Humanoid Robots
Ongoing coverage on Humanoid Robots.
Latest coverage
Elon Musk says Tesla Optimus Robot will ship to outside customers by end of 2027
Elon Musk announced that Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot is expected to ship to outside customers by the end of 2027. He noted that significant technological and AI barriers need to be overcome before the robot's release, with Tesla aiming to produce 10 million units annually.
August was a milestone month if you love watching robots completely eat it
August 2026 was a notable month for observing robotic failures, particularly at the World Robot Humanoid Games in Beijing. The article highlights numerous instances of robots malfunctioning, falling, catching fire, and exhibiting erratic behavior during various competitions and demonstrations, including a robotic barber incident and a laser mosquito-killing system.
Why China’s Carmakers Are Racing Into Humanoid Robots — Tesla’s Bet, Copied
Chinese automakers, facing declining car profit margins, are heavily investing in humanoid robots, mirroring Tesla's strategy. Xpeng's robotics arm recently secured significant funding, highlighting a broader trend across the sector with companies like BYD and Chery also developing humanoid robots. While hardware manufacturing is a strength for these companies, catching up to Tesla in AI development remains a key challenge.
Tiangong Ultra Clocked 9.39 Seconds Over 100 Meters — Then Crashed Into a Foam Pad
At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a robot named Tiangong Ultra achieved a 100-meter sprint time of 9.39 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's human record. However, the event was marked by robots crashing into safety pads after crossing the finish line, highlighting current limitations in control and braking systems. The same robot family had previously recorded a 21.5-second sprint a year prior, showcasing rapid advancements in speed.
Humanoid robots have beaten Usain Bolt's 100-meter dash record
Humanoid robots have reportedly surpassed Usain Bolt's 100-meter dash record, though the article notes their performance was visually unappealing. This development marks a significant milestone in robotic locomotion and athletic capability.
Robot Olympics runner bravely sprints headfirst into wall and collapses in shower of sparks, is not a metaphor
During a training session for the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a competing robot runner malfunctioned spectacularly, sprinting into a safety barrier at full speed and breaking at the waist. The incident resulted in a shower of sparks and smoke from the robot's internal mechanisms. The event features thousands of robots competing in over 50 events, including athletic contests and scenario-based tasks.
Evening Tech Bits
South Korea plans to invest $1 trillion in expanding memory chip production and developing humanoid robots. Meanwhile, a county with 37 data centers has asked schools to conserve electricity.
NVIDIA's Isaac Gr00t platform gives researchers access to frontier humanoid robotics
NVIDIA has unveiled the Isaac Gr00t, a new reference design platform for humanoid robots. This platform integrates advanced humanoid robot capabilities, five-fingered hands, and the NVIDIA Jetson Thor compute system, aimed at providing researchers with access to frontier humanoid robotics technology.
Humanoid taps Bosch for humanoid robot production
Humanoid and Bosch are collaborating to bring their humanoid robots into production. This partnership aims to scale up the manufacturing of these advanced robotic systems.
Meta acquires robotics AI startup as it makes the push into humanoid machines
Meta has acquired the robotics AI startup Assured Robot Intelligence. The staff from Assured Robot Intelligence will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs as the company increases its focus on developing humanoid robots.
April's top 5 robots: they fail, they flail, they play ping pong and poop NFTs
This article highlights five notable robot developments from April, ranging from Sony AI's ping-pong playing robot Ace to artist Beeple's robot dogs that poop NFTs. It also covers a robot that packs itself into a box, a marathon-running robot that self-destructed, and a malfunctioning robot at a school sports day.
Morning Tech Bits
Developers from Capcom and Ubisoft expressed surprise at the announcement of DLSS 5, stating they learned about it concurrently with the public. Separately, Micron predicts that driverless cars and humanoid robots will be more significant than PCs or LLMs in the future.