Meta has built a prototype, or early test version, of a human-shaped robot with Chinese robotics company Fourier, according to The Information. Known inside Meta as Max, the robot took about three months to develop. The companies are already working on a second version.
Max stands about 1.5 metres tall and weighs around 48 kilograms. It runs on Nvidia's Jetson Thor chip and has a screen that copies facial expressions. Built-in speakers provide sound, while its five-fingered hands allow it to pick up small objects.
Meta presented Max to some employees at an internal robotics event in late August. Development of Max 2 began in September, with plans for a new central body section and improved hands. The next version is also due to have a projector, which displays images using light, and additional sensors to help it manage stairs.
Meta sees these robots as a way to give its AI agent, Muse, a physical body, and hopes they can perform household tasks. However, the company says its work with Fourier is for internal research and experiments. It has no plans to sell the robots, and no launch date has been set for a humanoid product.
