A humanoid robot is a robot built in roughly human shape, with a torso, two arms, a head and usually two legs, so it can work in spaces and with tools designed for people. In 2026 humanoids are real products, but early ones: a few can be bought (Unitree’s G1 starts at $13,500, 1X’s home robot NEO is $20,000 or $499 a month to preorder), and a handful work for paying businesses moving totes and parts, while most are still in pilots and demos.
Why build a robot in human shape?
Factories, warehouses and homes are built around people: stairs, shelves at arm height, doorways, tools with handles. A machine with a human-like body can, in principle, use all of that without rebuilding the site. That’s the bet behind humanoids. For most single jobs, a specialized machine (a robot arm, a mobile robot, a dishwasher) is still cheaper and more reliable; a humanoid is worth it only if it can switch between many jobs.
How a humanoid robot works
- Body and joints: electric motors with gearboxes drive each joint. The number of independently moving joints, called degrees of freedom, ranges from 23 on a base Unitree G1 to 56 on Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. Hands add many more: 1X lists 22 degrees of freedom per hand on NEO.
- Balance: the robot constantly adjusts its feet and body to stay upright, using joint sensors and an inertial sensor. Some designs use wheels instead of legs to make this easier.
- Senses: cameras (often stereo or depth), sometimes lidar, microphones, and force or touch sensing in the hands.
- Brain: an onboard computer, increasingly NVIDIA’s Jetson Thor class, runs AI models that turn camera images and instructions into motions. These vision-language-action models, such as NVIDIA’s GR00T or Figure’s Helix, are what make general-purpose behavior possible; see our GR00T N1.7 guide.
- Power: a battery that typically lasts a few hours. Boston Dynamics rates Atlas at four hours, or two with heavy lifting, per its spec sheet.
How big and strong are they?
| Robot | Size | Strength | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unitree G1 | Small, research and education | about 2 kg per arm (base) | On sale from $13,500 |
| Unitree H2 | Full size, about 70 kg | about 7 kg per arm rated | Listed at $29,900 |
| 1X NEO | 5 ft 6 in, 66 lb | Home chores | Preorder, $20,000 or $499/month |
| Boston Dynamics Atlas | 1.9 m, 90 kg | 50 kg instant, 30 kg sustained | Industrial, no public price |
Sources: Unitree’s G1 store page and H2 page, 1X’s order page, and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas spec sheet, as summarized in our guides checked October 2026.
What humanoids actually do in 2026
- Moving totes and bins in warehouses and factories: Agility Robotics lists GXO, Schaeffler and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada as Digit customers. This is the job behind the paid humanoid deployments announced so far (Digit at GXO).
- Parts handling in car plants: Figure, Apptronik, UBTech and Boston Dynamics have worked with automakers; most of this is pilot work. Our Figure AI guide covers one example.
- Research and education: low-cost humanoids such as the Unitree G1 are mostly bought by labs and universities.
- Homes: still at preorder and beta stage. Household chores mix many small steps and unpredictable objects, which is why they’re hard; see why robots struggle to finish chores and why a home robot needs to know what you’re already doing.
Watch for remote control in demos. Some impressive videos are teleoperated by a person; companies don’t always say so.
Who makes humanoid robots
The main names are Unitree, AgiBot and UBTech in China; Tesla, Figure, Agility, Apptronik, Boston Dynamics and 1X in the US; and NEURA in Germany. Our humanoid robot companies page sorts them by whether they sell, pilot, or are still building, and the home robot guide covers what you can order for a house.
Can you buy one?
Yes, but mostly for research or business use; our humanoid robot price list collects every published price. Unitree and AgiBot sell online, 1X takes preorders for a home robot, and most industrial makers sell only through business deals with no public price. Before buying, check what’s included (shipping, software development access, warranty) and whether the robot can be programmed for your task; the cheapest models often don’t allow it.
Manufacturer pages checked October 24, 2026.