Humanoid robots conquer Silicon Valley

The hardware department in Meta's Reality Lab, which is responsible for products such as the VR headset Quest and Ray Ban's smart AR glasses, is to focus more on humanoid robots in future. In a first step, these are to be used as domestic helpers with AI support. As Bloomberg reports, Meta does not want to develop the robots, at least for the time being, but will limit itself to the necessary software and sensor technology. However, a newly established development team in the hardware department of Meta's Reality Labs is responsible for this. Meta wants its AI to become a kind of basic system for the robotics industry, explained Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth.

Tech companies focus on humanoid robots

Humanoid robots are also the focus of other technology companies such as Apple, Tesla, Google and Alphabet. An analyst recently stated that Apple would not start mass production of robots before 2028 and that it was still in an early proof-of-concept phase. However, Apple is currently increasingly looking for robotics specialists.

The US robotics company Apptronik recently received 350 million US dollars from investors in a Series A financing round to further develop its humanoid Apollo robot. The money came from the venture capital company B Capital and the investment company Capital Factory, in which Google is a shareholder. Apollo cannot deny its mechanical origins; its appearance is reminiscent of the robots from Boston Dynamics.

China one step ahead?

Other companies are taking a significantly different approach in this respect. At a recent conference, the Chinese robotics company Ubtech presented a humanoid robot called Una, which was not designed for industrial applications but for the service sector, such as reception activities or interactive conversations. Una looks frighteningly human and is modeled on a woman.

(uk)