Greta Garbo is back - starring in SKF's initiative to overcome friction

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Greta Garbo returns to SKF. More than a century after her first campaign promoting SKF, one of the most iconic figures of our time is once again the face of the company. Using AI technology, Garbo has been recreated. This time, she's drawing attention to groundbreaking magnetic bearings with the potential to entirely eliminate friction. At the same time, SKF is reintroducing a payment model pioneered by the company in 1919.

Before she became a global icon, Greta Garbo appeared in one of Swedish industry's campaign films for an international audience, with SKF among the companies featured. But for SKF, Garbo represents more than just a historical connection to the company's early years. Her journey reflects the values that have always driven SKF: the determination to keep thinking differently and the courage to challenge established conventions as the world changes. Today, around 20 percent of global energy is used to overcome friction in machinery and industrial processes, making friction one of the world's greatest sustainability challenges. To address this challenge, SKF has developed frictionless technology.

"Industry is facing growing demands to reduce energy consumption, strengthen competitiveness and meet the needs of increasingly energy-intensive operations. Our innovative levitating magnetic bearings eliminate friction entirely. But just as we did a century ago, we need to find new ways to lower the barriers to adoption and make the technology more accessible," says Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO.

The challenge isn't new. As early as in 1919, SKF faced a similar situation. Its solution became an offering that enabled customers to finance their investments through the energy savings generated by the technology over time. SKF is now reintroducing that same principle to make the next generation of energy-efficient technology more accessible and accelerate the adoption of solutions that reduce both energy consumption and climate impact.

"There are few companies in the world better at fighting friction than SKF. But having the most innovative technology or the most customer-focused payment model is not enough. The way we communicate must be equally innovative and inspiring. By bringing Greta back, we hope to open more eyes to frictionless and energy-efficient technology. Sometimes, we need to look back to find the best way forward," says Per Nilsson, Global Head of Communication and Brand.

SKF's magnetic bearings are used in data centres, cooling systems, semiconductor applications and other energy-intensive applications. By suspending the rotating shaft in a magnetic field without physical contact, the technology can reduce energy consumption, wear and maintenance while increasing availability.

Combined with AI-driven condition monitoring, it also provides operational insights for smarter asset management. By bringing together energy-efficient technology, digital intelligence and new business models, SKF aims to lower investment barriers and accelerate the adoption of more competitive and sustainable solutions.

The initiative has been developed in collaboration with Greta Garbo's family and Harriet Brown & Company Inc., whose support has ensured that Greta Garbo's legacy is handled responsibly.

Read more about the initiative here: http://www.skf.com/fighting-friction.

Aktiebolaget SKF

      (publ)

Since 1907, SKF has been making some of the world's most innovative bearings, seals, lubrication systems, condition monitoring solutions, and services to reduce friction. Less friction means more energy saved and by reducing it, we make industry smarter, more competitive, and more energy efficient, building a more sustainable future where we can all do more with less. SKF is represented in approximately 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2025 were SEK 91,583 million and the number of employees was 37,271. www.skf.com

® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.

SOURCE SKF Group

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- As part of the long-term supply agreement, Fujikura is investing in the expansion of its manufacturing capacity to provide more than 10,000 km (3 GA-m) of HighTemperature Superconducting (HTS) tape to support the commercial rollout of CFS' ARC power plants.

- The agreement is the largest of its kind for HTS tape, a key milestone for the ARC power plant supply chain.

DEVENS, Mass. and TOKYO, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the global leader in fusion energy, today announced a landmark supply agreement with Fujikura Ltd. as it accelerates the commercial rollout of ARC fusion power plants.

CFS agreed to purchase more than 10,000 km (3 GA-m) of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape from Fujikura that the company will use in the development of its ARC power plants, starting with the first grid-scale plant being developed at the Fall Line Fusion Power Station in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Fujikura is investing in the expansion of its manufacturing capacity to enable the delivery of the HTS tape at scale. The agreement is the largest of its kind for HTS tape.

"This partnership with Fujikura demonstrates how we're actively placing orders and getting ready to execute our ARC power plant once our SPARC fusion machine achieves Q>1," said Bob Mumgaard, CEO and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. "We're pleased to find partners like Fujikura that understand our manufacturing priorities, share our sense of urgency, and are willing to make the investments necessary to help us scale so that together we can meet future demand for this crucial energy source worldwide."

The supply agreement is a major milestone toward the construction of ARC power plants and will help to strengthen the industrial supply chain essential to bring commercial fusion power to market. It also marks an important step in U.S.-Japan collaboration and in building the industrial ecosystem needed to support commercial fusion energy.

"With this agreement, Fujikura will continue to strengthen its position as a key supplier of HTS tape for ARC power plants while building a long-term business platform for the 2030s and beyond, when commercial fusion power plants are expected to begin operation," said Naoki Okada, Representative Director, President and CEO of Fujikura Ltd. "Through these efforts, Fujikura aims to help support a sustainable energy future."

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is the world's largest and leading private fusion company. The company's marquee fusion project, SPARC, will generate net energy, paving the way for limitless carbon-free energy. The company has raised $4 billion in capital since it was founded in 2018.

