With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the idea of humanoid robots working alongside humans in factories, hospitals or even inside the home no longer seems like science fiction. Once seen as impractical due to technical and cost barriers, the concept is gaining momentum thanks to improvements in machine learning, computer vision and robotics hardware. Instead of relying solely on pre-programmed routines, humanoids can draw from large language models and multimodal AI systems to process information more effectively — allowing them to adapt to unstructured environments and even reason through multi-step tasks.
What Are Humanoid Robots?
Humanoid robots are robots that resemble and act like humans. Typically engineered to imitate authentic human expressions, interactions and movements, these robots are often outfitted with an array of cameras, sensors and AI and machine learning technologies.
As a result, major tech players are racing to design and roll out robots that can navigate real-world conditions, learn from human feedback and perform tasks once considered to be too complex for automation. Even OpenAI — which stepped back from robotics research in 2021 — appears to be reentering the field, signaling how central humanoid robots may become in the next chapter of AI development.
How Are Humanoid Robots Being Used Today?
While more humanoid robots are being introduced into the world and making a positive impact in industries like logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality, their use is still limited, and development costs are high.
That said, the sector is expected to grow. The humanoid robot market was valued at $2.03 billion in 2024 and is predicted to increase to more than $13 billion by 2029, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets. Fueling that growth and demand will be advanced humanoid robots with greater AI capabilities and human-like features that can take on more duties in the service industry, education and healthcare.
In light of recent investments, the dawn of complex humanoid robots may come sooner than later. Google-backed Apptronik announced a Series A funding round of $350 million, increasing the startup’s capacity to produce its Apollo humanoid robots on a larger scale. Seeing the promise that this industry holds, Apple is even considering a pivot to building humanoid robots. These developments come in the face of Tesla continuing to refine its Optimus robot, accelerating the race to deploy humanoid robots in the workforce.
How Are Humanoid Robots Being Used?
- Hospitality: Some humanoid robots, like Kime, are pouring and serving customer drinks and snacks at self-contained kiosks in Spain. Some are even working as hotel concierges and in other customer-facing roles.
Education: Humanoid Robots NAO and Pepper are working with students in educational settings, creating content and teaching programming.
Manufacturing: Though in limited use, humanoid robots have been used in manufacturing facilities on assembly lines and to handle materials.
Healthcare: Other humanoid robots are providing services in healthcare settings, like communicating patient information and measuring vital signs.
But before companies can fully unleash their humanoid robots, pilot programs testing their ability to safely work and collaborate alongside human counterparts on factory floors, warehouses and elsewhere will have to be conducted. As part of these efforts, UBTech has partnered with Foxconn to explore using humanoid robots to help assemble iPhones.
It’s unclear how well humanoid robots will integrate into society and how well humans will accept their help. While some people will see the proliferation of these robots as creepy, dangerous or unneeded competition in the labor market, the potential benefits like increased efficiency and safety may outweigh many of the perceived consequences.
Either way, humanoid robots are poised to have a tremendous impact, and there are already some among us that we can look to for guidance. Here are a few examples of the top humanoid robots working in our world today.
Examples of Humanoid Robots
1. Alter 3 (Osaka University and MIXI)
Type: Performing humanoid
Mobility: Stationary, but it can lean and move its upper body in very lifelike ways and produce facial movements.
Use Cases: Opera performances, scientific research.
Capabilities: Its neural networks allows it to perform and conduct orchestras.
Alter 3 is a performing humanoid robot developed by Osaka University and MIXI through a collaboration with Alternative Machine. The robot’s artificial neural network with advanced expressive capabilities enable it to perform spontaneous, interpretive movement and singing activities, including conducting orchestras and performing opera at live venues.
2. Ameca (Engineered Arts)
Type: Humanoid
Mobility: Mostly stationary, but equipped with sensors to track movement.
Use Cases: Schools, elder care facilities and robotics and AI research.
Capabilities: Uses multiple voice and face recognition sensors to detect human emotions and communicate through lifelike facial expressions and gestures.
Ameca, developed by Engineered Arts, is an embodied AI social humanoid robot used in service, education and elder care settings. Equipped with facial recognition, speech recognition and body language analysis technologies, Ameca can detect and respond to human emotions as well as communicate naturally through lifelike gestures and expressions.
3. Apollo 2 (Apptronik)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement or wheeled movement.
Use Cases: Logistics, retail, construction and automating manual tasks.
Capabilities: Designed to walk and function in complex environments like plants and warehouses.
