1X Technologies (Norway based, OpenAI is an investor): NEO
1X designs androids that work alongside people, to meet the world’s labor demands and build an abundant society.
1x.tech
Meet EVE.
The smarter working android, available now. Currently in operation across the world, EVE is a wheeled android built to work alongside your team from logistics to retail.
Meet NEO.
Your intelligent android assistant, currently in development. NEO is a bipedal android with humanoid hands designed for general applications.
In Production?
Eve was announced in 2020, and while there are several videos showing its capabilities, and it is said to be in operation around the world, I have not yet seen evidence it is yet in mass production or been able to find pricing.
History.
EVE, a wheeled, self-balancing humanoid robot, was created by 1X Technologies, a robotics startup headquartered in Moss, outside Olso, in Norway, that aims to “pursue producing androids at commercial scale.”
In early 2023, 1X announced it had closed a funding round of US $23.5 million led by OpenAI. The company plans to use the funds to advance manufacturing of EVE in Norway and North America, and “increase the efforts of building its upcoming bipedal android model NEO.”
1X, formerly known as Halodi Robotics, was founded in 2014 by Bernt Øivind Børnich, which currently serves as CEO, and Nguyen Ho Quoc Phuong, the chief science officer.
1X is focusing on developing specialized, custom robotics hardware. For EVE and NEO, it designed and built a proprietary motor called Revo1. The company claims Revo1 is the “world’s highest torque to weight direct drive servo […] tailored explicitly for low gear-ratio robotics.”
The motor is designed to work together with a low inertial cable driven transmission, producing no backlash, extremely low friction, and high torque. This allows EVE to self-balance on wheels and perform dexterous manipulation with dual arms in full torque control.
By partnering with OpenAI, 1X wants to combine robotics and artificial intelligence to create embodied AI. Robots that can be trained in real-world scenarios will lead to safer, more intuitive and intelligent interactions between robots and people, the company says.
The March 2023 funding round was led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, with participation from Tiger Global and a consortium of Norway-based investors, including Sandwater, Alliance Ventures, and Skagerak Capital.
Robotsguide.com
Agility Robotics (USA): Digit
Agility Robotics has a partnership with Amazon, and has demonstrated its robots in use within Amazon, although they are not yet in day to day use at Amazon.
The current “Digit” robot was introduced first introduced in 2019, but now in 2023 has been further refined, AI enabled, and is the company is now working on mass production.
Agility Robotics is wrapping up construction of a factory in Salem, Oregon, where it plans to mass produce its first line of humanoid robots, called Digit. Each robot has two legs and two arms and is engineered to maneuver freely and work alongside humans in warehouses and factories.
The 70,000-square-foot facility, which the company is calling the “RoboFab,” is the first of its kind, according to Damion Shelton, co-founder and CEO of Agility Robotics.
COO Aindrea Campbell, who was formerly Apple’s senior director of iPad operations and an engineering manager at Ford, told CNBC that the facility will have a 10,000 unit annual max capacity when it’s fully built out and will employ more than 500 people. For now, though, Agility Robotics is focused on the installation and testing of its first production lines.
CNBC: Sept 2023: Agility Robotics is opening a humanoid robot factory, beating Tesla to the punch
In production?
At least they are building the factory, but neither a production schedule or pricing structure is yet clear, and the company is still in the venture capital funding stage.
It is an interesting challenge of how to build a factory to produce robots that can then put to work in factory production lines.
History.
Agility Robotics appears to have grown out of the 2009 Atrias project within Oregon State University, in to a comericail opertation that in 2017 produced the Cassie project robot.
Since Cassie’s introduction in 2017, in collaboration with artificial intelligence professor Alan Fern OSU students funded by the National Science Foundation and the DARPA Machine Common Sense program have been exploring machine learning options for the robot.
Cassie, the first bipedal robot to use machine learning to control a running gait on outdoor terrain, completed the 5K on Oregon State’s campus untethered and on a single battery charge.
“The Dynamic Robotics Laboratory students in the OSU College of Engineering combined expertise from biomechanics and existing robot control approaches with new machine learning tools,” said Hurst, who co-founded Agility in 2017. “This type of holistic approach will enable animal-like levels of performance. It’s incredibly exciting.”
Cassie, with knees that bend like an ostrich’s, taught itself to run with what’s known as a deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Running requires dynamic balancing – the ability to maintain balance while switching positions or otherwise being in motion – and Cassie has learned to make infinite subtle adjustments to stay upright while moving.
Bipedal robot developed at Oregon State makes history by learning to run, completing 5K
Apptronik (USA Texas): Apollo
Apollo was developed from Apptronik’s experience and expertise in building over 10 previous robots including NASA’s Valkyrie robot.