SPARC®, ARC™, and Fall Line™ Fusion Power Station are trademarks of Commonwealth Fusion Systems®.

About Fujikura

Fujikura Ltd., founded in 1885, is a global technology company with more than 100 group companies worldwide. Building on over a century of expertise in connectivity technologies, Fujikura provides advanced solutions for optical communications, electronics, and automotive applications. Today, the company supports the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure and contributes to the development of next-generation energy technologies, including fusion energy.

About Fusion Energy

Fusion energy is released when light atomic nuclei, such as deuterium and tritium, fuse to form another nucleus, such as helium, in a reaction similar to the one that powers the sun. One gram of fusion fuel is estimated to produce energy equivalent to burning approximately eight metric tons of oil.

Fusion is attracting growing attention because it is considered the "holy grail" of energy production. It is an "always on" power source that has no emissions, is scalable, safe, and can be sited essentially anywhere. The fuel can be sourced from seawater, making it essentially unlimited and easily accessible — meaning fusion can provide permanent energy security as well.

Fusion power plants that use magnetic confinement require extremely strong magnetic fields to hold plasma at temperatures of about 100 million degrees Celsius. Fujikura's HTS tape combines high current-carrying performance with high mechanical strength in intense magnetic fields, making it suitable for the powerful superconducting magnets used to confine and control the plasma.

By enabling stronger magnetic fields, HTS magnets can help make fusion power plants compact, which is expected to reduce the capital costs and make commercial fusion power plants more affordable and easier to build. Fujikura has already supported CFS' research and development by supplying HTS tape.

Notes

*1 High-temperature superconductors (HTS)

Fujikura's HTS is based on its proprietary IBAD (Ion Beam Assisted Deposition) process, developed in 1991. It exhibits zero electrical resistance even at liquid-nitrogen temperature (−196°C) and can carry large currents despite its small cross-section. Because it maintains a high critical current even in high magnetic fields, it is an essential material for realizing compact, high-field fusion energy reactors.

*2 Magnetic-confinement (tokamak) approach

A torus-shaped fusion energy device that uses a strong magnetic field to confine ultra-high temperature plasma. The strong magnetic fields are generated by toroidal field coils, poloidal field coils, and a central solenoid coil, all of which use high-temperature superconductors.

For Commonwealth Fusion Systems: Christine Dunn, [email protected]

SOURCE Commonwealth Fusion Systems

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Ojai Vision Recovery System pairs air compression, heat, vibration and Bluetooth® audio in a full-blackout design. In a real-world pilot study, 94% of participants reported a high level of physical relaxation after a session.

OCEANSIDE, Calif., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GUNNAR Optiks, the company that pioneered computer eyewear, today launched the Ojai Vision Recovery System, a wearable built to help people step away from their screens and reset. Ojai gives anyone with a screen-heavy day a simple 10-minute recovery ritual, combining air compression, soothing heat, vibration and Bluetooth audio in a foldable, full-blackout design. It is available now for $99 at GUNNAR.com and select retail partners.

GUNNAR has spent two decades building eyewear for the hours people spend in front of screens. Ojai is the company's first product built for what comes after.

"When we started GUNNAR, our mission was based on a simple idea: the world was becoming increasingly digital, but our eyes weren't designed for the amount of screen time that was coming," said Joe Croft, co-founder and CEO of GUNNAR Optiks. "For 20 years, we've focused on helping people protect their eyes and perform while they're in front of screens. Ojai is the natural next evolution of that mission."

Ojai is built around one habit: about 10 minutes at the end of a long screen day to close your eyes, disconnect and reset.

"We optimize our computers, our desks, our workouts, our schedules and almost every other part of our lives," Croft said. "But we rarely think about recovery from the hours we spend looking at screens. GUNNAR eyewear has always been about the hours you're on. Ojai is about the minutes you're off."

Features

- Air compression massage: rhythmic compression around the eye area for an immersive, relaxing massage.

- Soothing heat: gentle warmth at approximately 43°C (109°F).

- Five recovery modes: users can mix compression, heat and vibration to personalize each session.

- Bluetooth® audio: built-in wireless audio for music, podcasts, meditation or guided relaxation.

- Full blackout design: blocks ambient light and visual distractions for a true screens-off break.

- Foldable and rechargeable: adjustable fit that folds down for use at home, at the office or while traveling.

Pilot Study Results

Ahead of launch, GUNNAR ran a real-world pilot study with screen-intensive users. Participants rated how they felt before and after an Ojai session on measures including eye fatigue, dryness and irritation, pressure and tension, temple discomfort, blurry or tired vision, physical relaxation, mental refreshment and readiness to return to screens. Key findings:

- 94% reported a high level of physical relaxation after a session.

- 89% said their eyes felt more relaxed.

- Average discomfort ratings were approximately 56% lower immediately after a session, across the five eye and vision discomfort measures.

- 87% of Day 30 respondents were using Ojai in 10-minute sessions, most often after work or before bed.

Participants most often pointed to the heat, compression and vibration, with combination modes a standout. Many described using the time to disconnect and close their eyes, and one called Ojai a "daily fixture."

