Executive summary
Humans have long dreamed of creating mechanical versions of ourselves that would look, move, and act just like us. But while industrial robots have become commonplace in factories, the technical challenges of faithfully replicating human movement and intelligence seemed insurmountable. Now, thanks to remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and materials science, we’re finally beginning to bridge the gap between science fiction and reality.
- Modern humanoid robots combine human-like form with sophisticated AI, allowing them to navigate complex environments, handle various objects, and even learn from experience.
- Companies like Tesla and 1X Technologies are developing humanoid robots designed to assist people with household chores.
- The manufacturing and logistics sectors currently lead the adoption of humanoid robots, with major OEMs like BMW and Mercedes-Benz already finding real-world use for them in their facilities.
- “I wouldn’t be surprised if we are the last generation for which those sci-fi scenes are not a reality,” says Alexander Khazatsky, a machine-learning and robotics researcher at Stanford University.
- “The era of a useful humanoid is here, but the path to a truly general-purpose humanoid robot will be long and hard and is many years away,” says Jenny Read, director of the robotics programme at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).
While it’s difficult to predict exactly when humanoid robots will become a common sight in our homes, shopping malls, and public spaces, the trajectory of development is clear. As these machines continue to evolve and improve, becoming safer, more capable, and more affordable, their integration into our daily lives seems inevitable. The question isn’t if humanoid robots will become part of our society, but rather when and how we will adapt to sharing our world with these mechanical helpers.
The rise of humanoid robots
For decades, science fiction has painted vivid pictures of humanoid robots walking among us, doing our jobs, and sometimes even plotting against us. But in the real world, robots have remained distinctly non-anthropomorphic – mostly industrial machines performing specific tasks on factory floors. Fortunately, the gap between fiction and reality is finally closing.
Thanks to some remarkable advancements in AI, robotics, and materials science, we’re beginning to see robots that actually look and move just like humans. These aren’t the menacing machines that Hollywood warned us about, though. They’re not here to overthrow humanity or start a robot revolution. Instead, today’s humanoid robots are being developed to handle the stuff we humans would simply rather not do.
They’re taking on repetitive tasks in warehouses, performing maintenance in dangerous environments, and may soon help with household chores. Some are even being designed as companions for people who need additional support and interaction in their daily lives. While that might not make for a particularly exciting science fiction movie, it is shaping up to be a pretty amazing reality.
Walk like a man
Designed to mimic human form and movement, humanoid robots use AI and sophisticated sensors to perform complex actions that were previously exclusive to humans.
A humanoid robot is exactly what it sounds like – a robot built to mimic human form and movement. These machines typically come with the basics you’d expect: two legs for walking, two arms for handling objects, and a head housing sensors and cameras. But what makes them truly special isn’t their shape – it’s their ability to replicate actions that, until recently, only humans could do.
Modern humanoid robots can walk across various surfaces and pick up and manipulate objects. Some can even learn to run or jump. They are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that helps them make sense of the world around them. They can spot and identify objects, figure out how to get from point A to point B without bumping into things, and deduce how to properly interact with their environment.
The recent rise of generative AI promises to push their capabilities even further. Instead of following a strict set of instructions, humanoid robots may now be able to actually learn from experience and come up with solutions to new problems that they encounter as they navigate their environment – kind of like how we humans figure things out on the fly.
All these new capabilities could open up some exciting possibilities for humanoid robots in a wide range of industries. Probably the most obvious – and most immediate – application is in manufacturing, where humanoid robots can take over the tasks humans find dull, dirty, or downright dangerous. They could also prove useful in healthcare, where they could help deliver personal care to patients, while retail and hospitality sectors could use them for customer service or maintenance work. Humanoid robots may even find themselves travelling to space eventually, working in environments deemed too risky for humans.
Robot vs human
Humanoid robots offer a potential solution to rising labour worker shortages, but the high costs of development and safety concerns are slowing down progress.
With labour costs going up in recent years and many industries now struggling to find workers, it’s easy to see why businesses are intrigued by the prospect of humanoid robots. Unlike human workers, robots don’t need breaks, vacation time, or sick days. They can work around the clock, they don’t get tired or distracted, and they won’t quit to take a better job across town. So, if they really are so much better than us, how come they haven’t already taken our place?
For one, the costs associated with the development of humanoid robots are a non-starter, requiring enormous investments in advanced hardware, sophisticated sensors, and complex control systems. And even with recent technological advancements, creating robots that can match human dexterity remains a formidable engineering challenge.
The lack of adequate training data is another major obstacle. While large language models have benefited from vast repositories of human text, there’s no equivalent dataset for teaching robots how to interact with the physical world. Each movement, from grasping objects to maintaining balance while walking, requires extensive programming and experimentation.
The biggest challenge by far, however, is safety. While industrial robots have been around for decades, they typically operate in controlled environments that have strict safety protocols in place. But what happens when you put a 70-kilogram robot in someone’s home? Or in a busy shopping mall? One wrong move or malfunction could cause serious harm.
