The demonstration
Eka Robotics raised $150 million at a $1.45 billion valuation. Its system combines vision, force sensing and simulation-based training to grasp different objects. TechCrunch reports up to 1,500 items under one kilogram per hour, versus roughly 600 for a person, and a claimed success rate above 95%. A researcher praised its ability to adapt without retraining. That is a meaningful approach to a difficult robotics problem.
The missing field test
The human comparison covers one task under demonstration conditions. It does not establish faster performance across a whole production line, safe work beside people or a positive return on installation. Eka is running private industrial pilots. The article itself notes the challenge of keeping a machine working for a year without breaking down. Investor valuation and enthusiastic expert reactions are signals of interest, not substitutes for independent results from real factories.