Humanoid robots are ready to do your housework in 2026 — and can be yours for $20,000 - New York Post
#### Breaking News Trump says Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, wife ‘captured' after large-scale strikes US News # Humanoid robots are ready to do your housework in 2026 — and can be yours for $20,000 By Michael Kaplan and wzimmermannyp Published Jan.
Key takeaways
The most recent coverage of humanoid robots shows the technology moving quickly from factory floors to consumer markets and high‑profile showcase events. At CES 2026, Boston Dynamics unveiled a production‑grade version of its Atlas robot, which Hyundai Motor Group said it will begin deploying in its Savannah, Georgia car plant from 2028 to handle repetitive and high‑risk tasks, with a plan to produce 30,000 units annually. Chinese firms continue to dominate global shipments, with Omdia reporting that 2025 deliveries of humanoid robots rose nearly six‑fold to 13,318 units, led by companies such as AGIBOT, Unitree and UBTECH. The same trade show highlighted a range of new humanoids: Unitree displayed a running model capable of 11 mph; EngineAI presented its T800 “boxing‑ring” bots; and Booster Robotics demonstrated football‑playing humanoids aimed at sports and industrial use. Consumer‑focused robots also entered the market: the New York Post noted that 1X Technologies’ NEO Gamma and Agility Robotics’ Digit v4 are being sold for about $20,000 with deliveries later in 2026, while MediaPost reported that Zeroth Robotics’ M1 home‑assistant humanoid is available for pre‑order at $2,899. Finally, London‑based startup Humanoid accelerated its development cycle, taking its HMND 01 Alpha biped from concept to functional prototype in seven months using NVIDIA’s Isaac platform, positioning the robot for both industrial and future household applications.
Breaking News
Trump says Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, wife ‘captured' after large-scale strikes
US News
Humanoid robots are ready to do your housework in 2026 — and can be yours for $20,000
By
Michael Kaplan and
wzimmermannyp
Published Jan. 3, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET
Twenty-five years of the new millennium have passed and we’re still waiting for the futuristic world we were promised: Living in space, hover-cars, jet packs and extraterrestrial encounters.
However, one technology straight out of “The Jetsons” is tantalizingly close: humanoid robots. Even better, the field is being led by forward-thinking US companies, such as Agility Robotics and Tesla. 1X Technologies, originally a Scandinavian company, but now with its headquarters in Silicon Valley, is answering that question. The company was founded in 2014 and specializes in developing AI-powered robotics.
The NEO Gamma robot, 1X’s most ambitious effort yet, stands 5’ 6” and is very much a humanoid – with camera-infused eyes behind a dark shield on a human shaped head, baring a striking resemblance to one of the suits worn by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. NEO Gamma’s body perfectly suits the futuristic look of its clothing.
“Early adopters” are already ordering the bots for $20,000 with delivery anticipated for later in 2026. ## Digit v4, created by Agility Robotics
Up and running in warehouses of companies including Amazon, the Digit v4 is a workhorse. Agility Robotics, which grew out of Oregon State University’s robotics lab, is founded by professors and grad students, and has been evolving since 2019. The Digit is designed to do one very specific thing: move plastic bins that hold products in a warehouse or factory. It’s the kind of job that grinds down humans and leaves us with aching backs. But it is no sweat for a robot.
Billed as the “world’s first commercially deployed humanoid robot,” the Digit V4 contains some 5,000 parts. Advanced artificial intelligence allows it to do not only what it is programmed for, but also to experience what is happening around it as well as to react on its own.
Mentioned in this article