Apollo will operate in warehouses and manufacturing plants in the near term eventually extending into construction, oil and gas, electronics production, retail, home delivery, elder care and countless more areas.
Apollo is the first commercial humanoid robot that was designed for friendly interaction, mass manufacturability, high payloads and safety
Apptronix web site: March 2024
Production?
The company is making pitches to potential customers, but I have not seen mention of production facilities, nor trials with potential customers.
History.
We were founded in early 2016 with the goal of bringing forth the next generation of robots that will change the way we live and work. We have built some of the most diverse robots, spanning from exoskeletons to humanoid torsos, biped mobility platforms, and unique robotic arms that lift more than they weigh. The experience and learning from all this work led to the development of Apollo, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot.
Apptronix “about us” history.
There is rather vague mention “Multiple Govt and Private Sector Projects fund development of technology: Exoskeletons, Humanoid, and Logistics Arm” dating back to 2004, but the founders teaming with the NASA @ DARPA robotics challenge in 2015 is the next event in the timeline.
The Apollo – Alpha robot was launched in 2023.
Boston Dynamics (Now Hyundai owned): Atlas
One of the most famous robot companies, Boston Dynamics, now in 2024 has released their first commercial humanoid robot.
The new Atlas: From hydraulic to all electric in 2024.
After a decade of a research Atlas robot using hydraulics for movement, a new all electric Atlas has been announced.
Production?
-to be updated –
Boston Dynamics has been selling the ‘Spot’ robot dog on the mass market since 2019, but as per the review above, the price of $75,000 has seen it gain sales for a small number of commercial applications but makes it less attractive for consumers than something like the Unitree robots that are at price points suitable for consumers.
The humanoid Atas robot dates all the way back to 2013, and while impressive, it is really only a research project that can demonstrate capabilities, but little else.
Figure (USA with key investors including OpenAI): Figure 01
Figure AI, formed in 2022, and now with industry partners and investors including Open AI, Microsoft, Amazon and Intel, is one of the fastest moving companies in the humanoid AI robot space.
Almost everyone has now heard of Chat-GPT, the online AI system from the organisation Open AI that within one year transformed what can be asked of the internet.
This video shown here is the humanoid robot from Figure from figure being used to demonstrate Open AI software in use in a robot.
Production?
The Figure master plan is quite vague on timelines, and although 2 of the 3 appear complete, step 3 seems to first focus on “unsafe and undesirable jobs” and has even stated that mission could “take decades”:
Figure master plan.
- Build a feature-complete electromechanical humanoid.
- Perform human-like manipulation.
- Integrate humanoids into the labor force.
At this time Figure is making impressive demos and seems to have secured funding that provides it with a long window before it needs to be making a profit, however their focus on moving at a fast pace is likely to see robots in the marketplace well before they need to make a profit, although they may be still a few years from mass production ramping up production is one of the stated goals of February 2024 funding.
History.
Founded in 2022 mostly likely with founder funding and then with funding of $70 million in 2023 and another $675 million in February 2024 at a valuation of US$2.6 billion.
Figure, a startup that wants to build general-purpose humanoid robots, has raised $70 million from investors led by Parkway Venture Capital in its first external round, the company said on Wednesday.
The new funding will be used to accelerate the development and manufacturing of the company’s first autonomous humanoid, which is expected to launch in the next few months. The valuation of the one-year-old company was not disclosed, but a source close to the firm put the value at over $400 million.
AI startup Figure raises $70 million to build humanoid robots
Feb 29 (Reuters) – Robotics startup Figure said on Thursday it raised $675 million in a funding round from investors including Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab founder Jeff Bezos at a valuation of $2.6 billion.
Sunnyvale, California-based Figure also said it signed a collaboration with OpenAI to develop generative artificial intelligence for its humanoid robots.
The launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI has generated interest in AI, with companies investing million of dollars to cash in on the trend.
Other companies involved in the Figure funding include OpenAI Startup Fund, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Parkway Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures and ARK Invest.
Brett Adcock, Figure’s founder and CEO, said the company will use the funding to develop large language models for robotics, ramp up manufacturing and hire more people.
Robotics startup Figure raises $675 mln from Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI
Fourier Intelligence (China): GR1
The company’s website describes a company focusing on robotics for therapeutic and rehabilitation applications.
Despite being described as the “World’s first mass-produced humanoid robot” it is not clear what customers there are for the GR-1 at this time. The company videos even show the robot making coffee in a kitchen, but it does not appear positioned as a domestic helper for the very wealthy. Applications listed are:
- Research & Education
- Robot Receptionist
- Performance & Exhibition
- Security Inspection
- Manufacturing
- Medical & Rehab
Overall, the impression is of a company initially focused on medical and rehab that has found itself with a product suited to a much wider set of applications, but still formulating a marketing plan for the wider market.
