I'm obsessed with robots and have been since I was a little boy watching Gigantor anime on my small tube TV. Back then, I dreamed of riding on the shoulders of my robot friend. I've since shed those boyish dreams in favor of a robot home companion along the lines of C-3PO, and part of me believes 2025 might be my year.
In 2024, we saw a lot of humanoid robot development from a growing number of companies. Market leader Boston Dynamics introduced the stunning Atlas 2, its most advanced and human-looking robot yet. Tesla trundled along with Optimus updates, Figure AI arrived with the remarkably bright Figure 01, and 1X Neo Beta's uncomfortable human/robot interactions will forever haunt our dreams. The slow pace of humanoid robotic development I've witnessed over the last three decades has accelerated partly because some are pairing their robot efforts with advancements in AI. Figure 01, for instance, partnered with OpenAI for some voice-based responses.
