The ranking · 2026
Best Humanoid Robots in 2026: 14 Most Advanced Models Ranked
By the Humanoid500 research desk · Updated 25 September 2026
Every machine in the Humanoid500 index is scored out of 100 on the things that separate a working robot from a demo video — payload, degrees of freedom, battery runtime, top speed, how well documented it is, and whether you can actually buy it. The 14 highest scores are ranked below, the full index is in the table further down, and the scoring method is published in full. No opinion, no sponsorship.
59 robots scored · published 18 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026 · methodology v1.1 · what changed
The verdict
There is no single most advanced humanoid robot; the leader depends which capability you mean.
Top five at a glance
| # | Robot | Price | Status | Payload | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kepler Robotics K2 Forerunner | $30k | Pre-order | 15kg | 85 |
| 2 | Robot Era L7 | POA | Pre-order | 20kg | 84 |
| 3 | Boston Dynamics Atlas (Electric) | POA | Pilots only | 25kg | 82 |
| 4 | Agility Robotics Digit V4 | $200k | Pre-order | 25kg | 82 |
| 5 | Mentee Robotics Menteebot 3.0 | POA | Pilots only | 25kg | 79 |
Where are Optimus, Figure and Atlas?
Tesla Optimus Gen 3, Figure AI Figure 03, Boston Dynamics Atlas (Electric) are all in the index, but none of them is on sale — they run on pilot contracts and internal deployments, so they score nothing for availability. The “most advanced” ranking below sets availability aside and ranks on capability alone, which is where those machines appear; switch to “best you can actually buy” to see only machines you can order today.
The 14 most advanced humanoid robots
Capability only — payload, degrees of freedom, runtime, speed and evidence quality, with availability set aside. Discontinued and research-only machines stay in the index but are excluded from the ranking and the awards.
1. Kepler Robotics K2 Forerunner — Most advanced overall
85/100
- Payload 12/20
- Degrees of freedom 20/20
- Runtime 16/16
- Speed 9/14
- Evidence 15/15
Industrial humanoid engineered for low unit cost
K2 Forerunner key specifications Price $30k Availability Pre-order Height 178cm Weight 85kg Payload 15kg Degrees of freedom 52 Runtime 8h Top speed 2m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: degrees of freedom (20/20). Weakest at: payload (12/20).
Full specs, price history and updates →2. Robot Era L7 — Fastest
84/100
- Payload 16/20
- Degrees of freedom 20/20
- Runtime 7/16
- Speed 14/14
- Evidence 15/15
Full-size humanoid combining speed with real payload
L7 key specifications Price POA Availability Pre-order Height 171cm Weight 73kg Payload 20kg Degrees of freedom 55 Runtime 2.5h Top speed 4m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: degrees of freedom (20/20). Weakest at: runtime (7/16).
Full specs, price history and updates →3. Boston Dynamics Atlas (Electric)
82/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 12/20
- Runtime 11/16
- Speed 12/14
- Evidence 15/15
The all-electric rebuild of the most famous humanoid ever made
Atlas (Electric) key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 150cm Weight 89kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 28 Runtime 4h Top speed 2.5m/s First unveiled 2024 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: degrees of freedom (12/20).
Full specs, price history and updates →4. Agility Robotics Digit V4
82/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 12/20
- Runtime 16/16
- Speed 7/14
- Evidence 15/15
The hands-on Digit that can finally grasp
Digit V4 key specifications Price $200k Availability Pre-order Height 175cm Weight 70kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 26 Runtime 6h Top speed 1.5m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: speed (7/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →5. Mentee Robotics Menteebot 3.0
79/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 14/20
- Runtime 11/16
- Speed 7/14
- Evidence 15/15
Humanoid you instruct in plain language
Menteebot 3.0 key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 175cm Weight 70kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 32 Runtime 4h Top speed 1.5m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: speed (7/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →6. Apptronik Apollo
78/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 13/20
- Runtime 11/16
- Speed 7/14
- Evidence 15/15
Modular industrial humanoid with swappable batteries
Apollo key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 173cm Weight 72kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 30 Runtime 4h Top speed 1.5m/s First unveiled 2023 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: speed (7/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →7. 1X Technologies EVE — Best you can actually buy
78/100
- Payload 12/20
- Degrees of freedom 9/20
- Runtime 16/16
- Speed 14/14
- Evidence 15/15
Wheeled humanoid already working security and logistics shifts
EVE key specifications Price $20k Availability Available now Height 186cm Weight 86kg Payload 15kg Degrees of freedom 20 Runtime 6h Top speed 3m/s First unveiled 2022 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: runtime (16/16). Weakest at: degrees of freedom (9/20).