Production.
In mid-2023, Fourier Intelligence launched its first general-purpose bipedal robot GR-1. This product has a sleek appearance, outstanding motion capabilities, and is among the first models in the industry to achieve mass production and delivery.
At the same time, Fourier Intelligence has also applied general-purpose robotics at scale in medical and rehabilitation scenarios. Through its RehabHub™ product matrix, it has provided high-performance rehabilitation robots and comprehensive solutions to more than 2,000 clients from more than 40 countries and regions around the world.
About – Fourier Intelligence
History.
Founded in 2015, Fourier Intelligence is a general-purpose robot platform company. With full-stack core robotic technologies as the cornerstone and innovative robotic products as the carrier, Fourier Intelligence is committed to transforming all walks of life through intelligent technology and allowing everyone to enjoy a better life.
The company’s headquarters is located in Shanghai, China. It aligns with its overseas head office in Singapore to build an international R&D, production and sales network.
About – Fourier Intelligence
Sanctuary AI (Canada): Phoenix
The Phoenix robot is described as:
The world’s first humanoid general-purpose robot powered by Carbon™, our pioneering AI control system, and designed for work. Phoenix™ is the only general-purpose robot featured in TIME’s Best Inventions 2023.
Sanctuary AI website: 2024.
Production.
So far production is more about robots that can achieve enough to support online content than robots in customer sites. Stay tuned.
History.
The year was 2018. Co-founders Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert, Olivia Norton, and Ajay Agrawal established Sanctuary as a safe place for those with a shared passion for AI and robotics to gather and work collaboratively on perhaps the most complex technical challenge in front of humankind: how to build a human-like brain and system that’s capable of executing human-like tasks in a safe way.
Key team members Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert were previously at D-Wave, a quantum computing company, Olivia Norton and Ajay Argawal have AI experience.
Tesla (USA): Optimus
The official Tesla video embedded here shows the evolution up to “Gen 2”, although there are less reliable reports that “Gen 3” has now been developed and being readied for production.
Elon musk has claimed that the robots will cost “much less than a car” with a not necessarily reliable prediction of US$20,000.
Optimus, also known as Tesla Bot, is a conceptual general-purpose robotic humanoid under development by Tesla, Inc.[1] It was announced at the company’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day event on August 19, 2021.[1] CEO Elon Musk claimed during the event that Tesla would likely build a prototype by 2022.[2] Musk is on record having said that he thinks Optimus “has the potential to be more significant than [Tesla’s] vehicle business over time.”[3][4]
Wikipedia.
Production.
While a company who can produce over 1 million electric vehicles per year can clearly also produce a large number of robots, “Optimus” does (March 2024) yet appear to be mass production ready, and I have not yet seen even a classically optimistic Elon Musk estimate on production but will keep looking. Meanwhile, there are signs that Tesla is preparing for introduction on to the factory floor:
Tesla has over 60 job listings related to the development of its humanoid robot, Optimus. One of the vacancies calls for a Technical Program Manager for the Tesla bot team. The job description suggests that Tesla is ready to test Optimus in factories.
“The Tesla Bot team is seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager to drive the deployment of robots for trial applications. They will work daily with design engineering, infrastructure, manufacturing, and operations teams to identify and execute pilot applications of humanoid robots in various manufacturing environments.
Enthusiastic Teslarati article March 2024: Tesla bot Optimus ready for field tests at factories
Although the above article states Tesla is “ready for field tests”, hopefully the reality is “getting ready for field tests”, as it seems unlikely the company would only think about hiring people needed to plan and manage field tests after they were fully ready to begin.
With Elon Musk at the helm, Tesla attracts criticism that is often but not always valid. The Optimus robot in the video linked in this article may be being trained in an activity, and the purpose of the video may be to demonstrate how the robot is trained, rather than to deceive.
History.
While the history of Optimus only dates to 2021, Tesla history goes way back to 2003 and even before Elon Musk invested in the company in 2004 and began to take an active role in 2005.
Most significantly, since the year 2020, Tesla has been a highly profitable company, and the only highly profitable company with a publicly announced bipedal robot so far.
UBTech (China): Walker S.
Walker S is a new generation of industrial humanoid robot developed by UBTECH Robotics. It’s designed for industrial applications and represents a significant advancement in the company’s efforts to implement humanoid robots in manufacturing scenarios
Founded in March 2012 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, UBTech Robotics Corp Ltd (深圳市优必选科技股份有限公司) is a manufacturer of humanoid robots.
