Humanoid Robots will Transform Manufacturing

The global workforce is on the brink of transformation, driven by a new wave of humanoid robots that bring human-like adaptability and intelligence to warehouses, restaurants, homes and even factory floors. The surge of innovation isn’t just confined to a single company; it spans a diverse group of leading robotics firms, each contributing uniquely to this exciting evolution. 

Argon Mechatronics, Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, Figure.AI, Unitree, Agility Robotics, and Tesla are reshaping what’s possible for the next wave of intelligent automation. This is the story of how these advanced humanoid systems are transforming the workforce.

Boston Dynamics, well-known for the viral videos of its dancing, jumping and parkour-savvy robotic creations like Atlas, is now extending its influence to industry. Spot, their quadruped robot, is already being used for industrial inspections, construction site monitoring, and safety operations, showcasing the versatility of robots in challenging environments. 

Spot can be equipped with a variety of accessories, such as the Spot CAM+ for panoramic views and Spot Core for integrating custom applications, making it a useful tool for inspection and automation. The humanoid Atlas, meanwhile, can take these abilities to the next level, extending them to search and rescue and plant and equipment operations.    READ MORE...

Contract for ROGOTS

GXO Logistics, one of the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, and Agility Robotics, creator of the bipedal Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) Digit, have signed a multi-year agreement to begin deploying Digit in GXO’s logistics operations.

This agreement, which follows a proof-of-concept pilot in late 2023, is both the industry’s first formal commercial deployment of humanoid robots and first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) deployment of humanoid robots.

Adrian Stoch, Chief Automation Officer, GXO, says: “We’re building on the success of last year’s groundbreaking pilot with Agility by deploying fully operational Digit humanoids into a live warehouse environment.

“Our R&D approach is to partner with developers all over the world to help them build and validate practical use cases that improve the working environment for our employees while optimizing operations for our customers.           READ MORE...

Humanoid Robots in Warehouses

Humanoid robots are on their way to warehouses as companies start to move beyond the disembodied arms, moving trays and other machines aimed at speeding up logistics operations.


Agility Robotics, Figure AI and Boston Dynamics are among companies designing robots more closely modeled on human beings for use in distribution centers. The new machines are being engineered with the ability to walk around warehouses, reach items high on shelves, crouch to put things down and pick up and move boxes, defying some of the physical limits on automation in the industrial world.

The robot developers say their devices will help warehouse operators mitigate labor shortfalls and eliminate the need to redesign warehouses to match the capabilities of machines.

Logistics operators have been adding automation to their warehouses for years to speed up the stacking and retrieving of goods and to take some of the most burdensome, repetitive tasks off workers. Many of the devices are designed to work in concert with employees by taking on tasks such as hauling heavy goods or bringing totes of items directly to workers.  READ MORE...

Tesla's Bot Video

In the wake of Agility Robotics announcing their intention to scale production to 10,000 bipedal humanoid robots every year, Fourier Intelligence, a technology-driven company specializing in exoskeleton and rehabilitation robots, released a new video showcasing its GR-1 humanoid robot and production facilities.

Set in Salem, Oregon, “RoboFab”, Agility Robotics’ 70,000-square-foot robot factory is slated to open later this year and manufacture the company’s bipedal robot Digit.

“When you’re building new technology to improve society, the most important milestone is when you’re able to mass produce that technology at a scale where it can have a real, widespread impact,” Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO Damion Shelton said.

With recent developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics engineering, the prospects for a human-esque robot capable of performing the actions of real people have been better than ever before.

Fourier Intelligence’s GR-1— first unveiled at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai— is equipped to assist patients from their beds to wheelchairs and pick up objects, boosted by the ability to carry loads of up to 110lb (50kg).

The newly released video flaunts Fourier Intelligence’s production prowess, custom-built actuators, and body parts that are being 3D printed.

And it isn't just Fourier Intelligence seemingly interested in reminding the public of their existence.

Optimus not-at-its-prime.
Tesla issued an update on its take on a humanoid robot, Optimus, with a video that eerily looks CGI-like.

What seemed like a half-baked idea from Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk when first announced was not helped by an underwhelming demo organized by the company at Tesla AI Day last year.

Optimus, barely able to walk about and wave wearily at the crowds, has since gained strength and credibility, reported Electrek.

The new video released by Tesla depicts the bot autonomously sorting objects by color amidst human interruption and self-calibrating its arms and legs.

The humanoid leverages vision and joint position encoders to locate its limbs in space, which allows for precise calibration and efficient learning of tasks. Optimus now trains using a neural network that runs entirely on-board.

The company claims Optimus' capabilities to include learning new tasks such as un-sorting and ended the video with the bot flaunting its dexterity. “Time to stretch after a long day of work,” the company captioned.   READ MORE...