Meta and Fourier Collaborate to Develop Humanoid Robot Max; Second Generation R&D Already Underway

Meta is extending its artificial intelligence (AI) footprint from digital services into the physical world. People familiar with the matter said Meta has partnered with mainland Chinese robotics company Fourier to develop a humanoid robot prototype, internally codenamed "Max," and launched development of a second-generation product in September this year, indicating that Meta is accelerating its push into consumer-grade humanoid robots.

According to a Sunday (the 1st) report by The Information, people familiar with the matter said Meta Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Andrew Bosworth positions the humanoid robot as the "physical embodiment" of its consumer-grade AI agent Muse, hoping to free AI from the digital environment and enable it to actually perform tasks in home scenarios.

The plan's ultimate goal is to launch a mature consumer-facing product, but no launch timeline has yet been set.

Max prototype completed in three months, equipped with Nvidia chips

According to the report, Meta and Fourier took only about three months to complete the first-generation Max prototype. The robot is about 1.5 meters tall and weighs about 48 kilograms, uses Nvidia's Jetson Thor chip as its computing core, and is paired with an independent motion control software platform.

Max has dual speakers built into its chest, its face can simulate human expressions, and its five-fingered robotic hands can grasp small objects such as bottles and toys.

Its hardware foundation comes from Fourier's previous three generations of robot products; the two sides further redesigned the body proportions, head, display screen and cameras, and added hand and foot modules.

To enable the robot to adapt to the home environment, Meta also set specific perception requirements, including recognizing human voices from 5 meters away, understanding gestures or waving motions from 3 meters away, and maintaining eye contact.

In addition, the robot must also use status signals to let users distinguish whether it is listening, thinking, speaking or uncertain.

According to the report, Meta Vice President of Robotics Products Li-Chen Miller was stationed at Fourier's Shanghai factory for nearly two months, working with the local team to advance prototype development. Max was also physically demonstrated for the first time at Meta's internal robotics summit at the end of August this year.

Development of Max 2 begins, strengthening manipulation and stair-climbing capabilities

Meta and Fourier began development of the second-generation prototype Max 2 in September this year. The new version will redesign the torso structure and improve the hand mechanical design to enhance manipulation precision.

In addition, Max 2 is expected to add a projector so the robot can present visual content, and add additional sensors to give it the ability to go up and down stairs.

Meta has also begun building talent and supply chain arrangements for possible future mass production. According to recruitment information obtained by The Information, Meta is recruiting supplier development engineers in Shanghai to help the product move from the prototype stage toward mass production; Meta Robotics Studio in Shenzhen is recruiting product design engineers and project managers, with scope covering prototype development, product planning and mass production management.

However, a Meta spokesperson said that because some related components are still not easy to obtain in the United States, the company faces the same supply challenges as the entire industry. Meta's current cooperation with Fourier is limited to internal research and experimentation, and at this stage there are no plans to sell these robots.

Mainland Chinese manufacturers move first, Meta faces fierce competition

If Meta formally enters the consumer-grade humanoid robot market in the future, it will face competition from mainland Chinese manufacturers and U.S. tech companies.

Mainland Chinese companies have already taken the lead in large-scale production of humanoid robots, and Tesla CEO Musk continues to step up the Optimus humanoid robot program, with the third-generation product already in production. In addition, startups such as Figure and 1X Technologies have also been developing related technologies for years.

However, applications in which humanoid robots truly enter homes and perform daily work are still at an early stage. Figure has begun testing its robots in home environments, while 1X Technologies has opened pre-orders for its NEO robot.

On the other hand, the U.S. government has recently strengthened scrutiny of mainland China's robotics industry. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced import restrictions on advanced robots manufactured abroad, covering the humanoid robot market in which mainland Chinese companies occupy an important position.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on July 29 in response that China opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies, and said protectionism cannot enhance U.S. competitiveness but will instead harm the interests of enterprises and consumers.

Personnel changes in robotics division, Bosworth takes over personally

Meta's robotics division has also recently seen management changes. Two people familiar with the matter said Marc Whitten, former CEO of General Motors' (GM) autonomous driving company Cruise, left at the end of August this year after about 18 months at Meta.

Meta subsequently appointed Ning Li as interim head of Meta Robotics Studio, reporting directly to Bosworth.

People familiar with the matter said that after taking over Whitten's original responsibilities, Bosworth has become more deeply involved in the robotics business, not only meeting regularly with the team but also personally learning about the specific challenges the division faces in technology development and operations.