Humanoid Robots: 18 Companies Racing To Build The Next Big Thing In AI

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1X Technologies

1X Technologies has attracted attention because of its backing from OpenAI and its focus on humanoid robots for the home.

The company has shifted from wheeled industrial robots toward domestic humanoids designed to live and work around people. Its Neo robot is being marketed as a home assistant, which, in demonstrations, has been seen to perform everyday chores such as folding laundry, unloading dishwashers and tidying up clutter. ByBernard Marr,

Contributor.

Summary

Humanoid robots are rapidly transitioning from science fiction to practical applications, attracting significant investment from tech giants and startups. Their appeal lies in operating in human environments and adapting to diverse tasks, promising solutions for labor shortages and hazardous work. Global momentum is accelerating, with China's ecosystem expanding and major players like 1X Technologies, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Tesla, and Samsung driving commercial deployment. While still nascent, the focus is on developing safe, reliable, and affordable robots for industrial use, with domestic roles emerging later. This shift, integrating AI, advanced sensors, and manufacturing, marks AI's crucial expansion into the physical world. Humanoid robots are having their ChatGPT moment.

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For decades, they belonged in science fiction, glossy lab demos and viral videos. Now they are starting to appear in factories, warehouses and test homes, with some of the world’s biggest technology companies racing against ambitious startups to build robots that can work safely alongside people.

The appeal is easy to understand. Most robots are designed for one specific task. A humanoid robot, in theory, can operate in spaces built for humans, use tools designed for humans and move between different jobs without the need to rebuild the environment around the machine.