Humanoid robots are machines built with surprisingly human-like appearances and movements, and AI technology that can help them process information much like a person does. Using cameras, sensors, and robotics they can study a room, move around it, and perform everyday tasks on the job or at home.
We’re already seeing robots used in factories, restaurants, and even healthcare settings. In fact, companies like Figure AI are even shipping orders to their customers!
The market value of industrial robots worldwide is currently at $16.5 billion, and that number is only expected to grow rapidly. In the future, we may see humanoid robots powered by AI in nearly every industry, as companies are trying to combat labor shortages and safety issues.
You’d be surprised at how many robots are already serving drinks, working on assembly lines, and even finding lost treasure. So what are the best humanoid robots used in industries right now? These are the top 15 humanoid robots already in the workforce.
Optimus | Tesla
While Tesla Optimus has only been seen in videos and at the recent We, robot event, the latest model (Gen 3) has been shown performing some impressive feats. The bi-pedal robot has been seen walking, dancing, and acting as a personal butler and companion in a family’s home. While it’s months away from its release, Elon Musk hopes to manufacture 10,000 walking, talking robots this year. The latest model stands at 5’8”, weighs 125 pounds, and uses AI from Tesla’s driver-assistance and a series of actuators to process information, walk, and lend a helping hand⁷.
Apollo | Apprtonik
Apptronik developed Apollo with some help from NASA and the University of Texas, Austin Human Centered Robotics Lab. The humanoid robot was designed to help make life easier at work and eventually home. It performs tasks like communicating with humans, lifting up to 55 pounds, and using force-control architecture to move around smaller spaces with impressive control. The “iPhone of humanoid robots” has been tested in Mercedes-Benz factories, and Apprtonik partnered with Jabil and may be using the robots as early as 2026 in a factory setting.
Figure 02 | Figure AI
Figure 02 is the humanoid robot from Figure AI. The advanced technology powering this robot has already shown signs of reasoning, learning from mistakes, and even holding a conversation. Figure 02 features 6 RGB cameras, sensors, a drive train, and a proprietary LLM that was developed after a collaboration with Open AI. Figure AI has already received funding from Jeff Bezos, NVDA, and Microsoft. Want to see it with your own eyes? This video shows the humanoid robot working as a productive employee in a BMW factory.
Pepper | SoftBank
SoftBank’s friendly customer service robot, Pepper, is designed to interact with customers and provide answers to questions or suggest helpful tips for visitors. It has a friendly appearance that is ideal for retail settings and an excellent memory. It can cater experiences to individuals using facial recognition software and speaks multiple languages. The humanoid robot is most commonly used as a greeter in businesses and at conventions, but Pepper has also been used in educational and healthcare settings¹⁷.
Atlas | Boston Dynamics
The latest model of Atlas from Boston Dynamics is a 100% electric-powered, athletically advanced robot. It can turn its head, transition from lying down to standing up, and even do backflips. Model-predictive control, cameras, depth sensors, and “athletic intelligence” allow Atlas to respond autonomously to the world around it with incredible intuition. The frame is constructed with 3D printed parts, and it features a battery and actuators that improve its strength and efficiency. Boston Dynamics continues to work on training the robot with AI to help it learn tasks that can be applied to industrial settings.
Digit | Agility Robotics
Digit is a multi-purpose robot designed by Agility Robotics to help improve efficiency in the workplace. In 2024, the company partnered with GXO to use a robot in a factory setting. This video shows how the robot can work autonomously, lifting items up to 35 pounds, moving them, and working on an assembly line. The bipedal configuration helps it move in tight spaces, with its unique “backward” legs that are designed to be more nimble than similar humanoid robots. The computer inside has dual Intel i7 chips, AI technology, and LLMs that allow the robot to respond to necessary changes.
Phoenix | Sanctuary AI
With a patented AI “brain”, 5 ‘7, 155-pound frame, and walking speed of 3 mph, Phoenix Gen 6 is already working in automotive factories. It uses its patented Carbon AI system to work much like a human brain does, remembering things and processing senses. Sanctuary AI began testing robots with Magna, who was an early investor in 2021. They recently added touch sensors, which allow the robot to perform more complex hand movements than other humanoid robots. Now, the robots are less reliant on video, with the goal of improving their efficiency in industrial settings.
