Humanoid robots have started clocking in on live production lines, a milestone that moves the technology from staged demonstrations to commercial deployment. Figure AI’s Figure 02 machines now handle sheet-metal parts at BMW Group’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, while Agility Robotics’ Digit units move tote boxes inside Amazon warehouses. The shift accelerated through 2024 and […]
Humanoid robots are stepping off the demo stage and onto factory floors. In the past year, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Amazon and logistics firm GXO have all launched pilots that put two-legged, AI-powered machines to work alongside human employees — a shift analysts describe as the most significant development in industrial robotics in decades. The move is […]
A wave of humanoid robots entered commercial deployment this month as Figure AI, Agility Robotics, and several Chinese manufacturers announced expanded pilot programs at logistics facilities across the United States and Asia, marking the industry’s most significant shift yet from laboratory demonstrations to paid, full-time labor. The announcements, made during the first week of February […]
Humanoid robots are leaving the demonstration stage and entering commercial workplaces, as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Amazon shift from pilot tests to early deployments of general-purpose machines built by startups including Figure AI, Apptronik and Agility Robotics. The transition, accelerating through 2024 and 2025, marks the first time humanoid systems have performed paid, practical work in […]
The humanoid robot era moved from viral demo videos to actual payrolls this year, as AI-powered machines from Figure AI, Agility Robotics and Apptronik began performing commercial work at factories and warehouses across the United States and Europe. The deployments, accelerating through 2025, are driven by persistent labor shortages and breakthroughs in machine learning that […]
Humanoid robots are trading trade-show stages for paychecks. Over the past year, startups including Figure AI, Agility Robotics and Apptronik, along with Tesla, have moved their AI-powered machines from demonstration videos into paid deployments at automotive plants and logistics warehouses across North America and Europe. The shift, driven by persistent labor shortages and rapid advances […]
Humanoid robots are stepping out of research labs and into commercial workplaces at a pace industry analysts did not expect until the 2030s. On Tuesday, Figure AI announced that its Figure 02 robots have begun performing logistics tasks at a major shipping facility in Texas, while rivals Agility Robotics and Tesla reported expanded pilot programs […]
Humanoid robots moved decisively from research labs to commercial pilots this year, as automakers, logistics firms and technology companies signed agreements to deploy AI-powered machines that walk, lift and learn on the job. The inflection point came in March 2025, when NVIDIA released GR00T N1, an open foundation model designed to give humanoid robots general-purpose […]
Humanoid robots are leaving the laboratory and entering the workforce, as manufacturers and logistics companies across North America, Europe and Asia deploy AI-powered machines on live production floors. The shift accelerated through 2024 and 2025, propelled by breakthroughs in machine learning and persistent labor shortages. Analysts now frame the question not as whether humanoids will […]
Humanoid robots are stepping out of trade-show demonstrations and into paid industrial work. Over the past year, BMW, Amazon and other major employers have begun piloting machines built by Figure AI and Agility Robotics, while NVIDIA, Microsoft and OpenAI-backed startups have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into the technology. The shift, unfolding on factory […]
