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Optimus Ramps, Figure 03 Pilots, IRON Debut | Humanoid Press

Daily Bot Blitz

The Dawn of the Bot Age: Tesla's Optimus Gen 3 Emerges from Fremont's Fires, Poised to Reshape Our World

This week Tesla quietly flipped the switch on real production. Gen 3 bots are rolling out of Fremont by the hundreds, with a monster 10 million/year line coming to Giga Texas. At scale they’ll cost less than a used sedan — and they’re already folding laundry, sorting parts, and grabbing coffee without spilling a drop.

I remember thinking Optimus was just hype. Not anymore. The first thousand units are already shipping to Ford and Amazon. If Tesla nails the software, your lazy Sunday might soon include a robot folding your socks while you binge Netflix. Fingers crossed it never asks for a raise.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

The Roommate Revolution: Figure 03 Steps Into Real Homes

Beta families are living with Figure 03 right now — unloading groceries, vacuuming, and surviving dog barks. TIME just named it Invention of the Year.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

Unmasked Ingenuity: XPeng Sliced IRON Open on Stage

To kill the “guy-in-a-suit” rumors, XPeng literally cut their new IRON robot in half live. The crowd went wild.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

Border Bots: UBTech Walker S2 Goes 24/7 in Vietnam

First mass deployment of humanoid robots ever: $37M order for self-battery-swapping Walker S2 units now patrolling the Vietnam border.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

Zerith H1 Is Quietly Cleaning Every Mall in Hefei

No more tired janitors dodging shoppers — this wheeled-base H1 is silently mopping toilets and wiping counters 24/7.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

Atlas Just Got Scary Good: Boston Dynamics Drops New Parkour Video

The new electric Atlas is now running, jumping, and throwing 40 lb boxes like it’s nothing. Hyundai says factory pilots start Q1 2026.

December 02, 2025 | Editor: Humanoid Press

Amazon’s Digit Fleet Hits 100 Bots in Real Warehouses

Agility Robotics just confirmed: over 100 Digit humanoids are now walking live Amazon fulfillment centers, moving totes 12 hours straight.

Humanoid Press - More Top News

More Top Daily News: Tesla Optimus Gen 2 • Figure AI $1B+ • Amazon Digit trials • China patents surge 4× • BMW Munich robots • Sanctuary Phoenix retail • Unitree G1 $13.5k • Agility Robotics $400M More Top Daily News: Tesla Optimus Gen 2 • Figure AI $1B+ • Amazon Digit trials • China patents surge 4× • BMW Munich robots • Sanctuary Phoenix retail • Unitree G1 $13.5k • Agility Robotics $400M

FEATURED STORY

Tesla's Optimus Gen 2: The Robot That's Reshaping Manufacturing

Tesla has unveiled ambitious plans for its Optimus Gen 2, demonstrating unprecedented dexterity and autonomous decision-making capabilities. The company aims for a pilot line capable of one million units annually, with production ramping in 2025 and scaling further by 2026 as it transforms factory automation.

Figure Raises $675 Million at $2.6 Billion Valuation

The OpenAI-backed humanoid startup just closed one of the largest rounds in robotics history. Investors include Microsoft, OpenAI Startup Fund, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos via Bezos Expeditions, Parkway Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures, and ARK Invest. Figure 02 is now officially the most valuable pure-play humanoid company on Earth, with plans to scale manufacturing and AI training through Microsoft Azure.

YESTERDAY'S BIG STORIES

Amazon Orders 1,000+ Digit Robots

Agility Robotics confirms the largest single humanoid order ever placed, with first deliveries starting in 2024 for tote recycling in fulfillment centers.

Boston Dynamics Retires Atlas

After 12 years, the iconic hydraulic research platform is officially discontinued in favor of the new all-electric commercial Atlas.

Sanctuary AI Lands Canadian Retail Giant

Phoenix robots begin 24/7 shifts at Mark's and Canadian Tire warehouses, completing over 110 tasks like picking, packing, and folding in a week-long pilot.

1X Shows NEO Doing Dishes at Home

Norwegian startup releases first in-home footage of its NEO household robot, autonomously handling chores like folding and tidying with natural language commands.

PARTNERSHIP

Figure 02 Hits BMW Assembly Lines

First humanoid in automotive production: Figure bots sort parts and fetch tools, reducing worker strain by 40% in initial tests.

AGILITY

G1 Nailed World's First Kip-Up

Unitree's G1 performs acrobatic flip from supine—pushing limits of balance and torque in sub-$20K hardware.

