Artem Sokolov, the founder of Humanoid, a robotics startup headquartered in the UK, is striving to redefine our perception of work through robotics. Carrying forward his experience from taking his family’s jewelry business to a billion-dollar valuation, Sokolov is now focused on an expansive and innovative new venture. His new mission? To create humanoid robots engineered to alleviate humans from monotonous, physically taxing tasks.
So, why the emphasis on humanoid robots? While there’s an ongoing debate about whether industrial robots offer more efficiency, Sokolov is a firm believer in the unmatched versatility of human form. His argument is simple yet persuasive—our industrial environment is shaped around human dimensions. Therefore, instead of restructuring the entire infrastructure, humanoid robots can smoothly integrate into our existing environments. Just like us, these robots can perform diverse tasks, all the while evolving by learning and adapting to new challenges.
Like any innovative venture, Sokolov’s startup, Humanoid, too faces high competition from the likes of industry giants like Tesla and Agility Robotics. However, where Humanoid stands out is its prime focus on practicality. The company is all about designing robots with an explicit purpose—to work and not to entertain. Even though the company was only founded in 2024, within a year, it’s now carrying out commercial tests, focusing on commercial viability with use cases mainly in logistics and manufacturing.
At the heart of Humanoid’s robotic creations, lies a unique AI stack centered on Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models. Instead of just basing their design on basic models, the team at Humanoid is building their own application layers enabling the robots to perceive, understand, and intelligently act within their surroundings.
Moreover, ethical concerns form an integral part of Humanoid’s journey. With issues ranging from data privacy to autonomy, the team is exploring and setting the path in uncharted territory. As Sokolov aptly puts it, “We’ve never lived alongside robots before.” The company starts by testing industrial applications to ensure safety before the robots make their way into our homes. Besides, being headquartered in Europe gives Humanoid access to top-tier robotic talent and regulatory frameworks.
Humanoid’s flagship robot, the HMND 01, showcases a modular design. It starts as a wheeled version, allowing the company to concentrate on tasks while reducing complexity. However, the same model’s upper body can be fitted onto a bipedal platform in the future, ensuring a seamless transfer of learned skills. This modularity also means lower costs, lesser downtime, and maintainability, making the robots adaptable and scalable.
Walking on two feet might seem simple to us, but it’s a massive challenge for robots. That’s where Humanoid steps up with model-predictive and whole-body control systems enabling the robot to adjust its movements based on the environment, combining machine learning and continuous improvement in balance and agility to deal with unforeseen real-world situations.
While there may be potential societal challenges, especially concerning perception and regulation as humanoid robots become more prevalent, Sokolov envisions these robots augmenting human labor rather than replacing it. They will fill the voids in the workforce and possibly even reshape the labor market, much like the Internet did with digital jobs.
As far as commercialization and cost strategy go, Sokolov is optimistic that the high costs associated with humanoid robots will eventually come down with scale. He even estimates that the total cost of ownership could drop significantly, making humanoid automation cheaper than human labor in numerous developed countries.
Moving forward, Humanoid is on track to introduce its alpha models, wheeled and bipedal, later this year. These models will demonstrate the company’s advanced AI capabilities and modular design. Furthermore, we can expect pilot programs in logistics and manufacturing. Humanoid is currently on a hiring spree, actively recruiting top talent to further its mission from offices in London, Boston, and Vancouver.
To conclude in Sokolov’s words, “We’re not just building robots, we’re building a new way for humans and machines to work together.” This statement perfectly captures the essence of Humanoid and its mission to revolutionize work through robotics.
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