Foundation Sends Cease & Desist Over ‘Humanoids for War’ Deck
Foundation Future Industries sent me a cease-and-desist after I reported on the company’s claims about Department of War funding and humanoid robot deployments in Ukraine.
Phantom MK1
The Phantom MK1 is a humanoid robot developed by the U.S.-based startup Foundation Robotics Lab, founded in 2024 in San Francisco. Standing about 175 cm (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighing around 80 kg (175 lbs), it is designed for industrial and defense-related applications. The robot can carry payloads of about 20 kg (44 lbs) and reach walking speeds of roughly 1.7 m/s (3.8 mph). It uses a camera-based perception system combined with whole-body motion control and cycloidal gear actuators for high torque and energy efficiency.
The Biggest Urban Legends in Humanoid Robotics
The humanoid robotics sector has its own urban legends that rarely get debunked. The companies building the robots have little incentive to pushback on them so I will.
Are Humanoid Robots Ready for the Battlefield?
AI-generated footage of Chinese humanoid robots preparing for war is going viral across social media, stoking fears that the kind of future the movies warned about is imminent.
Foundation Claims It’s Sending Skynet-Powered Humanoids to Ukraine
The San Francisco startup Foundation Future Industries says it’s secured a contract to supply the Ukrainian military with its industrial Phantom MK1 humanoid robots.
Anduril’s Luckey Speaks at Reindustrialize 2025 in Robotic Form
Palmer Luckey, the eccentric founder of defense tech unicorn Anduril Industries, appeared at Reindustrialize 2025 through a robotic humanoid avatar.
M3GAN’s World is Closer Than You Think
M3GAN dropped right as the world was waking up to just how real and powerful artificial intelligence had become.
‘Literal War Machine’ Phantom MK1 Robot Debuts at San Francisco Nightclub
A humanoid robot built for war recently made its public debut at a San Francisco nightclub of all places.