#factory-automation

#factory-automation

Tesla told workers during a town hall last week that it plans to begin collecting data to train its humanoid robot at its Austin Gigafactory, insiders told Business Insider. The company is looking to train Optimus how to operate in the Texas facility, it said, adding that it was targeting a February start date. Tesla has been collecting data and training Optimus prototypes in its Fremont, California, factory for more than a year.

Not everybody agrees that replicating the four-limbed, bipedal shape of a human should be replicated in robot form. For one, walking with two feet is inherently less stable than four, nevermind a set of wheels. Replicating the dexterity and fine motor skills of human hands also remains a major challenge. In a modified approach, Boston Dynamics has clearly decided to loosen up some of the restrictions of the human form.

Hyundai's subsidiary Boston Dynamics introduced its humanoid robot, "Atlas," at CES 2026. The company says Atlas will be trained to work in its auto plants, adopting the same strategy that Tesla is using to validate its "Optimus" humanoid. Hyundai says it will build 30,000 robots globally by 2028, with a big robotics plant coming to America around then. Hyundai doesn't just want to build your car. It wants to build the robot that builds your car, and the ones that deliver your packages, too.

Midea's new Miro U looks like someone freeze framed that shot, printed it, and walked it down the hall to the robotics lab with the caption "do this, but for factories." Six coordinated arms, a torso that feels almost cloaked, a wheeled base that spins 360 degrees in place, it reads less like industrial equipment and more like a concept sheet that escaped ArtStation.