UBTech was founded by Jian Zhou, who played a central role in the company’s establishment and growth. The company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on December 29, 2023 under the stock code HKG: 9880.
UBTech’s product line covers both consumer and enterprise users, including educational robots, logistics robots, and intelligent service robots customized for specific industries.
UBTech’s robotic products are equipped with intelligent functions for sensing, interacting, analyzing and processing human commands and the external environment, such as map building, temperature measurement and face recognition.According to Frost & Sullivan, UBTech ranks third in China’s intelligent service robots and intelligent service robotics solutions industry with a 2.8 percent market share as of 2022.
UBTech Robotics Corp Ltd
UBTech Walker S robots are already in pilot programs on auto assembly lines.
In a next-level automation move, Chinese EV maker NIO (NYSE: NIO) is piloting humanoid robots on its EV assembly line at one of its factories.
Watch this humanoid robot work on NIO’s EV assembly line
Products from humanoid robot maker UBTech Robotics may have made their way into BYD‘s production lines, local media outlet Jiemian said in a report today, citing supply chain sources.
When asked, Zhou Jian, CEO of the Shenzhen-based robot maker, said he couldn’t confirm it, but that the company was already in contact with a number of new energy vehicle (NEV) companies, according to the report.
BYD may be using products from humanoid robot maker UBTech in its production lines, report says
In production.
Biped robots: small scale.
Customer service and other robots: full production.
While most bipedal robots in 2023 were still only produced in demonstration number for trade shows, UBTech has biped robots at customer sites.
History.
The company was formed in 2012 and produced their first product, a miniature humanoid “toy size” Alpha robot for use in education in 2014.
Ubtech’s soccer-playing Walker robot has a new pair of arms at CES 2019
Unitree Robotics (China): G1, H1
In June 2024, the G1 brings the entry price of humanoid robots down to $16,000, although reported that price does not include hands, and is still not yet targeted at the consumer market, unlike the Unitree robot dogs listed below.
In March 2024, joining its biggest selling Go2 robot dog that now sells for US$1,600, was the humanoid H1 robot:
Embodied AI, Price below $90k, Preview over half-a-year achievement. The highest-power-performance robot of its counterparts with similar specifications in the world, weigh ~47Kg, maximum joint torque of 360N.m
UnitreeRobotics-Shop page: March 2024.
Of all the humanoid robots on this list, this the only one on a “shop” page with a price. OK, unlike the Unitree GO2 the H1 is not something the average person could consider purchasing, but for someone employing factory workers, given the H1 can in theory work basically 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, there may be cases where it could free up some people from very repetitive tasks. Plus, considering the price drop from Unitree A1 in 2017 to the already groundbreaking GO1 in 2021 to the GO2 in 2024, a future where consumers might be able to consider an H2 or an H3 or something does seem conceivable.
ROBOT HARDWARE QUADRUPED ROBOTS UNITREE
In 2017, we first wrote about the Chinese startup Unitree Robotics, which had the goal of “making legged robots as popular and affordable as smartphones and drones.” Relative to the cost of other quadrupedal robots (like Boston Dynamics’ $74,000 Spot), Unitree’s quadrupeds are very affordable, with their A1 costing under $10,000 when it became available in 2020. This hasn’t quite reached the point of consumer electronics that Unitree is aiming for, but they’ve just gotten a lot closer: now available is the Unitree Go1, a totally decent looking small size quadruped that can be yours for an astonishingly low $2700.
Unitree’s Go1 Robot Dog Looks Pretty Great, Costs Just USD $2700 This seems like an incredibly low price for what appears to be a very capable little robot
Production
Clearly, the H1 was at least ready for production, even though the $90,000 price, with even given Elon Musk is talking about $20,000, seems to reflect a high premium for being an early adopter. The G1 at $16,000 is now getting to the high end of consumer pricing but is still not a consumer product. Unlike the UBTech Walker S there is no media about deployments in factories.
History.
The founder and current CEO left drone maker DJI to form Unitree in 2016, releasing the quadruped robots Laikago in 2017, Aliengo in 2019, A1 in 2020, Go1 in 2021 and Go2 in 2023.
During his master’s degree, based on understanding foreign literature, Wang Xingxing, the current CEO of Unitree Robotics, independently developed the XDog, a full-degree-of-freedom high-powered quadruped robot driven by a low-cost external rotor brushless motor (X means mystery).
2013-2016 Origins from Unitree website.
