Microsoft's Rho-alpha robot model brings touch-aware two-armed control in January 2026

In late January 2026, Microsoft introduced Rho-alpha, a robotic foundation model that coordinates two arms using vision, language, and tactile sensing. The system adjusts its grip based on physical feedback for tasks like inserting plugs and assembling parts, and will first roll out via an Early Access Program before becoming available on the Microsoft Foundry platform. Manufacturers and logistics firms can then adapt Rho-alpha with their own data for repetitive handling and small-batch assembly work.