robotics

UK startup Humanoid and industrial giant Schaeffler have successfully completed a proof-of-concept for bin picking. The trial used a pre-alpha robot and will now move to a second phase with the new HMND 01 Alpha platform.

Following days of speculation, 1X has officially announced its NEO humanoid robot is available for pre-order as a consumer product, priced at $20,000 or $499/month. The launch confirms the company's strategy to use a "human-in-the-loop" model to train its AI in real-world homes.

In a new technical deep-dive, Tesla's VP of AI and Optimus lead Ashok Elluswamy details the end-to-end neural network strategy for FSD, confirming the same "neural world simulator" and architecture will "seamlessly transfer" to its humanoid robot.

Speaking at MIT, Yann LeCun argued the "big secret" of the humanoid industry is that companies lack the fundamental AI breakthroughs—specifically "world models"—needed to make robots "generally useful" in domestic settings.

TIME Magazine has recognized two humanoid robots, the ultra-affordable Unitree R1 and the domestically-focused Figure 03, in its annual Best Inventions list, signaling the growing mainstream relevance of bipedal robotics.