XPeng Robotics (China): PX5
XPENG Motors unveiled its first self-developed humanoid bipedal robot, the PX5, at the 1024 Xiaopeng Automotive Technology Day held today. This robot boasts top-tier bipedal walking and obstacle-crossing capabilities in the industry, achieved through its self-developed high-performance joints, ensuring high stability in robot locomotion. It can perform indoor and outdoor walking and obstacle traversal for more than 2 hours. Additionally, the PX5 features ultra-lightweight humanoid arms and dexterous hands, with eleven degrees of freedom in a single hand and a gripping force of 1 kg. It utilizes a hybrid rigid-soft drive scheme, allowing it to grasp and envelop objects of various shapes. Notably, the PX5 integrates control and drive in one unit, weighing only 430g in a single hand, and is equipped with end-point tactile perception capabilities. Furthermore, the PX5 incorporates an ultra-lightweight humanoid mechanical arm with seven degrees of freedom, achieving a repeat positioning accuracy of 0.05mm, with a load-to-weight ratio exceeding 0.6 (3kg maximum payload/5kg self-weight). It can reach a maximum end-point linear velocity of 1m/s.
2023 October: XPENG Unveils Its First Self-developed Humanoid Robot PX5
Production.
XPeng is one of the China’s most prominent “new energy” electric vehicle manufacturers. Not on the Tesla/BYD level of sales volume or profitability, but on self-driving technology, many feel XPeng is on a level at least similar to Tesla, and VW groups is partnering with XPeng on software technology.
Overall, XPeng can be seen as having similar credentials to Tesla for entering the robot market and being capable of producing robots, with the one exception of “cash”.
History.
While the PX5 robot has only a short history, the overall history of XPeng dates back to 2015 and can be found is here: The Big Read: History of Xpeng
Zhiyuan Robotics (China): Raise AI
Founded in February last year, Zhiyuan revealed its first two-legged robot model called Raise AI only six months later. Established by Peng Zhihui, a tech blogger with over two million followers, Zhiyuan secured CNY600 million (USD83.3 million) in investments from various venture capital firms such as Lanchi, CAS Star, and CDH Investments.
Zhiyuan and the developer of industrial parks in the Lin-gang Special Area of China Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone entered strategic cooperation last August. Since then, they have built research and development centers, and bases for testing and manufacturing robots.
The pair aims to make robots used in the production of cars, computers, communication devices, and consumer electronics while advancing innovation and helping Zhiyuan develop more mature technologies quickly, per the earlier agreement.
2024 March 5th: Zhiyuan Robotics, Lingang Park Developer Plan Shanghai’s First Android Plant
It may seem strange to have such a young company on the list, but this venture actually has a lot going for it, including the credibility of the founder:
In a groundbreaking announcement that captivated the tech world, Zhiyuan Robot’s founder, Zhihui Jun, introduced his brainchild to the public— the “Expedition A1” humanoid robot. This momentous event took place during a live press conference, where Mr. Zhihui showcased the culmination of his vision and hard work since departing from Huawei at the end of the previous year.
The Journey to Innovation
Zhihui Jun’s journey from being labeled a “genius boy” at Huawei to becoming the architect behind Zhiyuan Robot has been nothing short of inspiring. His drive to explore the uncharted territories of intelligent robotics led him to part ways with one tech giant and establish his own path, eventually bringing forth the remarkable Expedition A1.
2023 August: Zhiyuan Robot Unveils Expedition A1: A Leap Forward in Intelligent Robotics
Production.
On August 24, Tianyancha APP showed that Shanghai Zhiyuan New Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., a company affiliated with Zhiyuan Robot, had undergone industrial and commercial changes. Peng Zhihui (Zhihui Jun) was added as a director, and BYD Co., Ltd. was added as a shareholder. At the same time, the company The registered capital increased from approximately RMB 48.47 million to approximately RMB 50.97 million.
This time BYD takes a stake in Shanghai Zhiyuan New Technology Co., Ltd., is it also going to enter the humanoid robot industry?
Sept 2023: BYD Also Wants To Make Humanoid Robots?
There are many potential partnerships that could lead to mass production, but nothing is confirmed at this time.
Not Listed?
Honda began developing humanoid robots in the 1980s, but and seemed to lead the world at one time with the Asimo, but appear to have made no big announcements since 2017, and also from Japan, Sony produced the Aibo companion robots, but live other companies producing “companion robots” have not moved on the biped robots.
There are also a number of companies producing robot vacuums and other special purpose cleaning robots, but so far none of these seem to be going public with bipedal robot plans.
links:
Updates:
- 2024 August 20 : Update for Unitree G1.
- 2024 April 20 : New Atlas for 2024 from Boston Dynamics.
- 2024 March 25 th : Minor update on Agility working with Amazon.