“What can it do? It’ll be able to do anything you want. It can be a teacher, babysit your kids. It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.”
Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla
Humanoid robots among us
Companies around the world are working on developing their own versions of humanoid robots, which promise to have a significant impact on various spheres of our lives.
A robot that can do anything you want
Despite the challenges involved with the development of humanoid robots, there is no shortage of companies working on bringing their own creations to life. One of those that has garnered a lot of attention lately is Tesla, which unveiled the latest version of its Optimus robot during its controversial robotaxi event in October 2024. Social media soon became flooded with images of videos showing the faceless humanoid walking confidently around the venue, engaging in games of rock, paper, scissors, and even busting out some dance moves.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk was full of praise for his new creation. “What can it do? It’ll be able to do anything you want,” he said. “It can be a teacher, babysit your kids. It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.” Sounds a bit too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, as it turns out, it was. The social media buzz quickly died down when it came to light that some of the robot’s actions weren’t quite as autonomous as they first appeared.
While Optimus did indeed walk around on its own using AI, many of the more complex interactions – such as conversation – were actually overseen and controlled remotely by human operators. To be fair, Tesla never claimed that the robot was fully autonomous, but it also conveniently neglected to point out that it wasn’t. That being said, there are some aspects of the robot’s performance that shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. The dexterity exhibited by Optimus was real. The way it moved and handled objects were undeniably impressive, offering a tantalising glimpse into a possible future where robots coexist harmoniously alongside humans. We just might get there a little later than Musk predicts.
No more chores
One company that appears to be slightly further along in development is Norway’s 1X Technologies, which recently announced that its new humanoid robot called NEO Beta is ready to be deployed to select homes by the end of the year. Approximately 165cm tall and weighing 30kg, the robot is designed to perform various household tasks, such as cleaning and organising. It uses AI and advanced sensors to respond to voice commands and gestures, and it’s even capable of recognising its owner’s emotional state, enabling it to provide more natural interactions. Furthermore, unlike the majority of other humanoid robots, NEO Beta’s body is covered in clothing, giving it an even more lifelike appearance.
The robot also boasts seamless integration with existing home automation systems, enabling it to take control of a wide range of smart home devices. As it learns your routine over time, this will allow it to automatically adjust the lighting and temperature in your home to better match your preferences. “Our objective is to deliver a product that performs the tasks you prefer not to do, tailored to your specific preferences and lifestyle,” says Bernt Øivind Børnich, 1X’s founder and chief executive. The robot can also tap into your home’s security system, keeping an eye out for any unusual activity and notifying you as soon as it detects something. Another safety feature is the built-in collision avoidance system, which ensures that the robot doesn’t accidentally bump into you as it moves around the home.
Taking over the factory floor
As much as we’d love to have a robot pal to chat with, help with chores, and make our lives easier, the reality is that widespread adoption of home-based humanoid robots is probably still a ways off. But there are other areas where humanoid robots are already making a notable impact. In August 2024, California-based robotics company Figure presented the second generation of its humanoid robot designed for use in sectors like manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing. Unimaginatively named Figure 02, the robot has received several significant upgrades to both its hardware and software compared to the previous iteration.
Most notably, the robot is now equipped with custom AI models developed in collaboration with OpenAI. Alongside a suite of onboard speakers and microphones, these enable the robot to respond to voice commands and engage in conversations with humans. It also features a sophisticated vision language model, which analyses the footage captured by six RGB cameras to help the robot understand its surroundings and decide how best to approach its task most effectively. To test the robot’s capabilities, the company put it to trial at BMW’s manufacturing facility in South Carolina. Over the course of a fortnight, Figure 02 was able to successfully complete various tasks involved in automotive assembly, including inserting sheet metal parts into assembly fixtures, a task that requires high dexterity.
Similarly, Texas-based robotics company Apptronik signed an agreement with Mercedes-Benz in March 2024, which will see the automotive giant deploy Apptronik’s humanoid robot, Apollo, at a handful of its assembly plants. According to the company, the robot is capable of performing a wide range of manufacturing and logistics tasks, including trailer unloading, case picking, and palletization. The robot’s head, mouth, and chest are equipped with LED screens, which display its current status, including the designated task and battery levels. To ensure that Apollo can operate safely in an environment designed for humans, Apptronik added several advanced safety features. For example, when the robot detects an object entering its impact radius, it will immediately cease operation, reducing the risk of accidents.
Space, the final frontier
Besides our homes and factories, humanoid robots may one day operate in outer space as well. In space, even routine maintenance tasks can be hazardous for astronauts. Every spacewalk carries inherent risks, from radiation exposure to equipment malfunction. This is precisely where NASA’s Valkyrie comes in.
Standing at 188cm and weighing a hefty 136kg, the humanoid robot is certainly a formidable presence worthy of its name, which originates in Norse mythology. Initially developed to assist in disaster response situations, where it could be used to venture into dangerous or damaged environments deemed too risky for human responders, Valkyrie is currently also being tested at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to determine whether its abilities could translate into the vacuum of space.
