Humanoid robots could be the next big thing to come from the AI boom. Take a look at 8 of the most advanced ones around.

Jyoti Mann
Sun, November 26, 2023 

Humanoid robots could be the next big thing to come from the AI boom. Take a look at 8 of the most advanced ones around.


Humanoid robot 'Rmeca' is pictured at AI for Good Global Summit, in Geneva, Switzerland, July 6, 2023.Pierre Albouy/Reuters

Humanoid robots are set to be one of the next big things to come out of the AI boom.


The industry could be worth around $13.8 billion by 2028.


Business Insider has taken a look at eight of the most advanced robots around.

Human-like robots have long been the stuff of science-fiction films, but tech companies are edging ever closer to making them a daily reality — and they may be the next big thing to come out of the artificial intelligence boom (AI).

But while the industry could be worth $13.8 billion by 2028, according to MarketsandMarkets, there's still a long way to go before we see humanoid robots roaming the streets or replacing us in the workforce.

Nevertheless, Business Insider has taken a look at eight of the most advanced prototypes around.

Apptronik launched its bipedal robot, Apollo, in August

Apptronik

"The big idea is a humanoid robot should be able to fit in all the places that a human can fit into and use all the same tools that humans can use," Apptronik cofounder and CEO Jeff Cardenas told Business Insider. "That allows them to integrate into a world that's built for us versus having to modify the world for the robots."

Apptronik started in 2016 in a lab at the University of Texas

Apptronik

"We came out of a lab at the University of Texas called the human-centered robotics lab," Cardenas said. "A lot of the work in the lab culminated with working with NASA on a robot called Valkyrie."

Apptronik signed a deal to partner with NASA last year. The space agency will help the company develop Apollo.

NASA's Valkyrie robot is designed to work in "dirty and hazardous conditions" in space

James Blair - NASA

NASA's Valkyrie is designed to carry out work in dangerous conditions such as those found on the Moon, according to the agency's website.

The University of Edinburgh is carrying out research using the robot

MARK RALSTON/ Getty

The robot "will enable breakthroughs in humanoid control, motion planning and perception," according to the University of Edinburgh's website. The university is carrying out research using the robot, which it describes as "one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world."

Engineered Arts' robot Ameca can "simulate" dreams

Ameca can speak using responses generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 Engineered Arts

In a video shared on YouTube by Engineered Arts, Ameca said it conjures up various scenarios that help it learn about the world.

But Engineered Arts' founder and CEO Will Jackson told BI that Ameca was "a language model," adding that it was "not sentient" and had "no long-term memory."

"Remember this is a machine and it runs on code. It's tempting to apply human attributes and capabilities, but they are not there. It's an illusion, sometimes quite a powerful one," he added.

Agility Robotics' Digit is being test by Amazon at an R&D center

Agility Robotics

"Digit is designed to go where people go and do useful work safely in spaces designed for people, starting with bulk material handling within warehouses and distribution centers," Agility Robotics cofounder and CEO Damion Shelton told BI.

Shelton added: "Because of Digit's human-centric form, we can see a day where it will be able to perform tasks that are more aligned with consumer or domestic needs, but that's still down the road."

Drinks maker Dictador made a humanoid robot its CEO

Dictador

Dictador appointed a humanoid robot as its CEO last year. Its tasks include helping to spot potential clients and selecting artists to design bottles for the rum producer.

It was also given the title of honorary professor at Warsaw Management University, even giving a speech at its awards ceremony last month.

"Mika speaks through a speaker in her mouth," a Dictador spokesperson told BI. "She is connected to 12 AI models at once (including GPT and a dedicated Dictador AI model) and her dialogue is generated after collecting data from all or most of them."

Tesla unveiled its Optimus robot at its AI Day in 2022

Future Publishing/ Getty

Elon Musk claimed the company may be able to take orders for its humanoid robot, also known as the Tesla Bot, in three to five years, Reuters reported.

"Optimus, a year ago, could barely walk and now it can do yoga. So, a few years from now, it can probably do ballet," the billionaire said in Tesla's third-quarter earnings call last month.

Hanson Robotics' viral robot Sophia has spoken on stages around the world

SOPA Images/ Getty

Sophia was created by Hanson Robotics in a team led by AI developer and CEO David Hanson.

The robot spoke at Future Investment Initiative, held in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in 2017. It has also appeared on The Tonight Show and at numerous conferences around the world, including the World Economic Forum and the "AI For Good" Global Summit.

The Hong Kong-based company has also made several other human-like robots, per its website.

Boston Dynamics, which created robot dogs like the one in "Black Mirror," also makes humanoid robots

Tomohiro Ohsumi/ Getty

As of May, the company's robot dogs, known as Spot, can speak in complete sentences. AI firm Levatas partnered with Boston Dynamics to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT into the robot dogs.

Its humanoid robots, called Atlas, can move quickly and jump over obstacles, a video shared on its website shows.