Actuators
The muscle layer — harmonic drives, quasi-direct-drive motors, field-oriented control, and the torque density race in robot joints.
Coverage (9 articles)
- CHRT Certification Debuts for Humanoid Robot Repair Service — RobotCare launched the Certified Humanoid Robot Technician program and Robot Health Passport to support maintenance of humanoid fleets. The 15-week credential c
- CubeMars AK80 Concentric Actuators and Georgia Tech STL-Guided MPC — CubeMars AK80 integrated concentric brushless actuators deliver up to 44.9 Nm/kg torque density with harmonic-compatible planetary gearing for humanoid and exos
- 1X NEO Hands: 25-DoF Tendon-Driven Dexterity Breakthrough — 1X Technologies has built 25-degree-of-freedom tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid that approach human dexterity. The hands are waterproof, sense forces di
- iFixRobot and SuperDroid Robot Repair Services for Humanoids — Specialized US providers iFixRobot and SuperDroid Robots now deliver national humanoid maintenance, actuator repairs, and 200-day warranties as consumer and ind
- 1X NEO Repair: Expert Teleop, 1-Day Warranty & Maintenance Plans — 1X Technologies rolls out premium 1X Expert teleoperation and 1-day actuator replacement for NEO home humanoids ahead of 2026 US deliveries. Production ramps at
- 1X NEO Ready for Home 2026? New Yorker Exposes Humanoid Risks — The New Yorker’s June 2026 probe into 1X NEO reveals tendon actuators, teleoperation crutches, and fall risks that undermine 10k+ pre-orders at $20k. As rivals
- Humanoid Robot Repairs 2026: MTBF Gaps and Fleet Uptime Costs — Maintenance at 8-15% of purchase price annually threatens humanoid ROI in 2026 fleets. RaaS and modular designs like Apptronik offer hope, but real MTBF data la
- South Korea $1T AI Bet Powers Boston Dynamics Atlas 2028 Ramp — South Korea commits $1T to DRAM fabs, AI data centers, and humanoid robots, designating physical AI a national strategic industry. Hyundai and Boston Dynamics t
- Tesla Optimus Gen 3 Hand Patents Expose Forearm Actuator Bottlenecks — Recent Tesla patent filings detail the Optimus Gen 3 hand's tendon-driven architecture with actuators consolidated in the forearm. This design introduces critic
Related robot platforms
- Tesla Optimus Gen 2 — Tesla Inc. · Humanoid
- Figure 02 Humanoid — Figure AI · Humanoid
- Spot Quadruped — Boston Dynamics · Quadruped
- UR10e Dexterous Arm — Universal Robots · Manipulator
- LBR iiwa (Intelligent Assistant) — KUKA Robotics · Manipulator
- 1X NEO — 1X Technologies · Humanoid
- Sanctuary AI Phoenix — Sanctuary Cognitive Systems · Humanoid
- Apptronik Apollo — Apptronik · Humanoid