Three robotics experts said humanoid robots need to move beyond flashy demos to performing tasks that are actually useful in the real world at scale.

Airbus ordered UBTech’s Walker S2, a full-size humanoid that stands 176 cm tall (5’9"), weighs 70 kg (154 lbs), and walks at about two meters/second (4.5 mph). It has dextrous hands with 11 degrees of freedom and tactile sensors, and can hold 7.5 kg (16.5 lbs) in each hand and 1 kg (2.2 lbs) with each finger.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday that he expects the company to begin selling humanoid robots to the public by the end of 2027. Why it matters: Musk has billed Tesla's Optimus robot as a globally transformational technology capable of performing innumerable human tasks.

Raj Subramaniam said "super humanoid robots" with a "couple of elbows" would be better at automating deliveries.

Their partnership will trial Walker S2 humanoid robots in aircraft manufacturing, signalling a global push into industrial automation.

Humans are desperate to put the robots to work. The only problem is, the robots don’t “work” to any degree. These humanoid bots are interesting. Some are even cute. Few, if any, are anywhere close to prime time. It was a dour scene at CES 2026, so much so I can’t help but wonder if they ever will be.

On Jan. 22, Louisiana's economic development agency and St. Bernard-based SSE Steel Fabrication announced an agreement with Houston-based tech startup Persona AI to launch a pilot program at SSE to develop humanoid robotics for industrial uses. Greater New Orleans Inc., southeast Louisiana's economic development nonprofit, also is participating.

By Heekyong Yang and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor's labour union in South Korea warned the automaker on Thursday against deploying humanoid robots without union approval, saying the robots would bring "employment shocks".