Humanoid robot imports banned as U.S. targets Chinese products over national security concerns

Hong Kong — The Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that targets China. The measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned U.S. visit and meeting with President Trump by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September. … Read more

Spacewalkers successfully replace broken “wrist” joint in space station’s robot arm

Two NASA astronauts floating outside the International Space Station carried out a bit of orbital surgery Tuesday, successfully replacing a broken 200-pound “wrist” joint near the end of the lab’s 58-foot-long robot arm.  “That is a good install, you guys. I know that was tough. Wonderful work,” Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons called up from mission … Read more

Boston Dynamics’ AI-powered humanoid robot is learning to work in a factory

This is an updated version of a story first published on Jan. 4, 2026. The original video can be viewed here.  For decades, engineers have been trying to create robots that look and act human. Now, rapid advances in artificial intelligence are taking humanoids from the lab to the factory floor. As fears grow that AI … Read more

How Boston Dynamics upgraded the Atlas robot

In 2021, 60 Minutes visited the offices of robotics company Boston Dynamics and met an early model of its humanoid robot, Atlas.  It could run, jump and maintain its balance when pushed. But it was bulky, with stiff, mechanical movements.  Now, Atlas can cartwheel, dance, run with human-like fluidity, twist its arms, head and torso … Read more

Meet Argus, a robot with 20 legs and eyes built to move and see in any direction

DURHAM, N.C. — A robot being developed at Duke University is almost ready to face the world, in any direction. Instead of trying to copy symmetrical shapes from nature by building robots that look like people, dogs or insects, engineering professor Boyuan Chen and his team focused on uniformity in action, or what he calls … Read more