Robotics systems have significantly evolved over the past decade, with warehouses being a major beneficiary of this technological advancement. However, the recent hype around humanoid robots, designed to mimic human actions, has been dismissed as a publicity stunt by Romain Moulin, CEO of Exotec. Moulin argues that these robots are unlikely to become a significant part of future warehouses.
The Rise and Criticism of Humanoid Robots
In the summer of 2024, logistics company GXO trialed Apptronik’s Apollo robot in its warehouses, and Amazon announced plans to incorporate humanoid robots into its facilities. Despite these developments, Moulin believes that humanoid robots do not add value to the sector compared to established, non-humanoid automated systems. He likens the development of humanoid robots to designing planes to flap their wings, calling it a poor optimization strategy.
The Future of Warehouse Robotics
Moulin suggests that the current hype around humanoid robotics is likely to fade away, much like the buzz around drone delivery a few years ago. He emphasizes that warehouse robotics is a highly competitive field that leaves no room for solutions that aren’t cost-efficient. While the hype around humanoid robotics brings visibility to the warehouse industry, Moulin firmly believes that humanoid robots are useless in a truly optimized automated warehouse environment, given the range of effective, non-humanoid options available.
