UK Startup Humanoid Unveils Groundbreaking Industrial Robot HMND 01 Alpha

UK-based Humanoid unveils first robot for industrial use

Sept 18 (Reuters) - Humanoid on Thursday unveiled the UK's first humanoid robot for industrial use, as the startup hopes to gain a foothold in the growing artificial intelligence robotics industry. The wheeled robot, dubbed HMND 01 Alpha, will be tested across industrial facilities, gathering insights on whether certain functions need refinement. This will help shape its Beta version, scheduled for launch in the third quarter of next year, Humanoid said. Humanoid's robot stands at 220 centimetres tall and features wheels, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 7.2 kilometres per hour and carry payloads of 15 kilograms or more. Companies, including industry majors like Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab and Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, are investing in autonomous technologies such as robots to boost manufacturing output, while also handling repetitive, hazardous tasks. The advent of AI and machine learning has raised interest in robotics, as large language models enable bots to perform human-like tasks, giving rise to well-funded startups that are eager to grab market share. Humanoid, which will operate on a robots-as-a-service business model, is backed by $50 million in founder-led capital and a team that includes alumni from Apple, Tesla, Google, Boston Dynamics and Nvidia, the company said. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

UK startup launches fastest-developed humanoid robot for logistics

London-based robotics and AI company Humanoid unveiled the HMND 01 Alpha prototype on September 18. The model, which is the UK's first humanoid robot for industrial use, is designed to perform complex tasks in logistics, retail and manufacturing. Founded just a year ago, the company has already completed two real-world Proofs of Concept (POCs) and assembled a strong team consisting of about 170 world-class engineers, roboticists and AI experts. It built HMND 01 Alpha in just seven months. "With one of the world's strongest talent pools in AI, engineering, and advanced manufacturing, the UK offers a rare level of expertise needed to build world-class robotic systems," Artem Sokolov, Humanoid founder, stated. The wheeled robot is powered by NVIDIA's newly released Jetson Thor platform, which equips it with a powerful "robotic brain" that helps it think and act on its own. This particular feature allows it to adapt in real time to people and surroundings and enables it to run multiple AI workflows and large-scale generative AI models simultaneously. HMND 01 Alpha also incorporates NVIDIA's Isaac Sim and Cosmos synthetic data generation tools. These enhance its ability to simulate, learn, and execute in high-stakes, dynamic environments.

UK-based Humanoid unveils first robot for industrial use

(Reuters) -Humanoid on Thursday unveiled the UK's first humanoid robot for industrial use, as the startup hopes to gain a foothold in the growing artificial intelligence robotics industry. The wheeled robot, dubbed HMND 01 Alpha, will be tested across industrial facilities, gathering insights on whether certain functions need refinement. This will help shape its Beta version, scheduled for launch in the third quarter of next year, Humanoid said. Humanoid's robot stands at 220 centimetres tall and features wheels, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 7.2 kilometres per hour and carry payloads of 15 kilograms or more. Companies, including industry majors like Nvidia and Tesla, are investing in autonomous technologies such as robots to boost manufacturing output, while also handling repetitive, hazardous tasks. The advent of AI and machine learning has raised interest in robotics, as large language models enable bots to perform human-like tasks, giving rise to well-funded startups that are eager to grab market share. Humanoid, which will operate on a robots-as-a-service business model, is backed by $50 million in founder-led capital and a team that includes alumni from Apple, Tesla, Google, Boston Dynamics and Nvidia, the company said. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)