Apptronik’s Apollo 2 is a general-purpose humanoid robot capable of autonomous action, reasoning, human interaction and dexterous manipulation. Apollo 2 is available as a bipedal model or with wheels, plus is designed with an expressive LED mouth, coordinated speech and listening capabilities to allow it to communicate clearly with the people around it.
4. ARMAR-6 (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
Type: Industrial humanoid
Mobility: Mobile platform designed to navigate and move within industrial workspaces.
Use Cases: Maintenance duties, factory assistance and human collaboration.
Capabilities: Can use power tools like drills and hammers, learn how to grasp objects and ask for help when it encounters a problem.
ARMAR-6, developed at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s High Performance Humanoid Technologies lab, is a collaborative humanoid robot designed for industrial environments. Equipped with AI and machine learning capabilities, ARMAR-6’s humanoid form enables it to use human tools like power drills and hammers for maintenance tasks, autonomously perform industrial operations, recognize when human assistance is needed and proactively offer support.
5. Atlas (Boston Dynamics)
Type: High-performance humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Industrial automation, search and rescue and hazardous environment exploration.
Capabilities: Uses advanced sensors and model-predictive control to maintain perfect balance while lifting heavy, irregular objects and navigating rubble.
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas is an enterprise-grade humanoid robot engineered for industrial material handling and real-world automation, equipped with features such as 56 degrees of freedom, tactile sensing and 360-degree perception. Standing 1.9 meters tall and weighing 90 kilograms, Atlas combines advanced physical intelligence with AI-driven reasoning to autonomously navigate workspaces, learn new tasks and integrate with existing warehouse management systems.
6. Beomni (Beyond Imagination)
Type: Humanoid
Mobility: Wheeled base controlled by a human operator.
Use Cases: Remote medical and elder care.
Capabilities: Controlled by human pilots but uses AI to learn how to perform delicate tasks autonomously.
Beyond Imagination’s Beomni is a wheeled humanoid robot with dexterous arms and hands, controlled remotely by human operators wearing VR headsets and gloves. The robot’s AI brain learns from these teleoperated demonstrations to gradually achieve semi-autonomy and eventual full autonomy. Designed for eldercare, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and space applications, Beomni can lift up to 16 k per arm and perform both delicate and demanding tasks.
7. CyberOne (Xiaomi)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal walking.
Use Cases: Research project with possible industrial and home capabilities.
Capabilities: Can move at a steady pace and maintain its balance while standing. Equipped vision capabilities to detect human emotions.
CyberOne is a 1.77-meter-tall, bipedal humanoid robot developed by Xiaomi’s Robotics Lab that features 21 degrees of freedom, advanced bionic arms with enhanced dexterity and the Mi-Sense AI system for real-time emotion recognition and environmental mapping. Xiaomi has deployed CyberOne prototypes in factory settings, achieving 98 percent success rates on assembly tasks, demonstrating practical applications in manufacturing and industrial automation.
8. Digit (Agility Robotics)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Fully mobile.
Use Cases: Moving objects in warehouses and unloading delivery trucks.
Capabilities: Uses sensors, internal AI and eye expressions to navigate busy work zones and collaborate safely alongside human workers.
Agility Robotics’ Digit is a commercially deployed bipedal humanoid robot engineered for warehouse and logistics automation. With a 35-pound carrying capacity and 4-hour battery life, Digit performs structured tote-handling tasks — picking, placing and stacking — integrated with autonomous mobile robots and conveyor systems. Digit has logged over 100,000 totes moved and over 65,000 operational hours across customer facilities including GXO, Toyota, Mercado Libre and Schaeffler.
9. EVE (1X)
Type: Industrial humanoid
Mobility: Self-balancing wheeled movement.
Use Cases: Deployable in manufacturing, logistics, security work settings alongside humans.
Capabilities: Panoramic vision and articulating grips for holding and grabbing objects. Embedded with custom AI to learn and improve work tasks.
1X claims the title of being the company to send the first AI-powered humanoid robot into the workforce. The company’s robot EVE comes with strong grippers for hands, cameras that support panoramic vision and two wheels for mobility. A voice command feature also lets users ask EVE to perform multiple tasks in sequence. Most importantly, EVE uses AI to learn new tasks and improve based on past experiences. With these abilities, EVE is on pace to spread into industries like retail and logistics.
10. Figure 03 (Figure)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Home assistant.
Capabilities: Embedded palm cameras for precision object handling, updated neural networks for complex reasoning tasks.
Figure 03, developed by Figure, is a general-purpose humanoid robot engineered for home environments and commercial applications. It features a redesigned sensory suite with high-frequency visuomotor cameras, embedded palm cameras for precision object handling and advanced tactile sensors capable of detecting forces as small as three grams.
