Key takeaways
- Meta plans to invest in AI-driven robots that will help with everyday household tasks, as part of the company’s continued investment in artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
- A team in Meta’s Reality Labs under the CTO Andrew Bosworth is set to develop these advanced robotics.
- While competitors like Tesla and its Optimus robot have already entered the race, a global rollout will still be a few more years away.
After its recent ventures into augmented reality and artificial intelligence, Meta is now all set to change the face of humanoid robots through aggressive investments. Humanoid robots act like humans and help with physical tasks.
These advancements are expected to be capable enough to do tasks like folding clothes, carrying a glass of water, or placing dishes in the dishwashers. Basically, the kind of an assistant that’ll get your tedious work out of the way for you.
While the initial plan is focused on making these humanoids capable enough to assist in household chores, there isn’t any concrete news about whether we’re gonna get a Meta-branded robot or whether it’s just going to be making sensors and software for other companies to manufacture and sell.
One thing’s for sure, Meta will be what Google was for Android operating systems and Qualcomm was for chips. It aims to build a foundation for the market to follow, gaining a significant first-mover advantage if it is successful.
Meta, however, isn’t truly the first one to enter this space though, Tesla is already working on
Optimus is a$30k humanoid robot which will be available soon on the market.
Boston Dynamics is another company that makes humanoid robotics for automation of business warehouses. This isn’t a direct rival of Meta as Meta plans to sell directly to the customer.
Discussions are already underway with robotics companies such as Unitree Robotics Inc. and Figure AI Inc. It will be interesting to see what Meta and Tesla do in this area now that Tesla Optimus is already a step ahead in terms development
Musk even went on to say that by 2040, the population of humanoid robotics will surpass humans – this seems like a farfetched fantasy! Insiders claim that Meta has formed a team within its Reality Labs division to lead this initiative. The team will be led by Marc Whitten, who recently resigned as chief executive officer at General Motors Co. where he was responsible for the company’s Cruise division. Whitten is expected to hire 100 engineers for the project, and will report directly to Andrew Bosworth (Meta’s Chief Technology Officer).
The core technology we’ve invested in and built within Reality Labs and AI is complementary to developing the robotics advancements. Andrew Bosworth
These humanoids are a developed version of the AI autonomous carswith one major distinction: they’ll wander inside a person’s house instead of on roads. Meta executives pointed out that this is a more difficult task for humanoids because roads are fairly standard, but home layouts vary from person to person. Meta will also develop tools to address possible dangers such as a person’s hand becoming caught in a humanoid, or power struggles within the device which could lead to a shutdown mid-operation.
Humanoids will be a major focus for Meta in the coming years, but we’re still several years away from them becoming available globally. Add Techreport To Your Google News Feed.
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Alpa is a senior editor with a wealth of experience in alternative finance, fintech, cryptocurrency, app security software, and the medical industry. She’s currently an in-house managing editor with the Techreport team.
Alpa is passionate about breaking down complex topics and sharing informative content that provides value.
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