"What's especially encouraging is that participants didn't simply tell us they liked individual features," Croft said. "They began incorporating Ojai into their routines. That's really the vision behind the product."

Pilot study findings reflect participants' self-reported experiences before and after an Ojai session and are not clinical or medical efficacy data1.

The Missing 10 Minutes Campaign

Ojai launches alongside The Missing 10 Minutes; a new GUNNAR campaign built on the line "Perform Hard. Recover Smart." The idea is that recovery is part of performing well, not time away from it: 10 minutes, no screens, no notifications. The campaign will run across digital video, social media, creator partnerships, retail, ecommerce and experiential activations, encouraging people to "Take 10" every day.

"The future of GUNNAR is bigger than eyewear," Croft said. "Our goal is to become the company people turn to for the entire digital visual experience. Ojai is one of the most exciting products we've developed since we first introduced GUNNAR eyewear."

Pricing and Availability

The GUNNAR Ojai Vision Recovery System is available now for $99 MSRP at GUNNAR.com and select retail partners.

About GUNNAR Optiks

Established in 2006, GUNNAR Optiks® pioneered premium computer and gaming eyewear and holds patented lens technology designed to address symptoms associated with digital eye strain. The company develops products for gamers, creators, professionals and anyone living an increasingly digital life. For more information, visit GUNNAR.com.

- Ojai is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition.

Media Contact

Michael Farino

[email protected]

New Era Communications

714-310-3150

SOURCE Gunnar Optiks

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Daimon Robotics Showcases Tactile Intelligence Infrastructure for Physical AI at IROS 2026

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Daimon Robotics, a physical AI company focused on tactile intelligence, is showcasing its full-stack physical AI capabilities at IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh. Under the theme "From Touch to Intelligence," the company is presenting its tactile infrastructure and latest advances in dexterous robotic manipulation.

Building a Tactile Intelligence Infrastructure for Physical AI

As robots take on increasingly complex tasks in the physical world, perception must go beyond seeing objects and their surroundings. Contact, force, slip, and material response often determine whether an action succeeds — yet these physical properties remain difficult to capture through vision alone. Tactile sensing provides the missing layer of physical information, giving robots a more direct understanding of how they interact with the world.

Daimon is building an infrastructure that connects tactile perception, physical interaction data, and world models. At IROS, the company demonstrated three layers of this stack:

- Perception — DM-Tac Series: Vision-based tactile sensors delivering multidimensional, high-resolution, and high-frequency perception across more than twelve tactile modalities, with more than 110,000 sensing units. Live demos at IROS — including underwater sensing, durability testing, and empty-package detection—showcase the sensors' fine-grained perception and stability across challenging conditions.

- Data — Data-Nexus Acquisition System integrates data acquisition devices, networking, processing pipelines, and evaluation benchmark into a unified data production workflow, continuously generating high-quality physical interaction data for model training.

- World Model — Daimon-TWM grounds intelligence in physical interaction data, enabling Physical Cognition, Predictive Decision-Making, and Real-Time Control for dexterous manipulation.

Daimon-TWM Makes Its First In-Person Public Demonstration Since Launch

IROS 2026 marks the first in-person public demonstration of Daimon-TWM since its launch in August. The model is demonstrated through two live autonomous manipulation tasks:

- Friendship Bracelet Stringing: From picking up tiny engraved beads to aligning their small openings and threading them onto a flexible string, the task demands small-scale precision, deformable-material handling, and adaptation to changing contact conditions. Daimon-TWM continuously adjusts its actions based on subtle physical interactions, rather than following a fixed motion sequence.

- Canvas Tote Heat-Transfer Printing: The robot autonomously handles sticker placement, film removal, hot stamping, curing, and final placement. The long-horizon task involves precise placement, delicate peeling, changing contact conditions, and force-sensitive operations across multiple sequential steps. Daimon-TWM enables the robot to anticipate the consequences of each action and adapt its next move based on the physical state of the task.

Across both tasks, Daimon-TWM uses tactile feedback to stay responsive to the physical state of the task, adapting its actions from one step to the next.

Grounding Physical AI in the Real World

Daimon is building tactile intelligence infrastructure to empower robots to learn, adapt, and perform increasingly dexterous manipulation in the physical world—moving robotics from seeing to feeling, and from understanding the world to interacting with it.

About Daimon Robotics

Daimon Robotics is dedicated to building a closed-loop Physical AI ecosystem that seamlessly integrates tactile sensing, data, and models. Driven by our breakthrough tactile technology, we empower robots with true physical intelligence.

Our core product portfolio features high-resolution, high-frequency vision-based tactile sensors, a VTLA multimodal data acquisition system, and a tactile-grounded physical world model, enabling robots to achieve robust and dexterous manipulation in the contact-rich and complex real world.

Originating from the robotics research team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Daimon Robotics officially commenced operations in 2023. The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, with an R&D branch in Hong Kong.