11. G1 (Unitree)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Extremely agile biped movement.
Use Cases: Research and education, light logistics and customer service.
Capabilities: Has 23 to 43 degrees of freedom and dexterous hands that can perform precise tasks like opening bottles or soldering electronics.
Unitree G1 is a compact humanoid robot standing 1.32 meters tall and weighing approximately 35 kilograms, featuring 23 to 43 joint motors with dexterous hands equipped with force-position hybrid control for precise object manipulation. It demonstrates exceptional agility through reinforcement learning and continuous AI-driven improvements, with capabilities including dynamic movement, force control and flexible joint ranges that exceed typical human motion.
12. HMND 01 (Humanoid)
Type: Industrial humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement but can be equipped with a wheeled base for faster travel.
Use Cases: Logistics, warehouse material handling and industrial cleaning.
Capabilities: Can carry a 33-pound payload and uses high-torque actuators to achieve walking speeds.
Humanoid’s HMND 01 Alpha is an industrial humanoid robot featuring 29 degrees of freedom, a 15 kilogram payload capacity and up to four hours of runtime. Powered by Humanoid's KinetIQ AI framework, HMND 01 Alpha operates autonomously at human speed with high reliability, making it useful for tasks across manufacturing, logistics and warehouse operations.
13. Jiajia (University of Science and Technology of China)
Type: Research humanoid
Mobility: Stationary.
Use Cases: Social interactions and robotics research.
Capabilities: Has incredibly realistic skin and can sync its lip movements perfectly with speech while producing subtle facial expressions.
The University of Science and Technology of China developed Jiajia, a humanoid robot that features remarkably lifelike appearance modeled after five USTC students, synchronized lip movements with speech, subtle facial expressions and eyeball movement. USTC’s research team engineered Jiajia to recognize and respond to human expressions, positioning the robot as a breakthrough in China’s service-robot sector.
14. KIME (Macco Robotics)
Type: Humanoid bartender
Mobility: High-speed arm movement.
Use Cases: Robotic bartender or barista.
Capabilities: Features two high-speed arms that can make and serve drinks.
Macco Robotics’ Kime Bartender is a humanoid robotic bartender that serves beverages, snacks, salads, and more in hospitality venues. Standing up to 2 meters tall with articulated arms and AI-driven capabilities, Kime can prepare and serve up to 300 drinks per hour, plus features a touchscreen, app-enabled ordering and integrated cashless payment processing.
15. Lightning (Honor)
Type: Athletic humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal running
Use Cases: Long-distance running.
Capabilities: Uses an advanced balancing system to stay upright at high speeds and a liquid cooling system to prevent overheating while running.
Lightning, developed by smartphone manufacturer Honor, is a humanoid robot engineered for high-speed running and endurance. The 169-centimeter tall Lightning features nearly meter-long legs, advanced balancing systems and liquid cooling technology, allowing it to win the 2026 Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds (and defeat the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds).
16. Nadine (Nanyang Technological University)
Type: Social android
Mobility: Stationary.
Use Cases: Customer service and robotics research.
Capabilities: Has realistic looking skin and hair and equipped with a robotic memory that allows it to remember your name and previous conversations.
Nadine is a hyper-realistic humanoid social robot developed by Nanyang Technological University featuring 27 degrees of freedom for expressive facial and upper-body movements. Nadine recognizes faces, understands speech and models personality, emotions and mood through an affective system, making it deployable in customer service, healthcare companionship and elder care settings.
17. NAO (Softbank Robotics)
Type: Small humanoid
Mobility: Fully bipedal.
Use Cases: Education and healthcare.
Capabilities: Multilingual robot that speaks 20 languages and uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles and navigate safely around people.
SoftBank Robotics develops NAO, a 58-centimeter-tall humanoid robot deployed across healthcare, education and scientific research. The sixth-generation platform features 25 degrees of freedom, dual cameras, ultrasonic sensors and microphones for obstacle detection and navigation. NAO also speaks 20 languages and is used in over 70 countries, with more than 13,000 units deployed in universities, schools and labs around the world. Its programmable architecture and multimodal sensors enable human-robot interaction applications ranging from autism therapy to educational robotics instruction.
18. Neo (1X)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Home and personal assistant.
Capabilities: Computer vision for autonomous task completion, AI neural network powering human conversation.
NEO, developed by 1X, is a humanoid robot for home and industrial applications featuring articulating grips, panoramic vision and autonomous task learning capabilities. In 2026, 1X launched NEO into early access customer homes while scaling production, with plans to deploy up to 10,000 units to industrial facilities through 2030.
