Tech giant Yandex plans to create software for humanoid robots, potentially launching production in the coming years.
YandexJumps into Humanoid Robotics Game
Yo, it looks like Russian multinational tech company Yandex is diving headfirst into the world of humanoid robots! According to reports from RBK, they're currently developing an operating system to manage the essential robot aspects.
The crew behind the scenes is working hard on assembling a core team and hiring the necessary experts. The next step? Real-world testing, followed by production of their very own robots. That's the update from Yandex itself.
This project falls under the autonomous transport direction of the Yandex B2B Tech division and is backed by the Yet Another Tech Fund, a fund established to help Yandex employees bring projects to life that could advance science or technology. By 2025, the fund plans to invest a whopping 330 million rubles.
So, what makes humanoid robots at Yandex stand out? Well, for starters, they don't need any fancy infrastructure to operate. Potential use cases include managing logistics within buildings (like delivering packages), monitoring industrial sites, and aiding in everyday life and production.
At the moment, human-like robots globally are still in their infancy, but analysts at Fortune Business Insights see the market growing. In 2024, it was worth $3.28 billion and is expected to hit a massive $66 billion by 2032.
Elena Volotovskaya, head of the venture fund Softline Venture Partners (part of Softline Group), has noted that various robot production areas are booming in Russia. These include industrial robots for manipulation, packaging, welding, service robots for tasks like delivery, medicine, and security, mobile robots for navigation, autopilots, agricultural robots, robots for education, and scientific research.
Currently, the market for humanoid robots faces major hurdles: high cost, limited performance, and unresolved security issues. However, with increased production, costs are expected to drop, Volotovskaya predicts.
Intriguingly, back in October 2024, during the annual Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk projected that around 10 billion human-like robots would be in use worldwide by 2040. Yes, you heard that right! Tesla, Musk's company, even announced its own human-like robots, Tesla Optimus, in 2022. Other key players in this race for leadership are Figure AI, Toyota Research Institute, Boston Dynamics, Mercedes-Benz, and Apptronik.
By the way, have you heard about the advancements in minimally invasive surgery in Russia? Robots are already assisting skilled surgeons in treating previously challenging diseases and saving lives! And speaking of robotics, Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade recently launched a subsidy program. Businesses receiving robots for domestic production can get back 20% of the costs in the form of a cashback, although the total funds allocated for this purpose have not been disclosed yet.
Finally, if you're interested in learning more about AI and how it could impact business, check out our article titled "The AI Agent Boom Will Arrive in 2025: Why They Matter for Business."
Stay tuned for more updates from the world of tech! Yandex's humanoid robot project is still up in the air, but their strong AI focus and recent research contributions make it an exciting prospect to keep an eye on.
Yandex is utilizing artificial-intelligence and planning to scale technology in their humanoid robot project, a venture backed by the Yet Another Tech Fund. The aim is to produce robots capable of managing logistics within buildings, monitoring industrial sites, and aiding in everyday life and production. Despite the industry's current challenges, such as high cost, limited performance, and unresolved security issues, Yandex is poised to make significant strides in humanoid robotics, following in the footsteps of other key players like Tesla, Figure AI, Toyota Research Institute, Boston Dynamics, Mercedes-Benz, and Apptronik. Furthermore, the potential impact of AI on business, specifically with regard to the AI Agent Boom, is a fascinating topic worth exploring.
