Marc Olivier
News editor, robotics & industry
Marc tracks the robotics industry — humanoids, industrial arms, the funding and the demos. He measures progress in nines of reliability, and treats a viral clip as a research preview until proven otherwise.
By Marc Olivier
OriginalBuying Your First Home Robot? Check This Before You Pay
A robot lawnmower owner's warning, a Dreame washer under €700 and a no-membership trade-in scheme line up this week. Here is what actually informs the buying decision.
Home Robots in 2026: What You Can Actually Buy vs. What's Still Hype
The week's robotics news splits cleanly into shippable home devices and long-horizon humanoids. Here is what belongs on a shopping list and what belongs on a watch list.
Home Robots in 2026: Buy the Budget Vacuum Now, Watch the Humanoids
Comparative testing still favours cheap, proven appliances over the first household humanoids. Here is what to buy today and what to leave on the watch list.
Buying an Outdoor Robot? Judge How It Navigates, Not Just How It Cleans
For robot mowers and pool cleaners, the spec that separates a good unit from a frustrating one is increasingly navigation, not raw suction or cutting power. Here is what to check before you buy.
Prime Day Robotics Deals: Which Drone and Robot Discounts Are Actually Worth It
Prime Day has cut prices across drones, robot mowers and home gadgets. Here is which discounts hit genuine lows and which are routine.
Prime Day Robot Deals: Which Home Robot Is Actually Worth Buying?
Prime Day is cutting prices on robot mowers, pool cleaners and vacuum-mops by roughly 12% to 15%, with one model down 500 euros. The deal only matters if the category fits your home.
The 2026 robotics boom is real — but for your home, it still means vacuums and mowers
The industry's growth charts point up, yet the machines that work unsupervised in an ordinary home remain narrow. Buy on what a robot reliably does today, not on the keynote.
Touch, not walking, is the robotics story this week
A cluster of independent announcements this week converged on tactile sensing and dexterous manipulation. For anyone weighing a "coming soon" home robot, this is the capability that still gates everything.