19. Next-Gen IRON (XPENG)
Type: High-intelligence humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Intended for commercial scenarios such as guided tours, shopping guides, traffic diversion or industrial inspection tasks.
Capabilities: Features human-like spine and muscles capable of 82 degrees of freedom and Turing AI chips that allow it to perform delicate tasks.
The Next-Gen IRON humanoid robot developed by electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG features a human-like spine, bionic muscles and 82 degrees of freedom. Equipped with three Turing AI chips, Next-Gen IRON demonstrates advanced autonomous capabilities, full-body soft synthetic skin and a 3D curved head display for expressive interactions.
20. OceanOne K (Stanford Robotics Lab)
Type: Underwater humanoid diver
Mobility: Moves using eight thrusters that allow it to swim and hover underwater.
Use Cases: Exploring deep-sea shipwrecks, repairing coral reefs, and performing dangerous tasks.
Capabilities: Can dive to depths of 1,000 meets and is equipped with tools and equipment for underwater exploration.
OceanOne K from the Stanford Robotics Lab is an underwater humanoid robot designed for deep sea exploration and capable of reaching depths of 1,000 meters. Equipped with bimanual manipulation, stereo vision and haptic feedback technology, OceanOne K enables human operators to interact with and explore underwater environments and manipulate delicate objects, making it ideal for archaeological and scientific missions.
21. Optimus (Tesla)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Manufacturing worker and home assistant.
Capabilities: Human-like movement, objecting handling and AI learning.
Tesla’s Optimus is a general-purpose, bipedal humanoid robot designed to perform unsafe, repetitive and boring tasks, with it demonstrating autonomous capabilities including walking, balancing, lifting objects and navigating uneven terrain. Optimus’ AI system is built on the same neural networks and autonomy algorithms Tesla develops for its Full Self-Driving technology, enabling continuous learning and skill transfer across the robot fleet.
22. Pepper (Softbank Robotics)
Type: Social humanoid
Mobility: Moves on a wheeled base
Use Cases: Working as a hotel concierge, welcoming students in classrooms, and monitoring health in care facilities.
Capabilities: Uses sensors to track human faces and recognize if someone is happy, sad or angry.
Pepper is a humanoid robot from Softbank Robotics that works in classrooms and healthcare settings. The robot is able to recognize faces and track human emotions, working in customer-facing roles such as a hotel concierge and being used to monitor contactless care and communication for older adults during the pandemic. Pepper was also introduced at a Dayton facility as a social support robot for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
23. Phoenix (Sanctuary AI)
Type: General-purpose humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal movement.
Use Cases: Solving labor shortages in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.
Capabilities: Powered by the Carbon AI control system, which gives it human-like dexterity in its hands to perform complex tasks.
Sanctuary AI’s Phoneix is a general-purpose humanoid robot powered by Physical AI technology, enabling dexterous manipulation and autonomous task execution. The eighth-generation Phoenix features advanced tactile sensors and hydraulic hands with high degrees of freedom, allowing it to perform complex industrial tasks and demonstrate production-ready performance on challenging automation tasks.
24. Promobot (Promobot)
Type: Service-oriented humanoid
Mobility: Moves on a wheeled base.
Use Cases: Acting as a museum tour guide, a hotel concierge, or a medical assistant that takes vitals.
Capabilities: Uses cameras and sensors to recognize and face and human emotions and can process payments, issue access cards and answer questions.
Promobot is a customizable humanoid service robot designed for administrative assistance, customer engagement and information services. Equipped with facial recognition, natural language processing and autonomous navigation, Promobot can perform tasks such as document scanning, information retrieval and interactive communication in service-oriented environments.
25. Protoclone (Clone Robotics)
Type: Bio-inspired android
Mobility: Bipedal walking.
Use Cases: Household chores and medical research.
Capabilities: Uses over 1,000 Myofiber acurators to contract synthetic muscles and mimic human movement.
Clone Robotics’ Protoclone is a bio-inspired musculoskeletal android built with a 3D-printed polymer skeleton and more than 200 sensors powered by over 1,000 myofiber synthetic muscles. Demonstrating anatomically accurate motion with over 200 degrees of freedom, Protoclone is designed to eventually perform household tasks like meal preparation and laundry.
26. Punyo (Toyota)
Type: Physical assistance humanoid
Mobility: Stationary or mounted on a rolling platform.
Use Cases: Carrying groceries, moving furniture or assisting elderly individuals.
Capabilities: Features bubble sensors an that allows it to use its entire chest and arms to hug and lift heavy objects safely.