Full specs, price history and updates →8. Foundation Robotics Phantom
78/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 13/20
- Runtime 11/16
- Speed 7/14
- Evidence 15/15
American-made industrial humanoid with defence ambitions
Phantom key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 175cm Weight 80kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 30 Runtime 4h Top speed 1.5m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: speed (7/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →9. Figure AI Figure 03
77/100
- Payload 16/20
- Degrees of freedom 16/20
- Runtime 13/16
- Speed 6/14
- Evidence 15/15
Home-ready humanoid built around the Helix neural control model
Figure 03 key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 168cm Weight 60kg Payload 20kg Degrees of freedom 35 Runtime 5h Top speed 1.2m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: evidence (15/15). Weakest at: speed (6/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →10. Figure AI Figure 02
77/100
- Payload 16/20
- Degrees of freedom 16/20
- Runtime 13/16
- Speed 6/14
- Evidence 15/15
The BMW plant humanoid that proved commercial humanoid work
Figure 02 key specifications Price POA Availability Pilots only Height 168cm Weight 70kg Payload 20kg Degrees of freedom 35 Runtime 5h Top speed 1.2m/s First unveiled 2024 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: evidence (15/15). Weakest at: speed (6/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →11. Pudu Robotics D9
77/100
- Payload 16/20
- Degrees of freedom 19/20
- Runtime 7/16
- Speed 9/14
- Evidence 15/15
Humanoid from the company that already ships service robots
D9 key specifications Price POA Availability Pre-order Height 170cm Weight 65kg Payload 20kg Degrees of freedom 42 Runtime 2.5h Top speed 2m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: evidence (15/15). Weakest at: runtime (7/16).
Full specs, price history and updates →12. Unitree H1 — Highest payload
74/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 8/20
- Runtime 5/16
- Speed 14/14
- Evidence 15/15
Record-setting running humanoid for research
H1 key specifications Price $90k Availability Available now Height 180cm Weight 47kg Payload 30kg Degrees of freedom 19 Runtime 2h Top speed 3.3m/s First unveiled 2023 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: runtime (5/16).
Full specs, price history and updates →13. UBTech Walker S2
73/100
- Payload 12/20
- Degrees of freedom 20/20
- Runtime 5/16
- Speed 9/14
- Evidence 15/15
The first humanoid that swaps its own battery
Walker S2 key specifications Price POA Availability Available now Height 176cm Weight 74kg Payload 15kg Degrees of freedom 52 Runtime 2h Top speed 2m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: degrees of freedom (20/20). Weakest at: runtime (5/16).
Full specs, price history and updates →14. 1X Technologies NEO
72/100
- Payload 20/20
- Degrees of freedom 10/20
- Runtime 11/16
- Speed 6/14
- Evidence 15/15
A quiet, soft, home humanoid you can order for your house
NEO key specifications Price $20k Availability Pre-order Height 168cm Weight 30kg Payload 25kg Degrees of freedom 23 Runtime 4h Top speed 1.2m/s First unveiled 2025 Specs verified 2026-09-22 Strongest at: payload (20/20). Weakest at: speed (6/14).
Full specs, price history and updates →
Every humanoid robot compared
All 59 robots in the index with the specifications people actually compare — height, weight, degrees of freedom, payload, runtime, speed and price. Sort any column or filter to what you need.
