Meta Partners with Fourier to Develop Humanoid Robot Prototype 'Max'

Zhidongxi news on November 1, today, according to a report by foreign media The Information citing an informed source, Meta has collaborated with a Chinese robotics company Fourier to create a A humanoid robot prototype named “Max”, currently Development of the second-generation product has begun.

One of the insiders stated that Meta and Fourier built this in only 3 months weighing about 106 pounds (about 48 kilograms) humanoid robot. The goal of this work is to help Meta's robotics department further refine future products, which may be officially launched later, but the launch time has not yet been determined.

Two sources said that Meta's robotics business product vice president Li-Chen Miller was at Fourier's factory located in Shanghai working for nearly two months, jointly pushing forward the development of this prototype.

After Meta launched the phenomenon-level personal Agent assistant product “Muse” for consumers, developing consumer-grade robots capable of assisting users with housework and daily tasks has become a more urgent goal for the company. Insiders say that Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth once, internally at Meta Describe the humanoid robot as the physical form of Muse.

Although the project is still in its early stages, this prototype represents the most concrete progress Meta has made in the field of robotics since establishing Meta Robotics Studio at the beginning of last year.

Fourier, a Chinese robotics company partnering with Meta, was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Zhangjiang, Shanghai. It is a technology enterprise focusing on general-purpose robots and intelligent rehabilitation. In recent years, Fourier has launched products such as GR-1, GR-2, and GR-3 in the humanoid robot field and has laid out core components such as dexterous hands.

▲ Fourier wheeled dual-arm robot GRW

01.

Meta and Fourier created Max in 3 months

Meeting home interaction needs

According to The Information, Max is about 1.5 meters tall, currently equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson Thor chip and a software platform that helps the robot move. Its chest is fitted with two speakers, the eyes and mouth on its face can simulate human expressions, and its five-fingered robotic hand can pick up small bottles and toys.

Meta built this customized robot based on the hardware and experience of Fourier's first, second, and third generation robot products. Both sides readjusted the prototype's height, body proportions, head design, display screen, and cameras, and added robotic hands and shoe structures.

Meta also proposed that robots perceive and respond to specific human requests in home environments. Both sides designed Max based on several requirements proposed by Meta, including identifying sounds from 5 meters away, understanding gestures or waving motions from 3 meters away, maintaining eye contact, and conveying states such as listening, thinking, speaking, and uncertainty through different signals.

The development of Max required the Meta team to travel to China to work closely with Fourier. Two sources stated that Li-Chen Miller, Vice President of Meta's robotics business products, worked at Fourier's factory in Shanghai for nearly two months to jointly advance the development of this prototype.

On August 31, Meta showcased this prototype to some employees at an internal robotics summit.

02.

Max 2 or will upgrade the robotic arm,

projector and stairs sensor

An insider stated that Meta and Fourier began developing Max 2 in September. The new version will adopt a redesigned torso and improved robotic arm to enhance manipulation capabilities; at the same time, it will also be equipped with a projector for displaying visual content. Max 2 will also add more sensors to help the robot go up and down stairs.

Currently, Meta is also assembling its internal robot manufacturing team. Job postings show that Meta is hiring Supplier Development Engineers in Shanghai, responsible for collaborating with product design and manufacturing teams to help the robot business “move from the prototype stage to mass production.”

Meta is still hiring product design engineers and technical project managers in Shenzhen, responsible for the prototype development, project planning, and mass production of Meta Robotics Studio.

Meta is also pushing forward work on the robotics software side. In May this year, Meta acquired the startup Assured Robot Intelligence. The company developed AI models for training robots, helping robots understand human behavior and adapt to different environments.

03.

Humanoid robot competition heats up

Meta robotics team management changes

If Meta attempts to sell humanoid robots to consumers in the future, it will face fierce competition. Chinese enterprises are already producing humanoid robots at scale, and Elon Musk has also placed a significant bet by Tesla on the humanoid robot Optimus, which has currently been iterated to the third generation.

Additionally, startups such as Figure and 1X Technologies have also been developing humanoid robots for years. Figure has already begun testing robots in home environments, while 1X has started accepting pre-orders for the NEO robot.

Meta's robotics department also recently underwent management changes. Former Cruise CEO Marc Whitten left Meta on August 31, after serving for about 18 months. Ning Li currently serves as the interim head of Meta Robotics Studio and reports to Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Bosworth has taken over some of Whitten's previous responsibilities, meeting with the team regularly and participating in handling the technical and operational issues of the department.

04.

Conclusion: Meta may bring Agents into physical robots

From the information disclosed so far, Meta seems to be trying to extend Muse's capabilities from software interfaces to real home environments. Relevant details regarding the Max prototype and Max 2 show that Meta is focusing on robot capabilities in areas such as home interaction.

Whether this business can move from internal prototypes to consumer-grade products for homes in the future still depends on the robot's manipulation capabilities, environmental adaptation capabilities, and mass production costs.

Source: The Information

This article is from WeChat Official Account“Zhidongxi”,Author: Yang Jingli, Editor: Li Shuiqing, published by 36Kr with authorization.