Punyo is a soft humanoid robot produced by the Toyota Research Institute, designed for whole-body manipulation of large, heavy objects in manufacturing and service environments. Unlike traditional grippers, Punyo uses its soft arms and chest equipped with bubble sensors to grasp items by wrapping around them, mimicking how humans carry cargo having various shapes and weight.
27. Robonaut 2 (NASA and General Motors)
Type: Humanoid
Mobility: Climbing manipulators.
Use Cases: Assistance for astronauts.
Capabilities: Can carry payloads up to 20 pounds and has articulating hands with 12 degrees of freedom. Is compatible with human designed power tools.
Robonaut 2 (R2), developed jointly by NASA and General Motors, is a dexterous humanoid robot designed to work alongside humans in space and industrial environments. Deployed to the International Space Station in 2011 as the first humanoid robot in space, R2 features articulating hands with 12 degrees of freedom compatible with human-designed power tools and arms capable of holding 20-pound payloads.
28. RoboThespian (Engineered Arts)
Type: Humanoid actor and performer
Mobility: Wheeled platform.
Use Cases: Performing in theaters and giving keynote speeches.
Capabilities: Features telepresence software that allows a human to talk through the robot and uses dozens of actuators to create dramatic gestures.
RoboThespian from from Engineered Arts features telepresence software that allows humans to remotely talk through the robot. With automated eye contact and micro-facial expressions, RoboThespian is able to perform for crowds and work in places like the Kennedy Space Center where it answers questions about the Hubble Telescope from curious visitors.
29. Sophia (Hanson Robotics)
Type: Android designed for realistic conversation
Mobility: Mostly stationary, but can be fitted with bipedal legs.
Use Cases: Public speaking, media appearances and robotic research.
Capabilities: Uses Frubber actuators in its face to create incredibly lifelike expressions while processing conversational data.
Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ flagship humanoid robot, which can process visual, emotional and conversational data to interact naturally with humans. Equipped with proprietary Frubber skin, more than 60 facial expressions and natural language processing technology, Sophia has appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine, made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show and has even addressed the United Nations as an Innovation Champion.
30. Surena IV (University of Tehran)
Type: Research humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal walking.
Use Cases: Research and development, disaster relief testing, and performing simple tasks like writing on a whiteboard.
Capabilities: Can adjust its feet to stay balanced on uneven or sloped ground. Features tracking sensors that allow it to follow a person's movement.
Surena IV is an adult-size humanoid robot developed by the University of Tehran’s Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies (CAST) that features 43 degrees of freedom and the ability to manipulate delicate objects and operatepower tools. The Surena IV robot also has capabilities such as object tracking, bipedal locomotion with enhanced stability and interaction skills like grasping a water bottle, posing for selfies and writing.
31. Tiangong Ultra (X-Humanoid)
Type: Athletic humanoid
Mobility: Bipedal running.
Use Cases: Long-distance running.
Capabilities: Uses predictive AI to instantly calculate how to move its legs, allowing it to navigate hills and stairs at a steady pace.
Tiangong Ultra, developed by X-Humanoid, is a humanoid robot that stands at 1.8 meters tall and weighs 55 kilograms, making it among the most capable humanoid robots for sustained autonomous locomotion. The robot won the 2025 Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon, completing the 21-kilometer course in 2 hours and 40 minutes while navigating varied terrain at steady pace.
32. Walker S2 (UBTECH Robotics)
Type: Service humanoid
Mobility: Fully biped movement
Use Cases: Serving drinks, helping with household chores, and assisting in factories
Capabilities: Has advanced hand-eye coordination and sensors that allow it to pour a glass of water, tighten bolts, or sort items into bins without dropping.
Walker S2, an industrial humanoid robot developed by UBTECH Robotics, features 52 degrees of freedom, integrated AI decision-making and 15 kilogram payload capacity for factory automation. The Walker S2 robot has been deployed across automotive manufacturing, smart factories and logistics use cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are humanoid robots?
Humanoid robots look like humans and mimic human motions and actions to perform various tasks. Some humanoid robots even use materials that resemble human features, like skin and eyes, to appear friendlier.
What are humanoid robots used for?
Humanoid robots are often used for customer service roles, including concierges, bartenders and greeters. Because of their human shape, humanoid robots can also assist with handling and carrying materials in warehouses and factories.
What is the most advanced humanoid robot today?
Ameca by Engineered Arts is considered one of the most advanced humanoid robots. The robot uses artificial intelligence and life-like facial expressions to navigate complex robot-human interactions, setting it apart from many of its humanoid counterparts.
How much do humanoid robots cost?
Humanoid robot pricing varies widely, ranging from as low as $16,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
