Source: ifanr.

Whether it's the GTC 2024 conference or the COMPUTEX 2024 speech, the highlights of the two technology gala ended with the appearance of nine humanoid robots. Huang Renxun, the helm of Nvidia, stood in the center of the stage, slowly opened his arms, and threw out a stunning statement: The age of robots has come, this is the next wave of AI. Amidst the noisy sounds, he had an attitude of a creator, making people feel that the everyday of a science fiction movie is coming to the present.

The age of robots has come, this is the next wave of AI.

Amidst the noisy sounds, he had an attitude of a creator, making people feel that the everyday of a science fiction movie is coming to the present.

You must also be wondering, what is the background of these nine humanoid robots under the spotlight?

Don't worry, we will reveal them one by one from left to right.

Figure: Figure 01.

The first one to appear is our old friend-Figure 01.

Three months ago, OpenAI put ChatGPT into humanoid robot Figure 01.

With the help of OpenAI's advanced vision and language comprehension technology, as well as Figure AI's neural network technology, Figure 01 can have smooth conversations with humans and perform a series of complex tasks.

The smoothness of Figure 01's operations in recognizing objects, passing apples, picking up garbage, and tidying up tableware was unexpectedly high.

The Figure company behind Figure 01 attracted investment and support from top technology companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon shortly after its establishment in 2022.

In February 2024, Figure company raised $675 million in a round of financing, making the company's valuation reach $2.6 billion.

In addition, the commercialization of Figure AI has not stopped. They have signed a commercial agreement with BMW manufacturing company to integrate AI and robot technology into the production line and settle in BMW's factories.

Siasun Robot&Automation: H1.

Post-conference somersaulting robots are nothing unusual, but post-conference somersaulting electric-driven humanoid robots are really rare.

The height of the H1 robot is about 180 cm, the weight is about 47 kg, and the peak torque density is 189N.m/Kg. The movement speed can reach 3.3m/s. This speed breaks the world record for full-size humanoid robot motion. In addition, it has 19 degrees of freedom, and the peak torque of the leg joint motor is as high as 360N·m, which, along with the hollow shaft and dual encoder, is known as the most powerful robot in the same category.

In addition, the H1 robot also has a 360° panoramic depth perception capability, which can achieve autonomous obstacle avoidance and location navigation functions.

UST's product line covers several series, such as the Go series, the B series, and the H series, each of which is targeted at different application scenarios and market demands.

For example, the Go series mainly targets the consumer market, while the B series is more used in the industrial field.

UST's products have a high level of visibility globally, having been invited to participate in major events such as the 2021 CCTV Spring Festival Gala and the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Recently, UST officially released the Unitree G1 humanoid robot, starting at a price of 99,000 yuan. In the official promotional video, Unitree G1 can not only do the 'carp beat', but also play with the golden hoop, shrink bones, crack nuts, flip the pan, and weld.

When asked how far away from the envisioned universal robot is, UST founder and CEO Wang Xingxing said:

What we are doing now is very simple, which is to bring AI technology to robots. But I think the critical point of the technology combining AI and robots has not been reached yet, and the whole technical solution may not be fully functional.

Apptronik: Apollo

It is said that the fate of humanoid robots is to "turn screws" in the factory, and the Apollo humanoid robot is no exception.

As a robot designed specifically to adapt to human work environments, Apollo can automatically execute transport and assembly tasks, accurately transporting auto parts to the assembly line for workers to assemble.

Apollo can also assist employees in completing some arduous physical work in industrial environments, lifting heavy objects weighing up to 25 kilograms with ease.

In terms of design, Apollo adopts modular functionality, and users can decide the robot's configuration based on actual needs. For example, as a bipedal humanoid robot, a torso running on wheels, or a torso installed in a fixed position.

In March of this year, Apptronik, the company behind Apollo, announced a commercial agreement with Mercedes-Benz.

At a height of about 1.7 meters and weighing over 140 pounds, the bipedal robot Apollo mainly performs heavy, low-skilled labor such as transporting and assembling auto parts.

Currently, Apptronik aims to achieve comprehensive commercial production by the end of 2024.

Agility Robotics: Digit

As a highly flexible and adaptable humanoid robot, Digit's design inspiration comes from the movement mechanism of animals, especially human gait, enabling it to move freely in complex environments.

For example, Digit can independently navigate in a warehouse, find locations where empty boxes are stored, and use its arms to lift and transport those boxes to designated locations for reloading or transfer.

Digit is designed to work in environments such as warehouses and distribution centers, performing tasks such as transporting and storing goods. It can walk, pick up and transport plastic bags and pack boxes on uneven ground, greatly improving warehouse efficiency.

In September 2023, Agility Robotics opened its first robot manufacturing plant, Robofab, in Salem, Oregon, with an annual production capacity of up to 10,000 units.

With the start of factory production, Agility Robotics delivered the first batch of Digit robots in 2024 and went public in 2025 with an expected price of USD 250,000. Product structure, 10-30 billion yuan products operating income of 401/1288/60 million yuan respectively.

Sanctuary AI: Phoenix

Phoenix is a humanoid robot launched by Sanctuary AI, designed with human-like intelligence to help accomplish a wide range of tasks.

Phoenix stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 155 pounds and capable of a maximum load of 55 pounds, reaching speeds of up to 3 miles per hour.

Its mechanical hand has 20 degrees of freedom, and the simulation tactile technology makes its operation comparable to that of a human hand. Additionally, its aesthetic design has been improved, adopting bolder colors and textures, achieving new heights in both functionality and aesthetics.

