Viral videos of robots kicking children or spinning out of control have exposed a fundamental problem: how to deploy a machine in a warehouse or office without putting people at risk. The industry is responding to this challenge comprehensively—from Nvidia's hardware solutions to a complete abandonment of bipedal designs in favor of wheels.
Incidents with humanoid robots, including reports of serious injuries and even fatalities, are forcing developers to rethink safety approaches. This, in turn, is slowing down the mass adoption of the technology.
The key problem lies in the architecture. Traditional industrial robots are deterministic systems operating on rigid algorithms. Humanoid machines, driven by AI, are probabilistic systems. They make decisions based on statistical probabilities, making their behavior less predictable and requiring multi-layered protection.
Hardware and Software Solutions
Nvidia has introduced a safety system for humanoid robots based on Blackwell chips. As explained by the company's Senior Director of Robotics, Amit Goel, the model can analyze sensor data about potential threats and instantly stop the robot in dangerous conditions. "We've created an operating system layer that allows running the functional system and the safety system in a single context," he emphasized.
Another approach, implemented by Fort Robotics, involves using external infrastructure. Specialized controllers gather information from multiple sources, assessing not only the presence of a person but also their posture and the degree of data reliability for the robot's decision-making.
Standardization and Design Solutions
The problem of instability is so serious that an expert group from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has taken it up. Unified requirements are expected to be published by mid-2028. In the meantime, manufacturers are acting independently.
German company Neura Robotics, which produces the 80-kilogram bipedal robot 4NE1, has implemented a controlled fall algorithm: if a joint fails, the machine first tries to regain balance, and if that's impossible, it collapses downward like a "falling building," minimizing damage.
The most radical solution has been proposed by Dexmate. Its robots are wheeled platforms with long manipulators. A low center of gravity, due to the placement of the battery and electronics in the base, makes them inherently stable. Co-founder Yuzhe Qin emphasizes that this design eliminates the risk of falling altogether.
Brad Porter from Cobot is also betting on wheeled robots that move at walking speed and lack excessive gripping force. "We don't need to put a lot of energy into actions," he notes. "We're not trying to crush watermelons."
My comment: It's clear that the industry is at a crossroads. Until unified safety standards are established, we will witness an "arms race" between innovation and protection. However, abandoning legs in favor of wheels is, in my view, not just a technical solution but an acknowledgment that anthropomorphism currently brings more risks than benefits in real industrial settings. Hybrid and specialized forms are likely to become dominant in the coming years.