Humanoid Robots: The Future of Manufacturing Is Coming!

Humanoid Robots: The Future of Manufacturing Is Coming!

An important conference will take place on September 25, 2025 that will focus on the transformation of robotics in industrial manufacturing. The event will be organized on December 2nd and 3rd, 2025 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in Dresden and at the Professorship for Machine Tool Development and Adaptive Controls. In cooperation with DWM e.V. at the Technical University of Dresden, this conference enables intensive exchange between science, industry and the specialist public. The topics include current research results, technical developments and practical applications in production. The focus is on the use of humanoid robots, which are intended to act as support systems for central actors in the production process, such as tu-dresden.de reported.

The conference offers various formats, including lectures, live demonstrations and discussions. The aim is to create a platform for knowledge transfer and shaping the future of automated production. Experts expect that humanoid robots can help companies advance automation in manufacturing without requiring extensive adjustments to the environment.

The use of humanoid robots: opportunities and challenges

Despite the progress and positive expectations, there are reservations among experts about humanoid robots. A current study shows that those surveyed are cautious about their technical possibilities. Humanoid robots are expected to see limited initial use, particularly in areas where accuracy, system stability and process speed are less critical. Typical tasks considered for the use of humanoid robots include transporting boxes or materials. 60 percent of those surveyed doubt that humanoid robots need two legs for these tasks and prefer wheel-driven platforms or two-arm robots ipa.fraunhofer.de notes.

One of the biggest challenges in practical use is functional safety. This is currently largely unclear and requires special requirements for the stability of the robots. In addition, around half of those surveyed would be willing to pay up to 100,000 euros for a humanoid robot, although the economic viability and technical possibilities are often viewed as unclear.

Future developments in robotics

Technological advances in recent years have improved the speed and precision of humanoid robots by 35 to 40 percent. It is estimated that around 20 million humanoid robots could be sold by 2030, which could have a significant impact on automation, particularly in the manufacturing industry. It is believed that over 40 percent of manual tasks can be automated by humanoid robots. Industry leaders such as BYD plan to deploy 20,000 humanoid robots by 2030, while BMW is already testing humanoid robots at its factory in Spartanburg, USA, and Mercedes-Benz is working with Apollo-type humanoid robots, according to reports automationpraxis.industrie.de.

The challenges when using humanoid robots are diverse. Gripping technology in particular requires extensive advances in hardware and artificial intelligence. In addition, the mobility of robots is a potential safety risk, with 60 percent of experts overwhelmingly rejecting human-like locomotion. However, many companies would invest in humanoid robots if their cost is less than 100,000 euros and the productivity can reach at least 50 percent of a human employee.

The coming months and years will be crucial in defining the place of humanoid robots in industrial production. The exchange and discussions during the conference will certainly help to develop clear perspectives for this technology and its use.