Capability is the score with availability set aside; Overall adds availability. The # column follows the “most advanced” ranking above, so the robot at number one here is the same one at number one there. Discontinued, research-only and under-documented machines are listed but not ranked.
59 robots shown · tap a column heading to sort
| Robot | Company | Country | Status | Video | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K2 Forerunner | Kepler Robotics | China | Pre-order | 178cm | 85kg | 52 | 15kg | 8h | 2m/s | $30k | 2025 | 85 | 84 | — |
| 2 | L7 | Robot Era | China | Pre-order | 171cm | 73kg | 55 | 20kg | 2.5h | 4m/s | POA | 2025 | 84 | 84 | — |
| 3 | Atlas (Electric) | Boston Dynamics | USA | Pilots only | 150cm | 89kg | 28 | 25kg | 4h | 2.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 82 | 79 | — |
| 4 | Digit V4 | Agility Robotics | USA | Pre-order | 175cm | 70kg | 26 | 25kg | 6h | 1.5m/s | $200k | 2025 | 82 | 82 | — |
| 5 | Menteebot 3.0 | Mentee Robotics | Israel | Pilots only | 175cm | 70kg | 32 | 25kg | 4h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2025 | 79 | 76 | — |
| 6 | Apollo | Apptronik | USA | Pilots only | 173cm | 72kg | 30 | 25kg | 4h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2023 | 78 | 75 | — |
| 7 | EVE | 1X Technologies | Norway | Available now | 186cm | 86kg | 20 | 15kg | 6h | 3m/s | $20k | 2022 | 78 | 81 | — |
| 8 | Phantom | Foundation Robotics | USA | Pilots only | 175cm | 80kg | 30 | 25kg | 4h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2025 | 78 | 75 | — |
| 9 | Figure 03 | Figure AI | USA | Pilots only | 168cm | 60kg | 35 | 20kg | 5h | 1.2m/s | POA | 2025 | 77 | 74 | — |
| 10 | Figure 02 | Figure AI | USA | Pilots only | 168cm | 70kg | 35 | 20kg | 5h | 1.2m/s | POA | 2024 | 77 | 74 | — |
| 11 | D9 | Pudu Robotics | China | Pre-order | 170cm | 65kg | 42 | 20kg | 2.5h | 2m/s | POA | 2025 | 77 | 78 | — |
| 12 | H1 | Unitree | China | Available now | 180cm | 47kg | 19 | 30kg | 2h | 3.3m/s | $90k | 2023 | 74 | 78 | — |
| 13 | Walker S2 | UBTech | China | Available now | 176cm | 74kg | 52 | 15kg | 2h | 2m/s | POA | 2025 | 73 | 77 | — |
| 14 | NEO | 1X Technologies | Norway | Pre-order | 168cm | 30kg | 23 | 25kg | 4h | 1.2m/s | $20k | 2025 | 72 | 73 | — |
| 15 |  H2 | Unitree | China | Pre-order | 180cm | 70kg | 31 | 15kg | 2.5h | 3.3m/s | POA | 2025 | 72 | 73 | — |
| 16 |  4NE-1 | Neura Robotics | Germany | Pre-order | 180cm | 80kg | 38 | 15kg | 4h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 72 | 74 | — |
| 17 |  IRON | XPeng | China | Announced | 178cm | 70kg | 82 | 20kg | — | 2m/s | POA | 2025 | 71 | 65 | — |
| 18 |  S1 | Astribot | China | Pre-order | 170cm | 65kg | 28 | 10kg | 8h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 69 | 70 | — |