SOURCE Daimon Robotics

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NTT TechnoCross Receives Frost & Sullivan's 2026 Japanese Company of the Year Recognition for Privileged Access Management Leadership for the Third Consecutive Year

NTT TechnoCross strengthens its position in Japan's privileged access management market through unified governance, cloud-ready security, and customer-centric innovation.

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce that NTT TechnoCross has received the 2026 Japanese Company of the Year Recognition in the privileged access management (PAM) industry for its strong performance in innovation, strategy execution, customer engagement, and market responsiveness. This recognition highlights NTT TechnoCross's ability to address evolving enterprise security requirements while delivering customer-centric solutions across increasingly complex hybrid and multicloud environments.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. NTT TechnoCross excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to align its strategy and product roadmap with market shifts while consistently executing initiatives that strengthen privileged access governance, security, and operational efficiency.

"NTT TechnoCross has demonstrated a clear understanding of how privileged access management is evolving beyond traditional account protection toward dynamic, unified governance across human and non-human identities. Its ability to bring privileged account governance, access control, monitoring, auditing, analytics, and dynamic access capabilities, such as just-in-time access, together in a unified platform reflects strong alignment with the changing needs of enterprises," said Vivien Pua, Industry Principal at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a strategy focused on cloud-enabled PAM, integrated privilege governance, and zero trust security frameworks, NTT TechnoCross has aligned its iDoperation portfolio with the changing requirements of enterprise customers. Supporting on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, the portfolio incorporates privileged identity management, session recording, password management and rotation, multifactor authentication, just-in-time role elevation, endpoint privilege management, audit and analytics, and non-human identity management.

Innovation remains central to NTT TechnoCross's approach. Its platform addresses growing requirements for least privilege enforcement, zero standing privileges, dynamic access control, and automated governance. The company's structured product enhancement cycle, combined with integrations across identity management, database auditing, log management, asset management, and service management platforms, helps organizations strengthen security while leveraging existing technology investments.

"We are deeply honored that our efforts in privileged access management have been recognized for the third consecutive year. As enterprise IT environments become increasingly complex and the scope of privileged access expands across cloud environments, third-party operations, and endpoints, the need to manage privileged access in a unified manner continues to grow. We will continue to enhance the iDoperation portfolio and services, helping organizations minimize the risks associated with privileged access and strengthen their overall security posture," said Akio Ogawa, Product Manager at NTT TechnoCross.

NTT TechnoCross's commitment to customer experience strengthens its market position. The company combines onboarding, consulting, implementation, training, troubleshooting, incident response, updates, security patches, and ongoing customer engagement to support long-term value. Enterprise contracts average approximately eight years, while renewal rates exceed 90%. Customer satisfaction with support reached 4.6 out of 5.0 in fiscal year 2025, reflecting the company's emphasis on service quality and responsiveness.

Frost & Sullivan commends NTT TechnoCross for establishing a standard in competitive strategy, execution, innovation, and market responsiveness. Its continued focus on cloud interoperability, automation, analytics, just-in-time access, zero standing privileges, and human and non-human identity governance positions the company to address the evolving requirements of enterprise cybersecurity.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Company of the Year Recognition to an organization that demonstrates strong strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in market position, customer engagement, and competitive performance. The recognition highlights forward-thinking organizations that are advancing their industries through innovation and growth excellence.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.

Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Tarini Singh

E: [email protected] 

About NTT TechnoCross

NTT TechnoCross is a software development company that provides optimal solutions to customers by combining NTT's cutting-edge technologies with excellent technologies and services around the world. We support customers in various fields such as consulting, system design, development and operation & maintenance, and overcome customers' challenges together.

Contact:

iDoperation Team

NTT TechnoCross Corporation

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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LiberNovo Opens Fall Prime Sale with Limited-Time Maxis Pricing and Team Order Benefits

Sit Smarter. Save Bigger. Opening prices run 30 September to 5 October. Flash pricing lands 6 and 7 October.

HONG KONG, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LiberNovo's Fall Prime Sale opens today at eu.libernovo.com and uk.libernovo.com and runs to 14 October. Flash pricing falls on 6 and 7 October; opening prices return after that. Discounts reach up to 39% off, with 30-Day Price Protection on eligible orders. The sale runs through National Ergonomics Month; terms are on each regional site.

Maxis is built for bigger and taller users, with a wider seat and more room to move. Maxis Manual, adjusted by hand, opens at €959 in the EU and £839 in the UK, dropping to €879 and £759 on 6 and 7 October. Maxis Electric adds motorised lumbar adjustment and OmniStretch, opening at €1,299 and £1,079 and dropping to €1,199 and £989. Maxis Airflow adds active seat ventilation, opening at €1,469 and £1,279.

Omni Pro, Omni Gen and Omni SE sit alongside Maxis for different builds and budgets, priced regionally.

Previous-generation Omni

LiberNovo is also running its biggest-ever promotion on previous-generation Omni models in the EU and UK: €799 in the EU and £699 in the UK, 44% off the original price, each with a complimentary StepSync footrest, while supplies last.

