive materials, the system eliminates the need for cables and pulleys, allowing precise surgeon control via electromagnetic fields. The system consists of two main components: a set of specialized tools—including a gripper, scalpel, and forceps—and a coil table equipped with built-in electromagnetic coils that control the movement of the instruments. This innovation has the potential to transform neurosurgical procedures, enhancing precision while reducing patient trauma.
💡Products/tools of the week
Fenestra+ is a mobile graphic editor engineered specifically for professionals in the window and door manufacturing industry. It enables users to efficiently design and generate precise cost estimates for various types of windows and doors, with a particular focus on PVC and aluminum profiles. By streamlining the design workflow, the app ensures accuracy, optimizes cost calculation, and facilitates the creation of professional-grade quotes. This makes Fenestra+ an indispensable tool for manufacturers, architects, and sales representatives who require a reliable solution for crafting custom window and door configurations on the go.
Gestell is an advanced ETL tool specifically designed for large language models (LLMs), facilitating the transformation of unstructured data into AI-compatible formats. It processes data through multiple critical stages, including chunking, vectorization, graph creation, and canonization, ensuring that information is well-structured and easily searchable. The platform supports scalable search-based reasoning, enhancing AI applications’ ability to retrieve and analyze relevant insights. Gestell offers high levels of customization, allowing businesses to define structuring rules using natural language. By integrating all stages of the data transformation pipeline, it ensures seamless scalability. Organizations can leverage Gestell to process large volumes of documents, extract key elements, and construct structured databases optimized for AI-driven workflows.
Codespell.ai is an advanced AI-powered software development platform designed to enhance and streamline the coding process. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools, including design assistance, code generation, documentation, optimization, and testing. Developers, teams, startups, and enterprises can leverage Codespell.ai to accelerate development cycles, improve code quality, enhance productivity, and foster seamless collaboration. Its AI-driven features automate repetitive tasks, deliver intelligent suggestions, and support multiple programming languages. By integrating automation into the development workflow, Codespell.ai enables engineers to focus more on innovation, problem-solving, and building high-quality software solutions.
Eddie AI is an advanced AI-powered video editing assistant designed to optimize and simplify the editing workflow for content creators and professionals. By utilizing natural language prompts, it generates rough cuts from raw footage, organizes content efficiently, and integrates seamlessly with leading editing software. This enables users to achieve significant time savings, enhance productivity, and work within a more intuitive editing environment. Eddie AI is particularly beneficial for projects involving interviews, documentaries, and long-form content, allowing editors to focus on storytelling while the platform manages repetitive tasks. Whether for experienced professionals or beginners, Eddie AI serves as a powerful tool for streamlining video editing.
WPP: The frontier of AI, robotics & creativity in production | WPP, Boston Dynamics & Canon
CNET: Every Humanoid Robot We Met at Nvidia GTC (and Some We Didn’t)
Unitree Robotics: Movement creates intelligence - Unitree's G1 humanoid robot nails the world's first kip-up!😘
Unitree Robotics: World's First Side-Flipping Humanoid Robot: Unitree G1