A monthly roundup of robotics news from July 2026 covering the FCC's block on new foreign-made robots (networked humanoids, quadrupeds over 4.4 lb) citing cybersecurity risks, prompting China's threat to retaliate. Research highlights include Northwestern's near-invisible spinning drone, an MIT/EPFL flapping-wing robot that flies and swims, and a KAIST vine robot that dresses its wearer hands-free. On the design front, the uncanny valley debate resurfaces around humanoid showcases at WAIC 2026, with a new Bayesian model from the University of Tokyo offering a mathematical framework for robot designers. RoboCup 2026 saw the first-ever 11-vs-11 full-sized humanoid soccer match.
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