Gifts, savings and team orders

Three gift tiers run site-wide: Smart Entry Bundle at €800 in the EU and £700 in the UK, Eco-Comfort Upgrade Kit at €1,000 and £800, and Ergo-to-Go Travel Suite at €1,200 and £1,000. Spend & Save takes 60 off at 2,000, 100 at 3,000 and 180 at 4,000, in euros on the EU site and pounds on the UK site. It applies automatically at checkout. Whether offers combine is set out in the landing page terms.

Business & Bulk Orders covers purchases of five chairs or more across the Omni and Maxis series, as chairs alone or with a footrest, with tiered pricing at five to ten units and at eleven or more.

About LiberNovo

LiberNovo is a premium ergonomic brand pioneering Dynamic Ergonomics, the principle that your environment should never work against you. Its proprietary technologies, including the Bionic FlexFit Backrest and automatic recline systems, continuously adapt to how you move and work. Learn more at www.libernovo.com.

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FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc. (f/k/a AIxCrypto Holdings, Inc.) to Acquire FF Robotics Business for Standalone Listing; Faraday Future Unveils New Execution Plans for "Built In USA" Acceleration Program and Initiates Conditional Approval Application, Will Roll Out New Robot Product in Q1 2027

- FF held Its FF EAI "Built in USA" Upstream & Downstream Business Partner Conference Part two Upstream Partner Session & Industry Ecosystem Co-Creation Session at its headquarters and the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Pittsburgh, PA, featuring insights from ten partners from around the world, including MetaSense Technology USA, ENCOS, and NexCOBOT, who shared their perspectives on the EAI robotics industry and FF's "Built in USA" initiative.

- FF announces further execution plans for phase two of the "Built in USA" acceleration program, accelerating the rollout of the Next Futurist and Next Aegis series, initiating the conditional approval application process, and advancing supply chain, compliance certification, and manufacturing capacity development, with the robot factory targeted to begin operations by year-end and the first new EAI robot product targeted to roll off the production line in Q1 2027.

- EAI Robotics "Made in USA" Industry Alliance officially opens for membership, bringing together technology, manufacturing, supply chain, commercialization, research, government and capital partners.

- FFAI has signed a term sheet with Nasdaq-listed AIxC (NASDAQ: FFR). Under the proposed transaction, FFAI would bring 100% of FF's robotics company into AIxC. The proposed valuation is approximately $200 million, and FFAI would receive AIxC shares in exchange. On September 30th, AIxC will change its name to FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc., and its ticker will change to FFR.

- Under the non-binding term sheet, the proposed per-share price would be the lower of $2.246 or the five-day average closing price prior to signing. At $2.246, FFR's pre-closing equity value would be approximately $55 million on a fully diluted basis, shown for illustrative purposes only. If the per-share price is below $2.246, FFR would declare a one-time special stock dividend to holders of record prior to closing, payable only upon closing and subject to tax analysis.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) ("Faraday Future", "FF" or the "Company"), a California-based global Embodied AI (EAI) ecosystem company, today announced a series of major strategic developments during Part Two of its FF EAI "Built in USA" Upstream & Downstream Business Partner Conference, Upstream Partner Session & Industry Ecosystem Co-Creation Session.

The announcements include the proposed strategic acquisition of FF's EAI robotics business by Nasdaq-listed AIxC (NASDAQ: FFR), whose controlling stockholder is FFAI, FFAI's planned strategic upgrade, execution plans for Phase Two of FF's "Built in USA" Acceleration Program, and the official opening of the EAI Robotics "Made in USA" Industry Alliance. The conference is being held in conjunction with IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where FF is participating from September 28-30. Together, these initiatives are designed to accelerate FF's transition from individual intelligent products toward a broader Physical AI ecosystem spanning robotics, AI, real-world data, industry applications, U.S. manufacturing and shared intelligent mobility.

Proposed AIxC Acquisition Could Establish a Dedicated Public Platform for FF's EAI Robotics Business

On September 28, AIxC announced that it had signed a non-binding term sheet with FFAI for a proposed all-stock acquisition of FFAI's robotics business at a proposed valuation of approximately $200 million. Both the FFAI and AIxC special committees have approved the term sheet. Under the proposed transaction, AIxC would acquire the FF EAI robotics business from FFAI in exchange for AIxC stock. The transaction remains subject to due diligence, definitive transaction documents, applicable approvals and other conditions. The term sheet filed with the SEC expressly states that it is non-binding except for specified provisions and contemplates an internal restructuring through which the robotics-related assets, intellectual property, data, contracts, employees and liabilities would be contributed into the entity to be acquired by AIxC.

AIxC will be renamed FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc., and its Nasdaq ticker will change from AIXC to FFR, effective September 30, 2026. Upon completion of the proposed acquisition, AIxC plans to discontinue its crypto strategy and transition into a pure-play robotics ecosystem company centered on FF's "Four-Core Full-Stack AI" model. FF believes the transaction could give its robotics business a dedicated public-market platform, greater operational and financing independence and a clearer mechanism through which investors can evaluate the business on its own operating fundamentals and long-term potential.

FFAI expects to remain the single largest and controlling stockholder of FFR following completion of the transaction, allowing FFAI to continue participating in the potential future value of the robotics business.

