What’s on the horizon for Meta? The social media powerhouse has shifted its focus dramatically over the years, exploring a variety of technologies including smartphones, cryptocurrency, tablets, the metaverse, smart glasses, and most recently, artificial intelligence. Now, it seems that humanoid robots are the next frontier for the company.
As reported by Bloomberg, Meta is investing heavily in creating AI-driven humanoid robots. The report indicates, “Meta plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially targeting tasks around the home.”
This shift in focus is not exactly unexpected. In 2021, Meta showcased its DIGIT technology, which features robotic fingers equipped with a vision-based tactile sensor to recognize objects and replicate the human sensation of touch.
Moreover, the company collaborated with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University to create a low-cost, replaceable touch-sensing skin for robots called ReSkin. This innovative material mimics human skin’s ability to gauge pressure effectively.
Unlike Elon Musk’s Optimus robot, which remains more of a concept than reality, Meta appears serious about its ambitions in the humanoid robotics space.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, seems determined to embed Meta into the core of the industrial supply chain. The strategy involves not just building robots but also developing foundational technologies that can be licensed or sold to other companies.
In simpler terms, Meta aims to provide the essential components for humanoid robots, encompassing the software for interpreting environments (such as computer vision), sensor integration, and computing modules.
Meta’s initiative with humanoid robots reflects its desire to synthesize its existing work in AI, augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and hardware sensing. The company is particularly keen on positioning its Llama AI models as a robust platform for robotics.
Notably, Meta’s focus diverges from companies like Boston Dynamics, as it intends for its humanoid robots to assist in household tasks rather than functioning in warehouse or manufacturing settings.
However, public perception may play a significant role in the project’s acceptance, especially considering Meta’s history with user privacy concerns. The report also notes that initially, the company does not plan to brand its robots with the Meta name, avoiding direct competition with Tesla’s Optimus, but may explore this in the future.
To spearhead its robotics efforts, Meta has reportedly recruited the leader of General Motors’ self-driving technology division. The company is also in discussions with Unitree Robotics and Figure AI to kick off this venture.
This humanoid robot initiative will likely fall under Meta’s Reality Labs division, which is already engaged in developing holographic smart glasses, mixed reality software, and various sensor tracking technologies.