| 19 |  STAR1 | Robot Era | China | Available now | 171cm | 65kg | 55 | 5kg | 2h | 3.6m/s | POA | 2024 | 69 | 73 | — |
| 20 |  Walker S1 | UBTech | China | Available now | 172cm | 76kg | 41 | 15kg | 2h | 1.6m/s | POA | 2024 | 68 | 73 | — |
| 21 |  G1 | Galbot | China | Available now | 173cm | 60kg | 26 | 10kg | 8h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 68 | 73 | — |
| 22 |  T800 | EngineAI | China | Available now | 173cm | 75kg | 29 | 5kg | 4.5h | 3m/s | $40.5k | 2025 | 68 | 73 | — |
| 23 |  GR-3 | Fourier Intelligence | China | Pre-order | 165cm | 71kg | 55 | 10kg | 3h | 1.2m/s | POA | 2025 | 67 | 69 | — |
| 24 |  DR02 | Deep Robotics | China | Pre-order | 171cm | 65kg | 31 | 10kg | 4h | 2m/s | POA | 2025 | 67 | 69 | — |
| 25 |  Optimus Gen 3 | Tesla | USA | Announced | 173cm | 57kg | 40 | 20kg | — | 1.6m/s | $30k | 2021 | 66 | 61 | — |
| 26 |  Booster T2 | Booster Robotics | China | Available now | 140cm | 42kg | 31 | 10kg | 2h | 3m/s | POA | 2026 | 66 | 71 | — |
| 27 |  Digit | Agility Robotics | USA | Available now | 175cm | 65kg | 20 | 16kg | 4h | 1.5m/s | $250k | 2023 | 64 | 69 | — |
| 28 |  Isaac | Weave Robotics | USA | Pre-order | 170cm | 55kg | 24 | 10kg | 6h | 1m/s | POA | 2025 | 64 | 66 | — |
| 29 |  Yuanzheng A2 | AgiBot | China | Available now | 169cm | 55kg | 40 | 5kg | 3h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 61 | 67 | — |
| 30 |  Adam | PNDbotics | China | Available now | 160cm | 60kg | 44 | 5kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 60 | 66 | — |
| 31 |  Oli | LimX Dynamics | China | Available now | 165cm | 58kg | 31 | 10kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | $60k | 2025 | 58 | 64 | Watch |
| 32 |  Phoenix | Sanctuary AI | Canada | Pilots only | 170cm | 70kg | 20 | 25kg | — | 1m/s | POA | 2023 | 57 | 58 | — |
| 33 |  PM01 | EngineAI | China | Available now | 138cm | 40kg | 24 | 5kg | 2h | 2m/s | $13.7k | 2025 | 52 | 59 | — |
| 34 |  GR-2 | Fourier Intelligence | China | Available now | 175cm | 63kg | 53 | 3kg | 2h | 1.4m/s | POA | 2024 | 52 | 59 | — |
| 35 |  Kuavo | Leju Robotics | China | Available now | 165cm | 45kg | 26 | 5kg | 2h | 1.6m/s | POA | 2023 | 51 | 58 | — |
| 36 |  CL-3 | LimX Dynamics | China | Available now | 160cm | 55kg | 26 | 5kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2024 | 50 | 58 | — |
| 37 |  Atom | Dobot | China | Available now | 153cm | 62kg | 28 | 5kg | 2h | 1m/s | $27.5k | 2025 | 49 | 56 | — |
| 38 | Nova | Persona AI | USA | Pilots only | 180cm | 90kg | 28 | 25kg | 4h | 1m/s | POA | 2025 | 49 | 50 | — |
| 39 |  Sophia | Hanson Robotics | Hong Kong | Available now | 167cm | 50kg | 60 | 1kg | — | 0.5m/s | POA | 2016 | 45 | 53 | — |
| 40 |  G1 | Unitree | China | Available now | 132cm | 35kg | 23 | 3kg | 2h | 2m/s | $16k | 2024 | 43 | 52 | — |
