Large humanoid robots: what tasks can they perform?

Robotics is gradually being integrated into a wide variety of industries.

Mobile robots (or quadrupeds) remain the most widely used, along with robotic arms. Combinations of the two are increasingly sought-after.

Lately, large-scale humanoid robots have been arriving on the market. Boston Dynamics, Xiaomi, Tesla, and Unitree Robotics to name a few. These robots are coming out of the robotics labs to be tested in factories on dangerous, repetitive or tiring tasks.

However, humanoid robots are not necessarily the most suitable for certain types of tasks, where robot arms, cobots (collaborative robots) or mobile robots are preferred.

Here’s a quick overview.

Tasks adapted to large humanoid robots

The added value of large humanoid robots

A type of robot suitable for tasks alternating between manipulation and social interaction.

Large humanoid robots can alternate between manipulative tasks and interaction with humans.

For example, Pollen Robotics’ humanoid robot, “Reachy”, has been programmed to detect whether or not a visitor is wearing a sanitary mask. If the visitor is not wearing one, the robot gives him one.

This kind of task perfectly illustrates the added value a humanoid robot can have over another type of robot. For example, although a quadruped robot with an arm could carry out this task equally well, its design would be less welcomed by visitors.

This type of robot could well be used in sectors that have difficulty recruiting for tasks involving social interaction and manipulation.

We’re thinking particularly of the healthcare, security and other sectors.

A design adapted to our environment

The design of large humanoid robots is inspired by the human body, making it easier for them to:

The advantage of using a robot with an anthropomorphic design is that it can move around and carry out its tasks without the need to modify the environment.

Automakers Airbus and BMW have carried out initial factory tests with promising results (controlled environment). The idea is to set up human-robot teams, with the robots taking on the most dangerous or arduous tasks.

For example, in the aeronautics sector, many employees suffer from chronic back pain caused by assembly tasks carried out in aircraft fuselages (a tight, cluttered space).

Figure 02 humanoid robots tested at the BMW Group’s Spartanburg plant (credit: BMW Group)

Large-scale humanoid robots: an innovation intended (for the time being) for real-life testing or research projects

Although human-sized humanoid robots have recently gained in power and performance, it’s important to stress that they haven’t reached the same stage of maturity as other robotic platforms such as mobile robots or robotic arms.

The humanoid robots currently available on the market, such as Unitree Robotics’ G1 and H1, are designed for applications in controlled, real-world environments.

Technical capabilities of human-sized humanoid robots

Most common technical capabilities

Bipedal mobility and balance
Simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM)
Obstacle avoidance
Grasping and fine manipulation
Computer vision
Integration with external sensors and actuators

Please note that computer development skills (Python, ROS) are required to run and test programmable versions of humanoid robots.

Main limitations

The two main limitations of large humanoid robots are:

Technical capabilities of the H1 and G1 robots from Unitree Robotics

G1 Humanoid robot:

Dimensions: 1.20 m / 35 kg
2h battery life
Travel speed: 7 km/h
Payload: 3 kg
Learning by imitation and reinforcement (powered by Unitree's Robot Unified Large Model - UnifoLM)
Precise handling thanks to hybrid force-position control
360° detection of its environment (LiDAR + 3D camera)

Have a look at the product sheet to see all the technical specs

Robot humanoïde H1 :

Dimensions : 1,80 m / 47 kg
Vitesse de déplacement : 5 km/h
Détection à 360° de son environnement (LiDAR + caméra 3D)
Customisation possible avec ajout de capteurs et actionneurs (compatible ROS)
Robotic development platform for research: from €90,000 excluding VAT

The H1 and G1 robots, like other large humanoid robots currently available, are research and prototyping platforms for application development.

They are designed for research laboratories, R&D departments and innovation clusters.

Have a look at the product sheet to see all the technical specs

In a nutshell...

Humanoid robots work well in human-centered environments, but issues like limited autonomy and slow movement restrict their usage. While still experimental, they hold great potential for specific tasks.