COLLAB

Helix AI: Robots Team Up on Groceries

Figure's Helix system lets two bots collaborate without pre-programming, scanning and dividing tasks on the fly.

G1 + Reborn AI: Boxing Upgrade

Unitree partners with Reborn for Roboverse platform, enabling G1 to learn combat moves via Hugging Face datasets.

Humanoid Press - Latest Robotics News

Industry Analysis

Figure AI November 2024

Figure 02 Completes 11-Month BMW Deployment

Figure AI retired its F.02 robots after successfully deploying them at BMW's Spartanburg plant for nearly a year. The robots contributed to production of over 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles and loaded more than 90,000 sheet metal parts. Robots operated daily on active assembly line, picking metal parts and placing them into welding fixtures with 5-millimeter precision within 2 seconds.

Vehicles:30,000+

Parts:90,000+

Duration:11 months

Production Proven Real Deployment
Read Full Report →

Boston Dynamics April 2024

Electric Atlas Replaces Hydraulic Legend

Boston Dynamics retired its iconic hydraulic Atlas robot and unveiled an all-electric successor designed for commercial deployment. The new Atlas is stronger and more dexterous than its predecessor, with movements that exceed human range of motion. Hyundai will begin factory testing in 2025 for automotive manufacturing applications.

Commercial Ready Hyundai Partnership
Learn More →

Unitree G1 August 2024

$16K Robot Disrupts Pricing

Chinese robotics company Unitree unveiled the G1 humanoid at a breakthrough price point of just $16,000. Standing 130cm tall, the compact robot can perform a standing jump of 1.4 meters, exceeding its own height. China aims to mass produce humanoid robots by 2025 and establish market dominance by 2027.

Price:$16,000

Height:130cm

Jump:1.4m

Market Disruptor Affordable
View Details →

Tesla Optimus October 2024

Gen 3 Showcased at We, Robot Event

Tesla's latest Optimus generation served drinks and interacted with guests at the company's robotics showcase event. Elon Musk announced plans to deploy approximately 1,000 Optimus robots in 2025, targeting a consumer price point between $20,000 and $30,000 for mass market appeal.

2025 Units:1,000

Target Price:$20-30K

Consumer Focus
Visit Tesla →

XPENG IRON November 2024

EV Maker Launches Humanoid Robot

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG debuted its IRON humanoid robot featuring remarkably smooth, human-like walking. The robot demonstrates what the company calls extreme anthropomorphism with a graceful, natural gait. IRON is part of XPENG's broader Physical AI strategy scheduled for Q1 2026 launch.

Launch:Q1 2026

Focus:Physical AI

Human-like Gait Embodied AI
Explore XPENG →

1X NEO October 2024

First Consumer Robot Pre-Orders Open

Norwegian startup 1X opened pre-orders for NEO, the world's first consumer-ready home humanoid robot with transparent pricing and confirmed 2026 delivery timeline. NEO focuses on safe human-robot collaboration in residential environments, prioritizing household assistance tasks.

Pre-Order Available Home Use 2026 Delivery
Pre-Order Now →

Agility Robotics 2024

Digit Gets First Paid Job at Spanx

Agility Robotics secured industry's first commercial humanoid deployment under Robotics-as-a-Service model. Digit robots work at GXO-operated Spanx warehouse in Georgia, moving totes between autonomous mobile robots and conveyors. Named TIME Magazine's Top 200 Inventions of 2024. RoboFab factory targets 10,000 units annually.

Capacity:10K/year

Height:5'9"

Payload:35 lbs

First Paid Job TIME Top 200
Discover Digit →

Sanctuary AI December 2024

Phoenix Gen 8 With Tactile Sensors

Sanctuary AI released its eighth-generation Phoenix robot featuring revolutionary tactile sensors enabling sophisticated in-hand manipulation. Demonstrated capability includes manipulating 12-sided dice with precision. Enhanced touch feedback systems improve dexterity for complex tasks.

Generation:8th

Focus:Dexterity

Latest Release Advanced Touch
Explore Phoenix →

Apptronik Apollo 2024

NASA Heritage Robot Partners Mercedes

General-purpose humanoid developed by former NASA Valkyrie team stands 173cm tall. Partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Google enables learning through observation capabilities. Designed for diverse applications including elderly care and factory automation. Apollo raised $350M in funding to scale production.