| 41 |  Lingxi X2 | AgiBot | China | Available now | 130cm | 33kg | 28 | 3kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | POA | 2025 | 43 | 52 | — |
| 42 |  Luna | LimX Dynamics | China | Available now | 160cm | 54kg | 27 | 3kg | 4h | 1.4m/s | $41k | 2026 | 42 | 51 | — |
| 43 |  R1 | Unitree | China | Available now | 121cm | 25kg | 26 | 2kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | $5.9k | 2025 | 41 | 50 | — |
| 44 |  T1 | Booster Robotics | China | Available now | 118cm | 30kg | 23 | 2kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | $35k | 2024 | 40 | 49 | — |
| 45 | Memo | Sunday Robotics | USA | Pilots only | 170cm | 60kg | 26 | 10kg | 4h | 1.2m/s | POA | 2025 | 39 | 42 | — |
| 46 |  N2 Bumi | Noetix Robotics | China | Available now | 120cm | 30kg | 20 | 2kg | 2h | 1.5m/s | $5.5k | 2025 | 38 | 47 | — |
| Not ranked |  Ameca | Engineered Arts | UK | Available now | 187cm | 49kg | 52 | 1kg | — | — | POA | 2021 | 42 | 51 | — |
| Not ranked |  Protoclone | Clone Robotics | Poland | Research only | 175cm | 70kg | 200 | 10kg | — | 1m/s | POA | 2025 | 54 | 50 | — |
| Not ranked |  ASIMO | Honda | Japan | Discontinued | 130cm | 48kg | 57 | 1kg | 0.7h | 2.7m/s | POA | 2000 | 57 | 48 | — |
| Not ranked | CyberOne | Xiaomi | China | Research only | 177cm | 52kg | 21 | 1.5kg | — | 1m/s | POA | 2022 | 22 | 23 | — |
| Not ranked |  Pepper | SoftBank Robotics | Japan | Discontinued | 120cm | 28kg | 20 | 0.5kg | 12h | 0.6m/s | POA | 2014 | 32 | 27 | — |
| Not ranked | T-HR3 | Toyota | Japan | Research only | 154cm | 75kg | 32 | 1.2kg | — | 0.5m/s | POA | 2017 | 24 | 24 | — |
| Not ranked | HUBO | KAIST | South Korea | Research only | 180cm | 80kg | 32 | 10kg | 1h | 0.5m/s | POA | 2015 | 32 | 31 | — |
| Not ranked |  Apollo 2 | Apptronik | United States | Pilots only | — | — | — | — | — | — | POA | 2026 | 18 | 24 | — |
| Not ranked |  ET1 | Galbot | China | Pre-order | 125cm | 32kg | 38 | — | — | — | POA | 2026 | 38 | 44 | — |
| Not ranked |  Adam-U Ultra | PNDbotics | China | Announced | 165cm | — | 44 | — | — | — | POA | 2026 | 41 | 40 | — |
| Not ranked |  HMND 01 | Humanoid | United Kingdom | Pre-order | — | — | 29 | 15kg | 4h | 2m/s | POA | 2024 | 70 | 72 | — |
| Not ranked |  U1 | UBTech | China | Pre-order | — | — | — | — | 4h | — | $17.6k | 2026 | 18 | 27 | — |
| Not ranked |  AgiBot X2 | AgiBot | China | Announced | 131cm | 35kg | 25 | — | 10h | — | POA | 2026 | 31 | 31 | — |
Announced / awaiting specs
These 7 machines are announced but have too little published data to hold a rank. They join the ranking as soon as the specifications are verified.
Listed but not ranked
These 6 machines are discontinued or lab-only. They stay in the index for reference and keep their specification rows, but they cannot hold a rank or win a category.
What does “most advanced” actually mean?