Rationale behind the $200 million valuation of FF EAI Robotics

FFAI and FFR believe that the approximately $200 million proposed valuation reflects the established product, delivery, and commercialization foundation of the FFAI Robotics business, as well as the significant value and long-term growth potential of its "Four-Core Full-Stack AI" ecosystem. In less than one year, the business has launched 24 products across three robot forms, five product series and 11 models, all of which have received FCC certification and achieved commercial deliveries of humanoid and biomimetic robotic products. As of the end of August, cumulative shipments reached 552 units. In the unaudited second quarter of 2026, the business recorded an average gross margin of approximately 30.9% on its "Four-Core Full-Stack AI" robotics products, with cumulative revenue of approximately $1.52 million. The EAI Robotics business targets positive quarterly operating cash flow in the third quarter of 2028 and aims to maintain a Top 3 comprehensive ranking among EAI robotics ecosystem companies over the next five years.

Total revenue from the "Four-Core Full-Stack AI" ecosystem is expected to reach approximately $7.1 million in 2026 and approximately $45.17 million in 2027, with projected cumulative revenue of approximately $1.98 billion over five years. Cumulative EAI Device sales are targeted to exceed 130,000 units over the five-year period.

EAI Robotics Targets First New EAI Device from U.S. Production in Q1 2027

The EAI Robotics is now advancing Phase Two of its "Built in USA" Acceleration Program, building on the three-phase roadmap introduced at Part One of the Company's business partner conference on August 26. The program is intended to turn FF's EAI technologies and ecosystem capabilities into longer-term U.S. capabilities in R&D, supply-chain integration, compliance, certification, manufacturing, testing, delivery and services. FF is advancing the development of its Next Futurist and Next Aegis product series while working to build U.S.-based supply-chain and manufacturing capabilities.

The Company has also taken steps to address applicable U.S. regulatory and compliance requirements. On September 2, FF announced an agreement under which AIBOT would provide advisory services concerning applicable FCC, Information and Communications Technology and Services ("ICTS") and National Defense Authorization Act ("NDAA") requirements, along with U.S. localization. FF also announced its participation in the FCC's public-comment process.

The Company intends to evaluate localization opportunities for key EAI Device components, including batteries, motion-control boards, computing boards and robot structures, while progressively expanding U.S.-based assembly, sourcing and manufacturing.

FF is targeting first quarter of 2027 for its first new EAI Device to roll off a U.S. production line, a target the Company publicly announced earlier this month as part of its continuing "Built in USA" strategy. The Company intends to leverage existing manufacturing, supply-chain management, testing, validation and quality-control resources while adapting flexible production lines for final assembly and end-of-line testing of humanoid and quadruped robots.

Over the longer term, FF plans to establish flexible production capabilities capable of supporting multiple EAI Device models on shared manufacturing lines. For FF, "Built in USA" is intended to be more than final assembly. The Company's long-term objective is to progressively increase U.S. participation across product development, core components, supply chain, compliance, production, testing and delivery while working toward applicable federal sourcing and procurement requirements.

FF EAI Robotics "Made in USA" Industry Alliance Officially Opens for Membership

As part of the conference, FF is also officially opening its EAI Robotics "Made in USA" Industry Alliance to new members. FF originally introduced the Global Industry Alliance initiative during Part One of its "Built in USA, Benefit the World" event on August 26, alongside the three-phase roadmap for its EAI robotics acceleration program. The alliance is centered around three ideas:

Global Innovation. U.S. Platform. Ecosystem Synergy.

FF intends to bring together partners from around the world across robotics, AI, semiconductors, core components, manufacturing, supply chains, research, real-world applications and capital, using the United States as an important platform for innovation, R&D, advanced manufacturing and commercialization.

Cooperation key to driving global shift to clean energy

BEIJING, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily:

Global climate and environmental experts gathered in Beijing on Sunday, praised China's pragmatic practices in green transition and called for accelerated global cooperation to address mounting planetary challenges.

"As the world undergoes accelerated transformation unseen in a century, the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution continue to deepen, posing severe challenges to human sustainable development," said Huang Runqiu, Chinese executive vice-chairperson for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, an international high-level policy advisory body approved by the Chinese government in 1992.

Huang, who also serves as China's minister of ecology and environment, noted the growing aspiration from the global community for advancing green transition.

He underscored China's proactive commitment and tangible actions toward cutting emissions, green growth and global climate governance. These included building the world's largest clean power and clean steel production systems, marked by ultra-low-emission retrofits on 1.17 billion kilowatts of coal-fired power capacity and 990 million metric tons of crude steel production capacity. Additionally, China has led the world with 101 nuclear power units that are in operation or under construction.

The remarks were made at the opening ceremony of the three-day annual general meeting of the CCICED. Themed "Pragmatic and Innovative Cooperation, Advancing Together for Green Development", this year's event seeks to develop a series of forward-looking and constructive policy recommendations through in-depth exchanges and joint research.

Julie Dabrusin, CCICED international executive vice-chairperson and Canada's minister of environment and climate change, stressed Canada's long-standing commitment to the council as the cornerstone for bilateral cooperation between China and Canada on environmental and climate issues.

