Humanoid robots move into industrial manufacturing and logistics

Humanoid robots are transitioning from laboratory settings to industrial applications, particularly in manufacturing, automotive, logistics, and warehousing. While companies are deploying robots for specific tasks, large-scale humanoid adoption remains limited by safety and technical challenges.

In practical applications, Figure 02 performed sheet-metal loading for welding at a BMW Group plant in South Carolina, contributing to the production of over 30,000 X3 vehicles. Meanwhile, Apptronik is training Apollo 2 robots at its Austin facility and collecting data at sites for Mercedes-Benz and GXO. Maven Robotics is currently operating wheeled, two-armed robots for a Fortune 250 consumer goods company, aiming for 100,000 autonomous operating hours by the end of 2026.

Experts warn that increasing the number of sensors does not inherently guarantee safety. True functional safety requires a robot to judge whether its perception is trustworthy and to integrate cybersecurity with physical safety. A failure in communication or a manipulated data stream can lead to identical dangerous physical outcomes, making the ability to manage unreliable information across hardware and software modules critical for trusted autonomy.