Here are nine humanoid robots used by carmakers and no we're not scared at all
Agibot's got a whole portfolio of humanoid robots, but it's the A2 that caught BYD's eye. The machine is 169cm tall (5'7"), weighs 69kg and has a turning radius of 60cm... and a great sense of humour? Cool Tinder profile. Agibot's A2 runs on a 700wH battery, capable of two hours' work before it needs a recharge. Robots tire too? Who knew. Advertisement - Page continues below
Apptronik Apollo (Mercedes-Benz) Apptronik's Apollo - now strutting its stuff in Mercedes-Benz factories - is less sci-fi overlord, more blue-collar bot with ambition. Merc reckons the 170cm tall machine lightens the human load; it walks, it lifts, it learns, and crucially, it doesn't whinge about the weekend's footy results every Monday morning. You might like
Atlas is made by Boston Dynamics, enjoying partnerships with a number of carmakers including Audi, BMW, Tesla and Hyundai. Atlas's six-foot-two hydraulic predecessor retired in April 2024, replaced by a fully electric version. Crucially, it's the only robot that has a pet dog called Spot. Advertisement - Page continues below
Chinese carmaker Chery partnered with Aimoga to deploy 'Mornine'. Rocking a set of blond locks and that fetching pair of blue glasses, she's helping to sell cars at a Malaysian dealership. Although her dynamic movement is a little awkward, we're told she'll be a three-phase evolution. Beginning, middle, end?
Powered by an all-solid-state battery with a six-hour runtime, Guangzhou Automobile Company's GoMate stands at 1.4 meters on four wheels and towers to 1.75 meters on two. The otherworldly rollerblader moonwalks and wheelies in one fluid motion, and limited production is planned for 2026. Reckon it'll be ready to [robot] rumble with the others?
Unitech G1 (Great Wall Motor) Though Great Wall Motor has partnered with Unitree to work out how best to deploy the tech in factories, you could own your very own G1 for about £24,000, courtesy of the world wide web. The Unitree G1 bot dances better than most blokes bordering the floor of the local disco - with movements reminiscent of Mickey Mouse with those gloves and shoes on.
Tesla's Optimus is set to cost less than £20,000 and hit production lines in mass numbers from 2026. But let's not get too starry-eyed. Right now, it's a toddler with ambition - walking, waving, maybe stacking boxes if it's feeling cooperative. Elon reckons it'll change the world; for now, it's changing batteries. Advertisement - Page continues below
A 1.7-metre-tall Swiss Army knife in a shiny suit, UBTech's Walker S1 is armed with 41 servo joints, superhuman algorithmic perception, and a brain powered by a large language model. Like its peers, Walker S1 can lift boxes, sort parts, and even dodge obstacles for the likes of Audi, BYD, Nio and VW. The question is, can this robotic Bear Grylls do the moonwalk yet?
Xpeng's Iron (man-bot) looks like it walked out of a Marvel film and straight into a factory. It stands 1.78 metres tall, and features 200 degrees of freedom along with a spine that flexes like a yoga instructor. It's driven by a 40-core AI chip, giving it the brains to match its brawn. Sure, it's still in prototype mode, but if this is the future of robotics, then the machines are arriving in style.
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The Guardian
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- The Guardian
Enough of the billionaires and their big tech. ‘Frugal tech' will build us all a better world
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Reuters
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Reuters
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