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Meta Builds Home-Chore Robot Prototype Max
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In Short: According to The Information, the Chinese robotics company Fourier assisted in building the prototype in about three months.
Meta has reportedly developed a humanoid robot prototype named Max, designed to perform household chores, as detailed by The Information.
The prototype, codenamed Max, weighs approximately 106 pounds and stands about five feet tall.
Meta has also been working on a second prototype, codenamed Max 2, since September.
The robot is powered by NVIDIA's Jetson Thor chips and includes updates to its design, such as a projector and additional sensors to better handle stairs.
Meta began its efforts to develop humanoid robots last year, following Bloomberg's report that the company had formed a new team to build robot hardware.
According to The Information, the Chinese robotics company Fourier assisted in building the prototype in about three months.
Zuckerberg reportedly acknowledged that Meta's AI progress is slower than anticipated but remains committed to further investment.
Tesla is reportedly producing several hundred Optimus robots weekly, though issues with hands and assembly persist.
Chinese automakers are increasingly turning to humanoid robots as sales slow and margins tighten.
Background
Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Rohit Prasad, former Amazon AI executive, as CEO of Boston Dynamics to accelerate the commercialization of Atlas humanoid robots.
What's confirmed
- On the outside, the prototype reportedly has a display that can show facial expressions, a built-in speaker and hands designed to pick up small objects.
- The Information 's report said there's no launch date set for a mass-market version of Max, but that Meta has already been working on a second prototype, codenamed Max 2, since September.
- Meta's efforts to break into humanoid robots began as early as last year after Bloomberg reported that the company created a new team tasked with building robot hardware with the eventual goal of being able to do household chores.
- The report said that the robot, internally codenamed Max, was built with the help of a Chinese robotics company called Fourier in roughly three months.
What's still developing
- Following that report, Meta acquired a startup that's known for building artificial intelligence specifically for robots, earlier this year.
- Leaked recordings reportedly showed Zuckerberg admitting that Meta’s AI progress is slower than expected, while he still backed more investment.
- Tbreak reported that Nvidia pushed physical-AI tools and a humanoid robot for research.