"Addressing climate change is both a moral imperative and an economic and strategic necessity in a world that continues to be carbonized," said Dabrusin, highlighting Canada's progress in the fields of clean electricity grids, methane reduction and nature conservation.

She said CCICED's recommendations have contributed significantly to China's green transition and resonate with Canada's own experience, adding that the council's research on plastics and circular economy remains vital for the legally binding global plastics treaty.

Reflecting on his decades of experience with the council, Xie Zhenhua, former special envoy on climate change of China, called for open, inclusive and pragmatic cooperation, urging the international community to enhance confidence and focus on implementing nationally determined contributions.

Xie cautioned against unilateralism and expressed hope that the council would continue to serve as a bridge between China and the world, offering strategic advice to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape and advance global green transition.

Achim Steiner, former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said that China "has rewritten the fundamental assumption about environment and development".

Steiner spoke highly of the Ecological and Environmental Code, which took effect on Aug 15, and said that China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) represented "a synergistic agenda between environment and development". In a world plagued by a myriad of challenges, Steiner said, the council should serve as a platform for "pathfinding", helping advance systematic thinking and effective multilateralism.

Kristin Halvorsen, former director of Norway's CICERO Center for International Climate Research, said China's green transition has proved to be both an industrial strategy and an environmental necessity.

She noted that China's 15th Five-Year Plan translated climate commitments into coordinated cross-governmental actions, offering inspirational lessons for the world.

"The world needs China not only as a transition example and supplier of technologies, but as a force for strong and aligned international cooperation," Halvorsen said, adding that in a fragmented geopolitical landscape, climate and environmental cooperation is a strategic necessity rather than a luxury.

SOURCE China Daily

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Just Over a Year Since Inception, LumiBot Challenges Embodied AI's Data Bottleneck at IROS 2026

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On the exhibition floor of IROS 2026, LumiBot (known in China as Shiyue Technology)—a startup founded just over a year ago—is showcasing its latest finger-shaped visuo-tactile sensors, dexterous hand series, and manipulation foundation models. Beyond its exhibition booth, LumiBot has also been selected as a high-potential startup to present at the official IROS Startup Session.

At the heart of LumiBot's showcase is a core thesis: the upper bound of data quality is strictly determined by hardware reliability. In embodied AI, high-quality real-world manipulation data remains critically scarce. Industry-wide, public multimodal datasets featuring high-DOF dexterous hands with tactile feedback total only a few tens of thousands of samples, whereas training scalable manipulation models requires tens of millions of hours of real-world operational data. LumiBot tackles this bottleneck at the hardware source—utilizing highly reliable, high-precision hands and visuo-tactile sensors to ensure that collected data is standardized, clean, and reusable from day one.

High-Reliability Hardware Guarantees Continuous and Stable Data

The Lumi-Dex hand series supports mainstream industrial communication protocols and seamlessly integrates across various robotic arm platforms and simulation environments, serving as a unified execution endpoint for diverse embodied architectures. On-site, LumiBot is dynamically demonstrating its high-DOF hands, notably the Lumi-Dex-21, which features an innovative drive-control integrated design combining linkage and direct-drive mechanisms.

Furthermore, LumiBot's upcoming flagship dexterous hand brings substantial upgrades in lifespan, durability, and thermal management. Powered by a self-developed active-cooling micro joint module, it maintains operating temperatures around 50°C and supports over 5,000 hours of continuous no-load operation, capable of supporting weeks of uninterrupted data collection.

High-Precision Perception Ensures Crisp Data at the Source

The Lumi-Tac visuo-tactile sensor V2 incorporates structural and optical optimizations over its predecessor, extending coverage across the fingertip, finger side, and finger pad with significantly enhanced wear resistance and deformation reliability. Key specs include a 10-micron spatial resolution, 0.02 N force detection accuracy, and a 120 fps frame rate. Paired with proprietary high-precision curved surface reconstruction algorithms, Lumi-Tac delivers comprehensive and dependable multimodal tactile capture, providing high-information-density data streams for model training.

Closed-Loop Model & Data Alignment from the Source

On the data front, LumiBot has fully operationalized its real-robot teleoperation collection pipeline for continuous data gathering. Simultaneously, its egocentric (Ego) data-to-robot mapping scheme has achieved millimeter-level precision verification, providing stable training inputs.

On the model front, the Lumi-Mind manipulation foundation model utilizes a hierarchical MoT (Mixture of Transforms) architecture that deeply fuses Vision, Tactile, Language, and Action (VTLA) modalities. Through a unique memory mechanism and tactile gating, Lumi-Mind enables long-horizon task planning and fine-grained micro-adjustments during dense contact. Via its proprietary Lumi-Cap data pipeline, LumiBot seamlessly connects Ego video capture, teleoperation data gathering, and automated data cleaning into a robust "capture-train-deploy-feedback" flywheel, aligning data with model training requirements right from the start.

