Elon Musk has announced that you can now buy a Tesla Optimus robot for $20,000 – $30,000, which can help with household chores and more

The age of humanoids is just around the corner. Humanoids are a subset of robots that feature two legs, functional arms and “hands,” a torso, and a head. It’s not necessary for these robots to recreate human hands and fingers, but they must be able to interact with a world designed for humans.

Humanoids have long been relegated to research labs, but the goalposts recently began to shift. Companies are now creating bipedal designs to perform various real-world tasks. This means humanoids can operate in environments designed for people and work alongside them.

In the short term, basic tasks for humanoids include picking up and moving items either individually or contained within totes or boxes. Advanced functions will eventually include manipulating door knobs, opening and closing doors and drawers, and using tools designed for humans.

RoboBusiness 2023 hosted a panel to discuss the state of humanoids. Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik; Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer of Agility Robotics; and Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary; explored the technological breakthroughs that are propelling humanoids into the real world.

The panelists shared their firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and discuss the industries poised to be early adopters of these remarkable creations.

Let’s look at some of the humanoids that will soon be released and some of the challenges involved with developing these advanced systems.