Meta is setting its sights on humanoid robotics as a potential major venture. According to a Bloomberg report, Meta is establishing a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to construct robots capable of aiding in physical activities. This team will concentrate on creating humanoid robotics hardware, with a possible emphasis on robots that can perform domestic tasks.
The newly formed robotics group at Meta, to be headed by Marc Whitten, previously the chief executive officer of the self-driving car company Cruise, will also be tasked with developing robotic software and artificial intelligence. Whitten’s professional background includes positions at Amazon, Microsoft, and Sonos, as detailed on his LinkedIn profile.
It should be noted that Meta’s immediate strategy does not involve manufacturing a robot under the Meta brand. Instead, Meta executives, including CTO Andrew Bosworth, see an opportunity for the company to establish a hardware base for the broader robotics industry, similar to Google’s achievement with the Android operating system in the smartphone market.
“Our new Robotics product group will focus on research and development in the space of consumer humanoid robots with a goal of maximising Llama’s platform capabilities,” an internal memo stated.
“The core technologies we’ve already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics, like hand tracking, material simulation in Gemini, Aria, low-bandwidth, always-on sensors, and more,” Bosworth said.
Bloomberg also reported that Meta has engaged in discussions with robotics firms like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI, potentially to collaborate on prototype development.