Eve | 1X
A humanoid robot from 1X, Eve, is already working autonomously in a factory setting—ADT ordered 140 robots for their operations. Eve uses AI technology and a LLM to follow directions and learn tasks on the job. It moves on a set of wheels and has hands that can lift and move items. Like other 1X robots, it can move and perform tasks fully autonomously by using cameras, sensors, and AI software to learn and remember tasks.
Sophia | Hanson Robotics
If there was a poster child for humanoid robotics that looks like an actual person, it would be Sophia. The strikingly human-looking robot also walks the walk and talks the talk. She can react to conversations and gestures using AI and LLM and even identify certain people. Sophia was designed to become a friend and teacher as opposed to a machine designed for manual labor. Hanson Robotics continues to improve her thinking and reasoning skills (she can even sense human emotions), but she is not fully autonomous yet.
KIME | Macco Robotics
KIME is a bartending robot that is designed to work as a waiter assistant or as a self-sufficient service station. It uses AI technology, a humanoid head, and robotic arms to pour beverages, including beer, in just seconds. In fact, it’s already working in gas stations and beverage companies. The company’s founder has big plans for the future, with the goal of the humanoid robot being able to cook and serve full meals like “a burger or a pizza”.
RoboThespian | Engineered Arts
RoboThespian is a talking humanoid robot designed as an “interactive robot” and can speak in 30 languages. It has already appeared in Kennedy Space Center, Parc Futuroscope, and major Universities. While it uses sensors to perform some autonomous movements, it is mainly controlled via teleoperation using the company’s proprietary software, Tritium. It also relies on a Parallax processor for its human-like movements. Operators can broadcast conversations and performances remotely while making eye contact and moving in human-like ways.
NEO Gamma | 1X
The latest robot from 1X, NEO Gamma, is just starting to be tested in home settings. Promotional materials show the robot vacuuming, cleaning windows, and helping take bags of groceries inside a home. NEO Gamma relies on an LLM and a visual manipulation model to interact with people and help around the house. It moves similarly to a human and has hands with fingers to hold items.
Beomni | Beyond Imagination
While not fully autonomous yet, Beomni is being trained to learn skills that could help it perform dangerous and tedious tasks. The AI brain allows the humanoid robot to learn how to do different jobs, with the goal of it helping in healthcare and other sectors in the future. Beomni has made appearances at events like the The Explorers Club Annual Dinner where human operators remotely train the humanoid robot to learn new skills.
NAO | SoftBank
Another SoftBank robot, NAO, has already had a lot of success in the education and healthcare sectors. It is designed to help explain information and has become a popular tool for teachers to use with students, particularly those with learning disabilities. NAO uses AI technology, sensors, and cameras to process its surroundings, move its small humanoid body, and interact with students. Teachers can program the robot so that it can teach specific topics. It speaks 20 languages and can recognize faces, reacting in a human-like way.
OceanOne | Stanford Robotics Lab
This aquatic humanoid robot is helping scientists learn more about the world by diving deep down in the ocean, even recovering an artifact from King Louis XIV shipwreck that humans couldn’t safely reach. In 2022, OceanOne K went a step further, diving 500 meters down to explore the Le Francesco shipwreck as human pilots guided it down there. The robot is powered by propellers and multidirectional thrusters, using stereoscopic vision and AI to semi-autonomously dive down and explore the ocean.
Moving Forward With Robotics
Advancements in robotics are happening rapidly, with more money and research being put into humanoid robots each year. Recent announcements from companies like Tesla and Apptronik show encouraging signs about the near-term future of robotics addressing labor shortages and lending a helping hand around the home. In fact, Yahoo Finance predicts that the humanoid robot market will grow by nearly $60 billion over the next few years. The top 15 humanoid robots being used now are just the beginning—the future is bright for humanoid robots in the workplace and home.