This AI robot startup thinks humanoids are overrated - Business Insider
## The data problem Most general-purpose robotics companies are still in development or early deployment. Elon Musk has described Optimus as central to Tesla's future, but the company has shared few details about the humanoid robot.
Key takeaways
- Humanoid robots are moving from laboratory demos into commercial reality.
- Forbes reported on June 19 that a wave of companies—including 1X Technologies, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Tesla, and Samsung—are racing to ship robots that can operate in human environments, with 1X’s Neo already demonstrating chores such as laundry folding and dish‑unloading and slated for home delivery later this year.
- The same outlet noted that while the market remains expensive and enterprise‑focused, models like Unitree’s G1 ($16,000) and 1X’s Neo Gamma (pre‑orders at $20,000 or $499 per month) are now purchasable online, and dozens of thousands of units are being shipped to factories.
- Boston Dynamics confirmed at a Robotics Summit that Atlas will be produced at a scale of up to 30,000 units per year by 2028 after securing enough customers, including Hyundai, for a planned deployment of roughly 25,000 robots in factories.
- Agility Robotics’ Digit is already in service with Amazon, GXO and other logistics firms, and Genesis AI unveiled a non‑humanoid, wheeled robot called Eno, arguing that functional designs may outpace the humanoid trend.
The data problem
Most general-purpose robotics companies are still in development or early deployment. Elon Musk has described Optimus as central to Tesla's future, but the company has shared few details about the humanoid robot. Figure AI, most recently valued at $39 billion, signed a deal last month with Catalyst Brands, the parent company of JCPenney, Aéropostale, and Brooks Brothers, to deploy humanoids in its distribution and logistics network. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics plans to deploy Atlas in factories in 2028, while Agility Robotics' Digit is already deployed with customers including Amazon and logistics company GXO. Subscribe Newsletters
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The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.
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This AI robot startup thinks humanoids are overrated
By Rya Jetha
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Read in app Other companies are heading into homes. Sunday Robotics is preparing to launch Memo, a wheeled robot that can do dishes, fold laundry, and pull an espresso shot, as part of a beta program this fall. 1X has said it plans to ship Neo to homes later this year and expects to produce more than 10,000 robots.
Xian said Genesis AI will begin deployments with industrial customers and hopes to reach homes in three to five years.
"The technology is not there yet to handle all the corner cases and interaction with kids," he said. "There's a lot of safety concerns and no rigorous industry standards."
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