Phoenix's feature is its rapid learning of new tasks and lower cost than before.

Compared to previous models which stressed on the robot's leg and walking ability, the latest 7th generation Phoenix from Sanctuary AI specifically emphasizes the upper body of the robot, particularly its torso movements.

Sanctuary AI's co-founder and CEO Geordie Rose stated on social platform X:

Through the 7th generation technology, the company can capture more high quality and high-fidelity human behavior data. The accumulation of this data helps to accelerate the development of AI models, enabling robots to be deployed more quickly in practical work environments.

1X Technologies: NEO

OpenAI not only has one "Figure", but 1X Technologies is also one of the objects of the bet.

1X Technologies is a company that specializes in the research and development of humanoid robots, and its latest product is the NEO robot.

NEO robot is a bipedal humanoid robot designed for home and other service purposes, inspired by humans, able to perform various household tasks, and aims to bring convenience to people's lives.

NEO, standing 1.65 meters tall and weighing 30 kilograms, has a walking speed of 4 kilometers per hour, a running speed of 12 kilometers per hour, a load capacity of 20 kilograms, and a running time of 2-4 hours.

NEO's body structure imitates human muscle structure, ensuring both toughness and flexibility.

In May 2024, 1X Technologies announced the completion of USD 100 million in series B financing, which will be used to promote the research and commercialization process of NEO robots.

As a general-purpose humanoid robot, NEO can handle industrial tasks such as logistics, manufacturing and machinery, as well as provide cleaning, sorting and daily companionship services.

Fourier Intelligence: GR-1

Fourier Intelligence's GR-1 general-purpose humanoid robot is a highly bionic robot with a highly scalable design that can achieve multiple AI models and algorithm validations.

GR-1's fully functional body consists of 32 FSA joints, with a maximum module peak torque of 230NM, which makes GR-1 have huge potential in industrial, rehabilitative, home, scientific research and other applications.

GR-1 is 1.65 meters tall and weighs 55 kilograms, with up to 40 degrees of freedom throughout the body. The maximum joint module peak torque can reach 300NM, and the walking speed can reach 5KM/h, carrying a load of 50 kilograms.

It adopts the self-developed FSA high-performance integrated actuator series to ensure flexibility and have power, stability, load adaptation and safety and reliability during movement.

Founded in 2015, Fourier Intelligence has dug deep into market demand in multiple scenarios, such as health and education, and launched more than 30 intelligent rehabilitation products, serving more than 2,000 hospitals and institutions in over 40 countries and regions around the world.

In 2019, Fourier Intelligence officially launched the general humanoid robot project, becoming one of the early enterprises in China to develop such robots.

Boston Dynamics: Atlas

In 2017, Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas, which can do backflips, amazed the world...

Seven years later, the hydraulic-driven Atlas retired, replaced by more efficient and eco-friendly electric drive Atlas.

The electric drive system makes Atlas' movements smoother and more natural, approaching human movements, and improves movement efficiency and stability.

Boston Dynamics has shared a video about the new Atlas. In the video, the robot first lies motionless on the ground, and then completes a perfect stand by cleverly rotating its feet and head.

The company said: 'The next-generation Atlas is built on decades of research and further fulfills our commitment to provide the most powerful and useful mobile robot, solving today's industry's most challenging problems through Spot, Stretch, and now Atlas.'

Xpengpengxing: PX5

Xpengpengxing PX5 is a self-developed humanoid bipedal robot by Xpeng Motors, which made its debut at the Xpeng Motors Technology Day on October 24, 2023.

The design of PX5 is inspired by the proportions of Link, the protagonist of the Nintendo console game "The Legend of Zelda," making it look cute.

With stable walking ability and flexible arms, PX5 can walk indoors and outdoors and overcome obstacles for more than 2 hours.

PX5 uses ultra-lightweight humanoid mechanical arms with 7 degrees of freedom, a high repeatability of up to 0.05mm, a maximum single-arm load of 3kg, a mechanical arm weight of 5kg, a load-to-weight ratio of more than 0.6, and a maximum end-line speed of 1m/s.

In addition, the double arms of PX5 have 11 degrees of freedom, a dual-finger holding force of 1kg, and adopt a rigid-flexible hybrid driving scheme, which can grasp and wrap objects of different shapes. The arm of PX5 is designed as an integrated driving and control system, weighing only 430g, and has end tactile sensing ability.

Xpeng Motors plans to use PX5 in factory production, patrol, and even help sell cars in Xpeng stores. The R&D goal of PX5 is to achieve walking within 100km without falling, and it is expected to play an important role in specific application scenarios in the future.

Looking back at the commercialization process of these nine robots, it is not difficult to see that their timeline is particularly concentrated in the past two or three years.

2024 seems to be the debut year of humanoid robots. Intelligent robots seem to be finally emerging from the pages of science fiction novels and squeezing into the cracks of our lives in a "future has come" posture.

It is said that the original intention of developing AI was to let it do laundry, cooking andhousework for us, and then we go and do art and music. But reality is the opposite.

AI is so busy designing posters and writing news releases, but it just refuses to learn how to properly wash a pair of socks.

Although we are not sure if this is another 'boy who cried wolf' in the tech industry, we can't help but wonder when these tangible AIs start to take a place in our lives.

Imagine waking up one morning and finding a robot by your bed that not only made breakfast, but also hung up your clothes from last night. What a day that would be!

Editor/Somer