Live Demo: Completing Long-Horizon Tasks with a Constrained-DOF Hand

At IROS, LumiBot demonstrated its self-developed Lumi-Dex-11 (a lower-DOF hand) driven by the Lumi-Mind model as it executed a complex sequence: "picking up a stamp → precise stamping → picking up a tray → handing out a card → returning the tray → returning the stamp." When human disturbances were introduced, the model autonomously re-evaluated and adjusted its task planning in real time. This demonstration highlights how deep integration of algorithms and hardware enables reliable execution of complete, long-horizon tasks even on hardware with constrained degrees of freedom.

Scaling Up Dexterous Hands for Real-World Deployment

Founded in 2025, the company—just over a year old—has developed its entire product portfolio in-house, spanning motors, visuo-tactile sensors, complete dexterous hands, manipulation models, and data acquisition pipelines. This full-stack self-reliance ensures that collected data is naturally aligned with model training needs, standardized, and reusable—an advantage neither pure hardware nor pure algorithm companies can achieve alone.

The upper limit of data quality is dictated by hardware reliability; however, enabling large-scale acquisition of high-quality data requires that dexterous hands themselves achieve scalable deployment. LumiBot's ultimate goal is to truly scale up dexterous hands, transitioning standardized data collection from research laboratories into real-world industrial environments.

Currently, LumiBot is advancing scenario validation and technical verification (POCs) with industry leaders across automotive manufacturing, 3C electronics, and life sciences, systematically proving the scale-up capability and reliability of its hardware and systems in actual production environments.

About LumiBot

Founded in 2025, the company specializes in robotic dexterous manipulation intelligence. Driven by a core technology stack centered on a deeply integrated 'hardware + data + model' closed loop, it is committed to empowering robots with evolvable and generalizable fine-manipulation capabilities, enabling them to efficiently adapt to complex, dynamic unstructured environments and real-world application scenarios.

Media Contact

Official Website: http://lumirobot.net 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lumibot-shiyue-tech

Email: [email protected]  

SOURCE LumiBot

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Niutech Completes Group Restructuring to Advance Tire and Plastic Chemical Recycling

JINAN, China, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd. (SSE STAR Market: 688309) completed its group restructuring on August 26, 2026. The restructuring builds on nearly 40 years of work in industrial continuous pyrolysis. Using proprietary technology and complete equipment sets, Niutech converts over 30 material streams, including waste tires and waste plastics, into stable, high-value recycled resources and materials such as pyrolysis oil and non-condensable combustible gas. The company operates across high-end equipment R&D and manufacturing, industrial project investment, construction and operation. It has helped customers deliver 10,000-tonne-scale projects in dozens of countries, including Germany, the UK, Korea, Denmark and Brazil, meeting the environmental and technical standards required in developed markets.

Regulation is accelerating demand. The European Union has introduced the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, raising requirements on the use of recycled materials and drawing international attention to continuous pyrolysis. In response, Niutech has launched its new-generation large industrial continuous intelligent pyrolysis line, with substantial gains in single-unit processing capacity, operating efficiency, cost control and product quality. In waste tire processing, a single unit handles over 100 tonnes per day, and the toluene transmittance of the recovered carbon black has been raised above 80%, yielding high-grade commercial carbon black that can serve as upstream feedstock for tire manufacturing, closing a high-value loop. In waste plastics, including low-value municipal solid waste plastics, ocean plastics and waste textiles such as single or mixed PP, PE, PS, ABS and nylon, a single unit handles over 100 tonnes per day. The line requires no complex washing, sorting, drying or fine crushing before the material can be directly and efficiently cracked in a single step. It produces stable pyrolysis oil, solid fuel and non-condensable combustible gas, the latter used on site to cut the line's energy consumption; the pyrolysis oil can be further processed into chemical feedstock for new plastics, closing the full loop from waste plastic back to new plastic.

The line is operating in multiple overseas markets. In China, Niutech's majority-owned subsidiary Hesheng Environmental Protection was built and commissioned in 2013 and is the first continuous tire recycling project in China. It was the first in the sector to obtain ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) and has operated stably for over 10 years. In 2026, Hesheng launched a 100,000-tonne Phase II project using the new-generation line, lifting capacity to 160,000 tonnes per year. A UK customer assessed Niutech's European and Chinese projects, compared the company against peers worldwide and evaluated the advancement, maturity and stability of its technology and equipment before signing an order worth RMB 198 million, a decision made with real capital that affirms the strength of its core technology and equipment in international waste plastic chemical recycling. Niutech is now accelerating research on extending the clean tire pyrolysis oil chain and new blending pathways, building experience toward SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) and other clean and alternative energy through cooperation with overseas energy majors and in-house R&D.

"The maturity of a technology is best verified through industrial projects," said the head of the marketing department at Niutech. "Our project references in China and overseas are becoming our most persuasive calling card."

About Niutech: Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd. integrates technology R&D and application, high-end equipment manufacturing and sales, and the construction and operation of its own industrial projects. Its pyrolysis equipment has obtained EU CE certification, German TÜV certification, ATEX certification and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), providing integrated "compliant, efficient and high-value" solutions for waste resource recovery worldwide.

Website: www.niutechenergy.com 

Email: [email protected] 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@niutechpyrolysis 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pyrolysistooil 

SOURCE Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd.

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