Humanoid robot learns to sprint and perform spin kicks using AI trained on human motion data
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Key takeaways
- The most recent developments in humanoid robotics come from several high‑profile releases and market projections in September 2026.
- Agility Robotics announced that its next‑generation Digit 5 was unveiled on 15 September 2026.
- Digit 5 incorporates new legs, upgraded batteries, a 90‑minute runtime with fast‑charging capability, a 40 % higher payload for lifts up to 50 lb, and a comprehensive safety architecture that allows it to operate in close proximity to humans without physical barriers.
- The robot can lift 23 kg to a height of 2.1 m, has been deployed for over 65 000 hours in warehouses, and as of May 2026 it had secured more than $300 million in multi‑year orders.
- Earlier in the month, a humanoid robot trained with the BeyondMimic framework learned to sprint and perform spin kicks by using AI models trained on human motion data, demonstrating a new level of agility.
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AI imagines a harsher social world, expecting punishment where people expect inaction Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and Stanford University recently developed BeyondMimic, a new artificial intelligence framework that could broaden the movement repertoire of humanoid robots while reducing the need for motion-specific tuning or task-specific retraining. The framework, introduced in a paper published in Science Robotics, combines a training approach called reinforcement learning with a model that generates movement plans by refining noise within a compressed representation of motion.
How the BeyondMimic framework works In the future, the team's framework could be refined and tested using an even broader range of motions. It could also potentially be adapted to other humanoid robotic platforms.
Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli, edited by Lisa Lock, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.
Publication details
Qiayuan Liao et al, BeyondMimic: From motion tracking to versatile humanoid control via guided diffusion, Science Robotics (2026). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adx8924
Journal information: Science Robotics
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