Robotics – the humanoid factory worker arrives in the automotive sector
Just as the Machine Age transformed factories after the First World War, in the 20s and 30s of the 21st century, the manufacturing sector may be disrupted yet again, this time by general-purpose humanoid robots.
Volume growth in humanoids will occur in the late 2020s, but the first meaningful deployments are already happening in controlled industrial settings, where workflows are predictable, infrastructure is controlled, and ROI is easier to calculate. These early deployments will serve as critical data-gathering opportunities for wider-scale adoption – the data flywheel approach.
But it is not a simple process. Most humanoids have merely been engineered to mimic humans’ physical characteristics. Industrial standards only partially address this problem, as most were designed for fixed or wheeled robots operating in isolated industrial cells, in safety cages, or in structured service roles.
By contrast, humanoids are generalists by design, capable of working in environments that are not “engineered...
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