Humanoid Robots are Here: Soon Millions, Then Billions of Them

We’ve been talking about robots for decades, so why are we seeing an explosion now?

Originating from the Czech term for “forced labor,” the term “robot” was first coined in 1921 in Karel Capek’s influential play R.U.R., or Rossum’s Universal Robots. These early robots, eerily resembling humans, set a precedent that still echoes in popular culture, from the menacing Terminator to Star Trek’s Mr. Data, to the endearing Bicentennial Man.

Defining a “robot” is a task as complex as the intricate technology behind it.

Although interpretations may vary, most experts concur on a basic outline:

“A robot is a physically embodied machine, endowed with intelligence, that can operate tasks with a degree of autonomy and can sense and manipulate its surroundings.”

While the term robot has been applied across a wide range of self-contained systems—from a Roomba to a Tesla car—for the next few blogs in this series, I’m going to focus on one class of robot, specifically those that look like and move like human beings: humanoid robots.

In today’s blog, I’ll discuss the driving forces finally making humanoid robots a reality and share a few predictions for just how big this market can get.

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