A robotics CEO sees a 'moral imperative' to build an army of humanoids - Business Insider

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This startup wants to build an army of humanoid robot soldiers

By Lloyd Lee

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Foundation is a startup building general-purpose humanoid robots. Two of Foundation's robots were sent to Ukraine for a demo of a supply transport scenario. CEO Sankaet Pathak said he sees humanoids becoming valuable for precision operations in warfare.

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Humanoid robots rather than flesh-and-blood soldiers could one day take on some of the most dangerous jobs in war — and one startup is already testing that idea in Ukraine.

Sankaet Pathak, cofounder and CEO of Foundation, said there's a "moral imperative" to put humanoid robots on the front lines rather than inpeople's kitchens.

"I thought all of this stuff around home use was kind of stupid," Pathak told Business Insider. "I feel like people can make the coffee and fold their laundry. I was like, 'We need to do something else.'" There was "significant interest based on what has been communicated" to the company, Pathak said. A spokesperson for Foundation said the startup has also secured a $24 million contract with the Pentagon. Eric Trump, the president's son, was appointed chief strategy advisor in March.

Humanoid troops aren't ready for deployment

Pathak said he didn't want to "overstate" the Ukraine pilot. A large gap still exists between a humanoid that can slowly clean a test kitchen and one that can usean M4 carbine in a battlefield firefight.

Battery life and durability are among the constraints. Pathak said robot soldiers need longer battery life and must withstand water, dust, and shock.