Why Walden's Humanoid Robots Run on Wheels, Not Hype
The company aims to create physical AI tools for human workers Evan Ackerman 03 Aug 2026 5 min read Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor. Walden isn’t sure why people like their robot’s slightly asymmetric head, but they do.
Key takeaways
- The most recent developments in humanoid robotics show a surge of commercial, industrial, and policy activity.
- In August 2026, Chinese EV maker BYD announced it will debut functional humanoid robots at its Di Space event, positioning itself to compete directly with Tesla’s Optimus and other entrants such as Xpend, which plans a 1,000‑unit rollout in 2027.
- Meanwhile, Italian startup Generative Bionics has launched Gene.01, a fully sensorized humanoid with smart skin that can detect touch, temperature, force and the approach of nearby workers, aiming to reduce collisions in industrial settings.
- China’s 28th China Robot and Artificial Intelligence Competition (CRAIC) held its national humanoid finals in Beijing, drawing over 350 robots from 213 teams and featuring the first full‑size humanoids operating without remote control in realistic industrial scenarios.
- In the United States, Walden Robotics announced a partnership with Toyota to develop practical, wheel‑based humanoids for human‑centric workplaces, while a New York high‑school pilot of a silicone‑skinned teaching robot named Sally was paused amid privacy concerns, prompting state legislators to introduce a bill banning humanoid robots in schools.
The company aims to create physical AI tools for human workers
Evan Ackerman
03 Aug 2026
5 min read
Evan Ackerman is IEEE Spectrum’s robotics editor.
Walden isn’t sure why people like their robot’s slightly asymmetric head, but they do.
Walden Robotics 03 Aug 2026
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For a while there, it seemed as though robotics as a whole was stuck in a mad rush towards building humanoid robots mostly because it was very possible (and very lucrative) to do so, even without near-term goals that were necessarily realistic. Some of the magic of those first couple of years of the humanoid explosion has stuck around, but there’s also been an industry-wide sobering leading to pointed questions about practicality and value. In other words, starting a commercial humanoid company now is a much different proposition than it would have been just a few years ago.
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