Robot dogs gained industrial customers, a pet-robot pioneer pulled back in Japan and a bird-inspired robot learned to swim and fly. Here are the numbers and dated updates behind the shifts.
What moved in animal robotics this year.
23,000+ pre-orders and waitlist sign-ups for Tombot's Jennie robot puppy (The Next Web, 2026)
50,000 quadruped robots a year: Unitree's capacity after its Wuxi expansion (Jiemian, 2025)
<1 sec for MIT's puffin-inspired robot to burst from water into flight (NPR, 2026)
Robot.com unveils R-dog, a four-legged delivery robot, as a concept for 2027
· Launch
Robot.com introduced R-dog, a quadruped built to complete deliveries over stairs, curbs and uneven ground where wheeled robots stop, and to carry two video screens for advertising. It is a concept for now, with commercial deployments scheduled for 2027. It runs on the company's REMI fleet platform.
Why it matters: Legs are moving from inspection into delivery, so stairs and thresholds are no longer only a wheeled-robot problem. Treat a 2027 concept as a roadmap item, and ask any maker for pilot dates and a price.
MIT builds a puffin-inspired robot that flies, swims and launches from water
· Research
A paper in Science from Raphael Zufferey's lab at MIT describes a flapping robot inspired by diving seabirds such as the Atlantic puffin. With a wingspan just under three feet and a weight of about half a pound, it flies, swims and bursts from the water into the air in under a second.
Why it matters: Bio-inspired designs keep producing machines that cross boundaries wheels and rotors cannot, such as water to air. For buyers it hints at where survey and inspection robots may go, though this is still a research prototype.
Sony to end sales of its aibo robot dog in Japan once stock runs out
· Milestone
Sony announced on June 25 that it will stop selling the ERS-1000 aibo in Japan when remaining stock is gone. The current model launched in 2018. Sony says it will keep supporting owners with tech support, replacement parts and cloud plans that store the robot's memories.
Why it matters: A pet robot is a long relationship with a company, not a one-off purchase. Before buying one, check how long parts, repairs and cloud services are promised, and what happens if the product line ends.
Tombot raises $7 million for Jennie, a robotic puppy, ahead of a fall launch
· Funding
Tombot closed a $7 million Series A3 round led by Caduceus Capital Partners to scale manufacturing of Jennie, a robotic Labrador puppy aimed at older adults. The company reports more than 23,000 pre-orders and waitlist sign-ups and plans its first shipments to paying customers in fall 2026.
Why it matters: Companion robots are moving from novelty toward products built for older adults, now with factories behind them. Spec Cards on THG Marketplace list weight, battery life and care needs so families can compare like with like.
DEEP Robotics shows three deployment-ready quadrupeds at Hannover Messe
· Deployment
At Hannover Messe, DEEP Robotics displayed its LYNX M20, X30 and Lite3 quadrupeds. The company says a European logistics hub saw 3x patrol coverage and a 60% incident response reduction with the M20, and that its robots check Swiss and German plants for gas leaks, overloads and partial discharge.
Why it matters: Inspection robots are judged on coverage and response time, so ask makers for figures from sites like yours. Company-reported results are a starting point; a scoped pilot with agreed measures turns them into your own evidence.
Ghost Robotics reports an order for over 100 Vision 60 robot dogs
· Market
The Korea Herald reports that Ghost Robotics, 60% owned by LIG Nex1 since a 2024 purchase valued at 332 billion won, secured a late-2025 contract from an Asian government for more than 100 Vision 60 units. The quadruped has been deployed at several US Air Force installations since late 2020.
Why it matters: Governments are buying legged robots in fleets, which brings scale and supply-chain attention for everyone else. Ask any maker about spares, software support and export rules that could apply to your order.