a new humanoid startup just launched in the UK and they went with the most obvious name possible uh humanoid because really what else could you name it all right so let's talk about hmn d01 from humanoid this is a Next Generation labor automation unit that stands 175 cm tall that's about 59 in and weighs around 70 kg roughly 154 lb so basically it's about the size and weight of an average adult now the big idea behind hmn d01 is for it to collaborate with humans not replace them the company emphasizes that there's a global labor
shortage an aging population and a pressing need for solutions that can handle repetitive or physically demanding tasks that's where hm andd 01 steps in now let me spill the technical details because let's face it this stuff is pretty cool hmn 01 can walk at speed of up to 1.5 m/s which works out to about 5.4 kmph that's not exactly sprinting speed but it's decent if you imagine it performing tasks in a warehouse or retail environment on top of that it has a 4-Hour run time before it needs to recharge and the payload capacity is around
15 kg 33 lb so it can pick up move and handle various objects of moderate weight that might sound modest but for many Industrial and logistical applications like picking packing kitting or part handling 15 kilos is often enough to get a lot done but hey it's not just about raw muscle hmn d01 comes with Advanced AI integrated into a Nimble mechanical Design This means it can navigate tight spaces with Precision so think of it weaving through a busy Factory floor or even a crowded retail stock room the AI also provides human level or better manipulation
speeds for complex tasks super important if you want robots to be efficient in Industries like e-commerce fillment retail stocking or even light manufacturing one of my favorite Parts about the HM andd 01 concept is the modular design you can actually choose different upper body modules lower body modules and in Defector configurations basically you can swap out certain limbs or hands to meet the task at hand it's super cool because it means you're not stuck with just one version of the robot forever you can upgrade or customize it depending on your business or logistical needs plus
the robot features interchangeable garments or outer coverings according to humanoid that's to protect both the robot's systems and the environment it's working in so it might wear say a protective sleeve in Dusty warehouses or a clean Sleek covering in a more customer facing role now humanoid the startup behind hm andd 01 was founded back in 2024 by artm soov he's described as a serial entrepreneur with a big Vision humans and Machines working side by side from the get-go they've been saying that the strongest argument for humanoid robots is that our entire world is built for
human shapes sizes and movements so instead of rebuilding the environment to fit machines we build machines to fit the environment we already have right humanoid also teased some road maps for 2025 they plan to develop and test two alpha prototypes one wield version and one bipedal version on top of that they're in ongoing discussions with major retail companies for pilot projects so I'd guess we're probably going to see hm n01 tested in real world environments pretty soon but let's not forget introducing a robot like hmn d01 can raise a few eyebrows especially around cost safety
and ethics industry estimates put put the price of a humanoid robot in this category anywhere from 50,000 to $100,000 or so depending on how it's customized and how many units you buy that's not exactly cheap but larger companies particularly those facing labor shortages might find the return on investment worth it on top of that the global market for humanoid robots is forecasted to hit around $1 billion by 2025 that's a really big number that showcases how fast this field is growing so we can bet that a lot of startups and established robotics companies are going
to try to get a piece of that pie for anyone out there looking to integrate a robot like hm andd 01 into their operations the recommended steps are pretty straightforward first identify the tasks you want automated next customize the robot's modular components accordingly then train your employees to work alongside it and run pilot project to see if everything functions smoothly now if we're talking about the competition Boston Dynamics is the name that probably jumps to mind right Boston Dynamics is famous for their humanoid robot Atlas and for the doglike spot but the difference is that
while Boston Dynamics robots like Atlas are often showcased in videos doing flips and parkour hm andd 01 is taking a more direct approach to labor and Logistics tasks another comparison might be SoftBank robotics which is known for social robots like pepper but pepper is more about customer interaction and engagement whereas hm and d01 focuses heavily on operational efficiency in retail Logistics and Manufacturing but you know hm andd 01 isn't the only big news in humanoid robots right now let's check out what else is going on in the scene there's a Chinese robotics company called ubtech
that's been making waves with a new humanoid robot named una UBC unveiled una at the leap Tech Conference in Saudi Arabia now this is interesting una is made to look like a woman and the plan is to use una in service roles like emotional support interactive entertainment or even reception duties because of that the design is very humanlike with a soft silicone exterior the idea is to help people feel more at ease when interacting with the robot maybe in a hotel lobby a retail environment or even some care facilities unfortunately UB Tech hasn't revealed a
lot of the nitty-gritty specs we don't really know how tall una is how quickly she walks or how many hours she can operate but what we do know is that she can recognize and respond to natural language so speech recognition and response are built in they haven't announced a price or timeline for release so as of now una is still a prototype but it's worth noting that UB Tech is a pretty big name in robotics with other humanoid models like the Walker S Series which has been tested for indust Ral tasks like parcel handling scanning
sorting Etc they already have 500 pre-orders for 2025 in that line another one they showed off was YuYu a pandal likee humanoid robot used as a reception robot at the China Pavilion during Expo 2020 now rounding out our humanoid robot Journey today is Boston Dynamics famous for their robot dog spot and their Advanced humanoid Atlas they're teaming up with the Robotics and AI Institute to boost atlas's skills using reinforcement learning focusing on things like walking while picking objects up or operating tools they've partnered before on spots researcher kit but now they're shifting that Innovation to
humanoids CEO Robert plater says the biggest challenge is moving from cool demos to realworld settings like active work sites or warehouses which is a whole different level of complexity humanoid robots are quickly moving beyond flashy videos into actual day-to-day use hm01 for instance could soon be stocking shelves or doing heavy lifting in retail while ubex unaa might greet customers in hotel lobbies meanwhile Atlas is getting closer to handling practical tasks out in the field not just hopping over boxes in a lab none of these machines aim to replace people outright rather they fill gaps where
labor is scarce or risky yes ethical and safety questions remain but it's thrilling to imagine hm andd 01 helping in a busy Warehouse Uno welcoming guest an atlas hauling materials around a construction site what used to feel like sci-fi is basically here anyway that's our quick look at the latest in humanoid robotics hmn d01 stands out for real world functionality una adds a friendly face and Atlas is getting a major brain upgrade the humanoid robot Market is booming so let me know what you think in the comments if you enjoyed this hit that like button
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