All posts tagged: humanoid robots

Humanoid robots get to work at German BMW factory [video]

Humanoid robots get to work at German BMW factory [video]

Published by skeptic

After successfully piloting humanoid robots at its Spartanburg, SC plant last year, BMW is putting AI-powered machines to work building EVs at its Leipzig iFACTORY. While other companies trade on promises and plans, BMW has been quietly testing humanoid robots at its Spartanburg, SC plant – and the results have been overwhelmingly positive. The Figure 02 humanoid robots in that project have contributed to the production of over 30,000 BMW X3s, primarily by handling the precise positioning of sheet metal for welding. This second project hopes to build on that success using new machines develped by Zurich-based Hexagon Robotics. Unveiled last June, the new Hexagon AEON robots are equipped with AI-based motion control and sensors that can evaluate their environment and make independent decisions based on what’s around, determining more or less on their own what they need to do to carry out their instructions while avoiding people and things that might otherwise be “in the way.” Hexagon calls that kind of decision-making, self-determining software, “Physical AI,” and the company believes it will make all the difference …

NASA robot completes 10-year mission

NASA robot completes 10-year mission

Published by Jenni Sidey

Valkyrie, a humanoid robot that was previously trained to assist NASA with Mars mission preparations, will soon return to the United States after spending nearly ten years in Edinburgh working with researchers to help improve robotic locomotion. Valkyrie is approximately 1.8 meters tall (6-foot, 2-inches) and weighs around 125 kilograms (300-pounds). For 10 years, it was used at the University of Edinburgh by researchers who wanted to see how humanoids could walk, balance, and recognize their environment. Only three Valkyrie units have been manufactured. The Valkyrie at the University of Edinburgh was the only one outside of the United States. The robot will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, after completing a ten-year lease at the University of Edinburgh, where the research program was hosted. Val — short for Valkyrie — is a 6-foot, 2-inch, 300-pound mass of metal, wires and plastic. (CREDIT: Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0) NASA’s Vision for a Humanoid Robot NASA built Valkyrie to do dangerous work that could not otherwise be done by humans. The future applications …

Good enough for Tesla? Faraday Future pivots to humanoid robots

Good enough for Tesla? Faraday Future pivots to humanoid robots

Published by skeptic

After failing to deliver its long-promised “Tesla killer” EV and missing the Bitcoin- and Doge-fueled profit wave that helped propel $TSLA, Faraday Future ($FFIE) is hoping it’s got what it takes to finally pull ahead of Elon Musk: a full line of consumer robots. Faraday Future announced the formation of FF EAI-Robotics Inc., a new California-based, robot-focused subsidiary of the electric van maker assembler, marking the official launch of its first lineup of “Embodied AI” humanoid and quadruped robots. The news comes just days after Elon Musk announced Tesla would honorably discharge its flagship Model S and X EV line and redirect that production capacity toward Optimus, the humanoid robot Musk insists represents a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity for his electric car tech brand. For their part, Faraday Future seem to agree – but they really, really want you to think this move has been a long time coming: Advertisement – scroll for more content This move is a natural extension of the AI DNA that has been embedded in FF since day one. It is also the …

Humanoid robots set to drive demand for solid-state batteries

Humanoid robots set to drive demand for solid-state batteries

Published by skeptic

Just how big is the market for humanoid robots? Big enough to soak up a whopping ~75 GWh of solid-state battery capacity between now and 2035 – nearly 1500x growth! Party-loving Tesla CEO Elon Musk made headlines recently when he announced plans to honorably discharge the groundbreaking Tesla Model S and Model X EVs. Tesla isn’t replacing them with new EVs. Instead, the company is retooling the production line to manufacture Optimus robots. That choice seems to support a recently published forecast from industry analysts at TrendForce, who predict that the solid-state battery capacity needed for humanoid robots will explode (sorry) from about 0.05 GWh in 2025 to a massive 74.2 GWh by 2035 – a 1500x leap creating a massive new market as these bots hit the factory floors. Global shipments of humanoid robots will exceed 50,000 units by 2026, with a YoY growth of over 700%. The dominant power source for these robots is high-nickel ternary lithium batteries (NMC/NCA), thanks to their higher energy density. Meanwhile, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, being more affordable, …

Humanoid robot connects to satellite, preps for space launch

Humanoid robot connects to satellite, preps for space launch

Published by skeptic

It’s been a big week for humanoid robots with a first-ever humanoid to directly connect to a low-Earth orbit satellite from one firm and plans announced to launch a robot into space by another. It seems like the robot space race is on – and China is winning. China is brushing off its EV sector playbook and trying heavy investment, rapid iteration, and vertical integration in a new area: humanoid robotics. Shenzhen-based Engine AI announced a new partnership with commercial space company Beijing Interstellar Human Spaceflight Technology that aims to send their PM01 humanoid robot into space, a move that would make it the world’s first humanoid robot astronaut. At the same time, the “Embodied Tien Kung” robot developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics (X-Humanoid), established a stable link with a satellite from GalaxySpace, achieving synchronous transmission of the robot’s visual data in what the company claims is a world’s-first instance of a humanoid robot connecting simultaneously to a low-orbit satellite, a smartphone, and a computer. Advertisement – scroll for more content Space is …

Kickboxing robots, self-driving cars: AI-powered tech dominates first major tech showcase of 2026

Kickboxing robots, self-driving cars: AI-powered tech dominates first major tech showcase of 2026

Published by Sam Flores

Other chipmakers were also taking centre stage at CES. Jensen Huang, CEO of chipmaking giant Nvidia – the world’s most valuable publicly traded company – delivered a nearly two-hour keynote, underscoring the company’s central role in the AI boom. “We can now know that AI is going to proliferate everything,” Huang told a packed auditorium. Nvidia’s industry rivals AMD, Intel and Qualcomm also gave keynote speeches at the show, seeking to reassure investors that the AI boom is durable. AMD, in particular, introduced its next-generation AI chip and previewed a new data centre system called Helios. SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES TAKE OVER Meanwhile, autonomous driving technology also dominated the show floor at CES. While it was once the premier venue for debuting electric vehicles, EVs have taken a back seat this year. From planes and sports cars to 60,000-pound combine harvesters, self-driving systems were part of nearly every vehicle showcased. Automation could significantly improve productivity, said American corporation John Deere, which manufactures agricultural machinery and heavy equipment.  “We have a customer here in the booth and he has told …