Height:173cm

Funding:$350M

Multi-Purpose AI Learning
Meet Apollo →

Fourier GR-2 September 2024

Second-Gen With 12-DoF Hands

Shanghai-based Fourier launched GR-2 with 53 degrees of freedom and upgraded 12-DoF dexterous hands featuring six tactile sensors per finger. Stands 175cm tall, weighs 63kg. Trained using NVIDIA Isaac Lab for sim-to-real learning. Battery runtime doubled to 2 hours. Over 100 GR-1 units already deployed.

Height:175cm

DoF:53

Runtime:2 hours

Mass Produced Deployed
Learn More →

Xiaomi CyberOne 2024

Full-Size Humanoid With Emotion AI

Xiaomi advances CyberOne deployment on its own production lines. Robot stands 177cm tall, weighs 52kg. Designed for home care and companionship with ability to recognize 85 sounds and 45 human emotions. Features 3D spatial perception and can detect happiness, comfort users during sadness.

Height:177cm

Weight:52kg

Emotions:45 types

Emotion AI Production Line
Visit Xiaomi →

UBTech Walker S 2024

Patent Leader With 2,680+ Patents

Industry pioneer founded in 2012 holds most humanoid robot patents globally. Partners with FAW-Volkswagen for unmanned automotive production performing sorting, quality inspection, and assembly. Proven track record in industrial deployment with established production capabilities.

Patents:2,680+

Founded:2012

Patent Leader Factory Proven
View UBTech →

Qinglong Robot July 2024

Shanghai's 185cm Dexterous Giant

Unveiled at World AI Conference with 43 degrees of freedom for highly dexterous manipulation. Integrated vision and touch sensors enable delicate object handling like bread without deformation. Backed by $140 million investment. Developed by national-local humanoid robot innovation center in Shanghai.

Height:185cm

Weight:80kg

Investment:$140M

Shanghai Built Open Source

ENGINEAI SE01 Fall 2024

Viral Sensation for Natural Gait

Chinese startup gained massive online attention for impressively smooth, human-like walking. Uses end-to-end neural networks with three stereo cameras for perception. Company founded 2023, plans 1,000 units by 2025. Expandable chest design allows quick head and hand module swapping.

2025 Goal:1,000 units

Cameras:3 stereo

Viral Hit Neural Network

Huawei Jimu December 2024

$413M Robotics Investment

Telecommunications giant Huawei invested $413 million in robotics subsidiary Jimu founded June 2023. Focus centers on integrating advanced AI with hardware manufacturing. Part of China's national strategy to dominate global humanoid market by 2027.

Investment:$413M

Founded:June 2023

Major Funding Strategic Move

NVIDIA GR00T 2024

Foundation Model Platform

NVIDIA developed general-purpose AI foundation model specifically for humanoid robot training. Combines Isaac Lab with Omniverse platform creating virtual training environments. Provides critical infrastructure enabling industry-wide scaling. Used by Fourier, Figure, and other major manufacturers.

Industry Platform AI Training Infrastructure
Learn About GR00T →

Toyota T-HR3 2024

Remote Avatar for Healthcare

Toyota's humanoid designed as remote avatar controlled by wearable devices. Focuses on mimicking human operator motions through sophisticated control system. Applications in healthcare and household assistance. Toyota Research Institute partners with Boston Dynamics to advance AI models using Atlas platform.

Healthcare Remote Control Avatar System
Explore T-HR3 →

Fourier GR-1 Banking 2024

First Bank Lobby Manager Robot

GR-1 Bank Lobby Manager training base opened at CCB Shanghai Pudong Branch. Robot guides customers, diverts calls, conducts anti-fraud training. Part of Shanghai's plan to build 100 humanoid robot training grounds in 2024 for data production and system calibration.

Application:Banking

Location:Shanghai

Service Sector Customer Facing

Market Outlook 2024-2050

Explosive Growth Projected

Goldman Sachs forecasts the humanoid robot market will reach $38 billion by 2035, up from $6 billion in 2024. Morgan Stanley predicts deployment of 40,000 units by 2030, surging to 63 million units by 2050. China's domestic market alone expected to reach $10.26 billion by 2029. Manufacturing sector faces shortage of 3.8 million workers by 2033.

2035 Market:$38B

2050 Units:63M

Growth Rate:533%

Trillion Dollar Market Labor Solution

Amazon Digit Trial October 2024

E-Commerce Giant Tests Humanoids

Amazon began testing Agility Robotics' Digit at Seattle-area fulfillment center. Robots move empty totes, work alongside human employees. Part of Amazon's broader robotics strategy deploying over 750,000 mobile robots company-wide. Represents major validation for humanoid logistics applications.

Total Robots:750K+

Application:Logistics

Amazon Trial Fulfillment Center
Amazon Robotics →