As 2025 dawns, humanoid robots are poised to revolutionize manufacturing, bringing a new era of agility and adaptability to factory floors.
The Year of the Humanoid Robot Factory Worker
A New Era in Manufacturing
Long confined to the lab, humanoids are finally ready to take on factory work. Boston Dynamics‘ Atlas robot is set to be deployed at a Hyundai factory later this year, marking a significant milestone in the development of multipurpose humanoid robots.
Humanoid robots are machines designed to resemble humans in appearance and movement.
They typically have a human-like body structure, including a head, torso, arms, and legs.
The first humanoid robot was developed in the 1970s by Waseda University's robotics lab.
Since then, advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics have enabled humanoid robots to perform complex tasks, such as walking, grasping objects, and even assisting with surgeries.
Examples of humanoid robots include Honda's ASIMO and Boston Dynamics' Atlas.
The basic promise of humanoid robots is that they will be able to switch between multiple tasks, just like their human peers. This approach differs from traditional assembly line automation, which builds an entire environment around specific tasks required for manufacturing. Agility Robotics’ Digit and Figure’s eponymous biped have already taken tentative steps into paid work, while tech giants Apple and Meta are rumored to be working on consumer-facing humanoid robots.
The Market Potential
A 2024 Goldman Sachs report estimates that humanoid robots will represent a $38 billion market by 2035 – more than six times what the firm projected a year earlier. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for flexible robots that can adapt to various tasks, rather than traditional automation solutions that are limited to specific use cases.
The humanoid robot market refers to the development and sale of robots designed to resemble humans.
These robots are equipped with advanced AI, sensors, and mobility systems, enabling them to perform various tasks.
The market is driven by growing demand in industries such as 'healthcare,' education, and customer service.
According to a report, the global humanoid robot market size was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $10.4 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 24.8%.
Key players include Boston Dynamics, SoftBank Robotics, and UBTECH.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite progress in AI models and large language processing, there are still challenges to overcome before humanoid robots become widely adopted. One major roadblock has been the time it takes to teach robots how to perform different tasks. However, experts believe that advancements in natural language processing could help address this issue, enabling robots to learn skills on the fly and adapt to new situations.
Safety Concerns and Reliability
As humanoid robots enter the workforce, safety concerns around heavy metal robots working alongside humans will need to be addressed. Chris Atkeson, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University‘s Robotics Institute, emphasizes the importance of reliability, citing examples such as a robot left to restock shelves overnight that might fail in an unexpected way.
A Brighter Future
Despite these challenges, the rapid pace of progress on AI models gives reason to be optimistic. ‘If you’d asked me five years ago, I would have said, ‘Never gonna happen,” Atkeson says. ‘But with large language models, we have made enormous progress in what I’ll call ‘common sense.’ Maybe we’re almost there.’
Artificial intelligence (AI) has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by advances in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
According to a report by Gartner, global AI spending is projected to reach $190 billion by 2025.
This rapid progress is attributed to the development of specialized hardware such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and tensor processing units (TPUs), which enable faster computation and more efficient training of complex AI models.