According to NASA, the robot would be used to handle various maintenance tasks, from cleaning solar panels to inspecting equipment outside the spacecraft, enabling human astronauts to fully dedicate themselves to exploration and scientific research. “We’re not trying to replace human crews, we’re really just trying to take the dull, dirty and dangerous work off their plates to allow them to focus on those higher-level activities,” explains Shaun Azimi, lead of the dexterous robotics team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
“The difference between hacking robots and hacking a computer is that computers have no physical manifestation. Robots can cause actual physical damage and harm people.”
Alex Ivkovic, chief information officer at US packaging manufacturer CDF Corporation
Coming to a home near you?
While some experts believe that humanoid robots will soon achieve widespread adoption, the majority are sceptical about their use in homes and public spaces.
So, how long before humanoid robots become a common sight in our everyday lives? Some believe it will happen within the next couple of decades. “I think by 2040, there will probably be more humanoid robots than there are people,” proclaims Elon Musk. However, considering his proclivity to make wild predictions about the future and his personal investment in the technology, this one should absolutely be taken with a grain of salt. Still, he’s not alone in the belief that humanoid robots are soon coming to a home near you. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we are the last generation for which those sci-fi scenes are not a reality,” says Alexander Khazatsky, a machine-learning and robotics researcher at Stanford University.
While they do not deny the progress made in the development of humanoid robots, most experts are sceptical about their ability to seamlessly integrate into our homes and public spaces. “It’s one thing for them to interact with a fellow worker at an Amazon facility or a Ford factory, because that’s a trained worker working with that robot,” remarks Aaron Prather, the director of Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program at standards organisation ASTM International. “But if I put that robot out in the public park, how’s it going to interact with kids? How’s it going to interact with folks that don’t understand what’s going on?”
There is also the risk that humanoid robots could be hacked by malicious actors, which could potentially be a far graver threat than hacked computers or IoT devices. “The difference between hacking robots and hacking a computer is that computers have no physical manifestation,” explains Alex Ivkovic, chief information officer at US packaging manufacturer CDF Corporation. “Robots can cause actual physical damage and harm people.”
Considering the risks, it may be a while before we see humanoid robots in our homes. “The era of a useful humanoid is here, but the path to a truly general-purpose humanoid robot will be long and hard and is many years away,” says Jenny Read, director of the robotics programme at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria). “Let’s get to the point where a robot can reliably disassemble a laptop or make you a sandwich, and then we’ll think about how it might care for an elderly person.”
A glimpse into the future
Considering the rapid pace of technological progress, humanoid robots could one day be advanced enough to be safely integrated into every fabric of our society. What ethical questions will this raise?
While predicting technology’s path and pace is never easy, we can already see certain trends taking shape. By the decade’s end, we’ll likely see humanoid robots establish themselves in industrial settings. They’ll start with basic tasks in factories and warehouses, gradually taking on more complex responsibilities as the technology matures. Moving into the 2030s, we might see the first wave of truly practical household robots. These probably won’t be the all-purpose robot butlers of science fiction, though. Instead, they will be specialised helpers that can handle specific tasks like loading the dishwasher, doing laundry, or helping elderly people with basic daily activities. They’ll likely be expensive at first, appearing in wealthy homes and high-end care facilities, before becoming more widely available later on.
By the 2040s, the technology could become sophisticated enough for humanoid robots to work in more complex environments. We might see them in hospitals assisting medical staff, in construction sites working alongside human builders, or even in space helping to build and maintain lunar or Martian bases. Looking further into the future, we might see developments that fundamentally reshape society. Robots could become sophisticated enough to serve as teachers, medical practitioners, or even artists. They might participate in scientific research, making discoveries and advancing human knowledge in unprecedented ways. Some futurists suggest we might see robots developing their own cultures and societies, parallel to but distinct from human ones.
This could raise profound ethical questions: At what point does a robot deserve rights? If a robot can think, feel, and make independent decisions, should it be treated as property or as a form of artificial life? We might find ourselves debating robot citizenship, voting rights, or even robot-human relationships. Could robots own property? Should they be paid for their work? What happens if a robot commits a crime – who’s responsible? These questions could spark intense ethical debates and require entirely new legal frameworks.
Learnings
So, what’s the big takeaway here? While media headlines often focus on potential threats, the real story may be far more nuanced and ultimately more optimistic. Humanoid robots aren’t here to replace us but to augment human capability and free us from mundane tasks. Just as the industrial revolution didn’t end human work but transformed it, the robotics revolution may redirect human energy toward more meaningful pursuits.
The rise of humanoid robots may not unfold exactly as Hollywood imagined, but it promises to be no less transformative. The real challenge ahead isn’t just technological – it’s about thoughtfully integrating these machines into our society in ways that enhance, rather than compromise, human wellbeing. If we can achieve that, we may find ourselves on the cusp of a new era of human achievement, supported by mechanical helpers that are finally ready to shoulder some of our burdens.