There is no single most advanced humanoid robot — the leader depends on which capability you mean. Here is who leads each measure we can verify from published specifications.
| Definition | Current leader | Runner-up | Why | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real availability | 1X Technologies EVE | Unitree H1 | Available now, highest score of any shipping machine | 2026-09-22 |
| Strength (payload) | Unitree H1 | 1X Technologies NEO | Carries 30kg | 2026-09-22 |
| Degrees of freedom | XPeng IRON | Hanson Robotics Sophia | 82 degrees of freedom | 2026-09-22 |
| Endurance (runtime) | Astribot S1 | Kepler Robotics K2 Forerunner | 8h between charges while carrying 10kg | 2026-09-22 |
| Mobility (top speed) | Robot Era L7 | Robot Era STAR1 | 4m/s top speed | 2026-09-22 |
| Lowest price of entry | Noetix Robotics N2 Bumi | Unitree R1 | $5.5k published price | 2026-09-22 |
| Chinese manufacturing | Kepler Robotics K2 Forerunner | Robot Era L7 | Highest-scoring robot from a Chinese maker | 2026-09-22 |
| Research and education | Robot Era L7 | Unitree H1 | Highest-scoring platform sold for research use | 2026-09-22 |
Best humanoid robot by category
Best humanoid robot you can actually buy
1X Technologies EVE is the highest-scoring machine that is genuinely shipping rather than announced.
Every humanoid you can buy →Cheapest humanoid robot
Noetix Robotics N2 Bumi at $5.5k is the lowest published price in the index.
Cheapest humanoids →Most degrees of freedom
XPeng IRON publishes 82 degrees of freedom, the most of any machine still in production.
Full specifications →Longest battery life
Astribot S1 publishes 8h of runtime between charges while carrying at least 5 kg.
Longest runtime →Best for research and universities
Unitree H2 is the strongest platform actually sold for research and teaching — machines only used in-house by their makers, such as Atlas, are not eligible.
Research platforms →Best for warehouses and factories
Boston Dynamics Atlas (Electric) leads the machines built for logistics and production lines.
Warehouse humanoids →Best for the home
1X Technologies NEO is the highest-scoring machine you can actually order for a household; robots that are only announced do not qualify here.
Home humanoids →Best Chinese humanoid robots
Pudu Robotics D9 leads the Chinese makers, who account for 29 of the 59 models we track.
Chinese humanoids →Latest humanoid robot news
- This Startup’s Modular Humanoid Robots Could Solve a Trillion-Dollar Labor Crisis
Humanoid funding · 2026-09-24 · Atlas (Electric)
- Tesla’s App Just Gave Us an Early Look at Optimus Gen 3
Tesla Optimus · 2026-09-24 · Optimus Gen 3
- Unitree humanoid robots return to America’s Got Talent for Chinese dance finale
Humanoid news · 2026-09-24 · G1
- IFR Counts 7,000 Humanoid Robot Sales as Workplace Pilots Stay Small
Humanoid news · 2026-09-24 · Figure 03
- Robotics – the humanoid factory worker arrives in the automotive sector
CES · 2026-09-23 · Phoenix
Humanoid robot questions, answered
What is currently the best humanoid robot?
On capability alone, Kepler Robotics K2 Forerunner scores highest in our index: it has the strongest combination of published payload, degrees of freedom, runtime, speed and verified documentation. If you want one you can actually order today, use the "best you can actually buy" ranking on this page, which adds availability to the score. Scores are recalculated whenever a manufacturer publishes new specifications or changes price.
Why isn't Tesla Optimus or Figure 03 number one?
Both are in the index, and both appear high in the capability ranking. Neither is on sale: they run on pilot contracts and internal deployments, so they score nothing for availability and drop in the 'best you can actually buy' view. That is the point of showing two rankings rather than one.
What is a humanoid robot?
A humanoid robot is a machine built with a human-like body plan — a torso, two arms and usually two legs — so it can work in spaces and with tools designed for people. Most current models combine walking hardware with cameras, grippers and on-board AI.
How do humanoid robots walk?
Humanoid robots walk by constantly measuring their own balance and correcting it dozens of times a second. Sensors track joint angles and body tilt, and a controller shifts the centre of mass over the supporting foot before taking the next step. Newer models learn this behaviour in simulation.
What is humanoid robot AI?
