Humanoid robot
A humanoid robot is a robot resembling the human body in shape. The design may be aimed at functional purposes, such as interacting with human tools and environments and working alongside humans, for experimental purposes, such as the study of bipedal locomotion, or for other purposes. In general, humanoid robots are characterized by their anthropomorphic design, which includes a torso, a head, two arms, and two legs. However, some humanoid robots may have a more limited range of body replicas, comprising only a subset of the above-mentioned components. Androids are humanoid robots designed to more closely resemble the human physique. The term "Gynoid" is sometimes used to refer to female-looking robots.
History
The concept of a humanoid robot originated in many different cultures around the world. Some of the earliest accounts of the idea of humanoid automata date to the 4th century BCE in Greek mythologies and various religious and philosophical texts from China. Physical prototypes of humanoid automata were later created in the Middle East, Italy, Japan, France and South Korea.Greece
The Greek god of blacksmiths, Hephaestus, created several different humanoid automata in various myths. In Homer's Iliad, Hephaestus created golden handmaidens and imbued them with human-like voices to serve as speaking tools or instruments. Another Greek myth details how Hephaestus crafted a giant bronze automaton named Talos to protect the island of Crete from invaders.China
In the 3rd century BCE, a Taoist philosophical text called the Liezi, written by Chinese philosopher Lie Yukou, detailed the idea of a humanoid automaton. The text includes mention of an engineer named Yan Shi who created a life-size, human-like robot for the fifth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty, King Mu. The robot was primarily constructed of leather and wood. It was capable of walking, singing, and moving all parts of its body.Middle East
In the 13th century, a Muslim engineer named Ismail al-Jazari designed various humanoid automata. He created a waitress robot that would dispense drinks from a liquid reservoir and appear out of an automatic door to serve them. Another automaton he created was used for hand washing to refill a basin with water after being drained.Italy
In the 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci conceptualized a complex mechanical robot clad in a suit of armor, capable of sitting, standing, and independently moving its arms. The entire robot was operated by a system of pulleys and cables.Japan
From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Japanese built humanoid automata called karakuri puppets. These puppets resembled dolls and were used for entertainment in theatre, homes, and religious festivals. Karakuri puppets that were used for theater plays were called butai karakuri. Small karakuri puppets found in homes, called zashiki kurakuri, were placed on tables to dance, beat drums, or serve drinks. The puppets used in religious festivals were known as Dashi karakuri, and they served to reenact myths and legends.France
In the 18th century, French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson created a significant humanoid automaton called The Flute Player. This wooden, human-sized robot was capable of playing various melodies with the flute. It consisted of a system of bellows, pipes, weights, and other mechanical components to simulate to the muscles necessary to play the flute.South Korea
's research team developed Hubo, South Korea's first humanoid robot, and Professor Oh Jun-ho, who led the team, founded Rainbow Robotics in 2011. In 2025, South Korean government formed the K-Humanoid Alliance, an alliance of the companies, researchers, and talents.Applications
Humanoid robots are now used as research tools in several scientific areas. Researchers study the human body structure and behavior to build humanoid robots. On the other side, the attempt to simulate the human body leads to a better understanding of it. Human cognition is a field of study which is focused on how humans learn from sensory information in order to acquire perceptual and motor skills. This knowledge is used to develop computational models of human behavior, and it has been improving over time.It has been suggested that very advanced robotics will facilitate the enhancement of ordinary humans. See transhumanism.
Medical and research
Humanoid robots are a valuable resource in the world of medicine and biotechnology, as well as other fields of research such as biomechanics and cognitive science. Humanoid robots are being used to develop complex prosthetics for individuals with physical disabilities such as missing limbs. The WABIAN-2 is a new medical humanoid robot created to help patients in the rehabilitation of their lower limbs.Although the initial aim of humanoid research was to build better orthosis and prosthesis for human beings, knowledge has been transferred between both disciplines. A few examples are powered leg prosthesis for the neuromuscularly impaired, ankle-foot orthosis, biological realistic leg prosthesis, and forearm prosthesis.
Humanoid robots can be used as test subjects for the practice and development of personalized healthcare aids, essentially performing as robotic nurses for demographics such as the elderly. Humanoids are also suitable for some procedurally-based vocations, such as reception-desk administrators and automotive manufacturing line workers. In essence, since they can use tools and operate equipment and vehicles designed for the human form, humanoids could theoretically perform any task a human being can, so long as they have the proper software. However, the complexity of doing so is immense.
Entertainment
Humanoid robots have long appeared in entertainment and fiction, from mythological figures such as Prometheus to mechanical characters in early automata and science fiction films. In contemporary theme parks, humanoid machines are widely used as sophisticated animatronics that mimic human motion, facial expressions and speech. Research groups at Walt Disney Imagineering have developed "stuntronics", free-flying humanoid stunt doubles that use onboard sensing and control to perform aerial flips and poses during live shows, allowing characters such as superheroes to execute stunts that would be dangerous for human performers.Outside of theme parks, humanoid robots increasingly appear in live sports-style events and competitions. In 2025 the Chinese robotics company Unitree live-streamed what it billed as the first boxing tournament between humanoid robots, with four G1 robots taking part in a small-ring event that combined remote control with short autonomous sequences. The same year, Beijing hosted the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, where more than 500 robots from 280 teams competed in events such as soccer, running and boxing and performed choreographed routines including hip-hop and martial arts during the opening ceremony. Exhibition matches and tournaments with humanoid robot football teams have also been promoted as trials for future multi-sport robot events.
Humanoid robots have also been used as performers in concerts and televised shows. At the 2025 VOYAGEX music festival in Changchun, the PNDbotics humanoid Adam appeared on stage as a keytar player as part of a live band performance. Earlier that year, a Chinese Spring Festival television gala featured a choreographed routine in which sixteen Unitree H1 humanoid robots danced alongside human performers, presented as a demonstration of the country's progress in humanoid robotics. These and similar appearances at music events and public festivals have been described as ways to familiarise audiences with humanoid robots while showcasing advances in dynamic control, balance and human–robot interaction.
Various humanoid robots and their possible applications in daily life, including service and companion roles, are featured in the independent documentary film Plug & Pray, released in 2010.
Demonstrative
Though many real-world applications for humanoid robots are unexplored, their primary use is to demonstrate up-and-coming technologies. Modern examples of humanoid robots, such as the Honda Asimo, are revealed to the public in order to demonstrate new technological advancements in motor skills, such as walking, climbing, and playing an instrument. Other humanoid robots have been developed for household purposes, however excel only in single purpose skills and are far from autonomous. Humanoid robots, especially those with artificial intelligence algorithms, could be useful for future dangerous and/or distant space exploration missions, without having the need to turn back around again and return to Earth once the mission is completed.Sensors
A sensor is a device that measures some attribute of the world. Being one of the three primitives of robotics, sensing plays an important role in robotic paradigms.Sensors can be classified according to the physical process with which they work or according to the type of measurement information that they give as output. In this case, the second approach was used.
Proprioceptive
sensors sense the position, orientation, and speed of the humanoid's body and joints, along with other internal values.In human beings, the otoliths and semi-circular canals are used to maintain balance and orientation. Additionally, humans use their own proprioceptive sensors to help with their orientation. Humanoid robots use accelerometers to measure the acceleration, from which velocity can be calculated by integration; tilt sensors to measure inclination; force sensors placed in robot's hands and feet to measure contact force with environment; position sensors that indicate the actual position of the robot ; and even speed sensors.