Humanoid robot AI is the software that turns camera and sensor input into motion. It normally has two layers: a learned policy that controls balance and limbs, and a higher-level model that interprets instructions and plans tasks. The trend is towards single end-to-end models handling both.
How much does a humanoid robot cost?
Published humanoid robot prices in our index run from a few thousand dollars for small research and education platforms up to several hundred thousand for full-size industrial machines. Many high-profile models have no public price at all and are only offered on pilot contracts.
Can you buy a humanoid robot yet?
Yes — a minority of the robots we track are genuinely shipping to customers rather than running pilots. Our buy list shows only the machines with a published price and an order route, so you can see what is actually purchasable today rather than announced.
How many humanoid robots are there in the world?
No one has an exact count, because most manufacturers do not publish unit numbers. Our index tracks every distinct humanoid robot model we can verify from published sources, and the total shown at the top of this page is the current number of models, not units built.
How much will Elon Musk's new robot cost?
Tesla has not put Optimus on sale, so there is no purchase price today. Elon Musk's stated long-term target is $20,000 to $30,000 a unit at volume production, which Tesla has repeated at investor events rather than published as a price list. Until Tesla opens orders, treat that figure as a goal, not a quote; our Tesla Optimus page keeps a dated record of every official claim.
What is the most advanced humanoid robot expected to be released in 2026?
The machines with announced 2026 availability and the strongest published specifications are 1X's NEO for the home and the newest Unitree and Agility models for work environments; Tesla Optimus and Figure remain pilot-only. Our ranking is recalculated whenever one of those launches is confirmed, so the list on this page always reflects what has actually been published rather than what has been promised.
Who are the big 4 in robotics?
In industrial robotics the “big four” normally means ABB, Fanuc, KUKA and Yaskawa. In humanoid robots specifically there is no official big four — the most frequently covered makers are Tesla, Figure, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, 1X and the Chinese manufacturers led by Unitree and UBTech. Our companies directory ranks every maker we track by disclosed funding and how many robots they have on record.
How we rank them (v1.1)
Every robot is scored out of 100 from data we store and can show a source for. Nothing is weighted by popularity, page views or who is paying — the order changes only when a robot's price, availability or published specifications change. Figures come from manufacturer specification sheets and dated press coverage; each robot page shows the source and the date it was last checked.
- Payload · 20 pts
Published carrying capacity in kilograms. - Degrees of freedom · 20 pts
Joints across the whole machine, capped at 45 so a prototype with a hundred actuators cannot buy a rank. - Runtime · 16 pts
Battery hours between charges, counted only for machines that carry at least 5 kg. - Evidence · 15 pts
How well documented the machine is: verified photography and confirmed capabilities. - Availability · 15 pts
Shipping beats pre-order beats a launch date on a slide. - Speed · 14 pts
Top walking or running speed in metres per second.
Three rules sit on top of the weights. Manufacturer-only records — no verified photograph and fewer than three confirmed capabilities — score their capability points at 70% until confirmed. Discontinued and research-only machines stay listed but cannot hold a rank or win a category. A robot needs five of the six core specifications before it is ranked at all; the rest are listed under “announced / awaiting specs”.
Planned for v1.2, once we collect the data for every robot: autonomy tier (teleoperated versus learned policy versus end-to-end) and hand-level manipulation (hand degrees of freedom and tactile sensing). We do not score metrics we cannot source.
Scores are recalculated every time the underlying record changes, and the changelog at the bottom of this page records every movement. The full dataset behind this ranking is free to download and cite as “Humanoid500 robot index, 2026”.
What changed
- 2026-09-18 — Methodology v1.1: availability cut from 30 points to 15 so one binary fact no longer decides the ranking, the freed points moved to capability and evidence, and discontinued or research-only machines are now excluded from ranks and awards. Weights are frozen until at least March 2027.
- 2026-09-18 — Ranking rebuilt for 2026: full spec table, category leaders and FAQs added.
- 2026-09-18 — Ranking published (methodology v1.0), scored across the full index.