Meta Platforms and Fourier Develop Humanoid Robot Prototype
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has collaborated with Chinese robotics startup Fourier to create a humanoid robot prototype internally named Max. The prototype weighs approximately 106 pounds and stands about 1.5 metres tall. Development took roughly three months, during which the two companies built the robot using Nvidia’s Jetson Thor chip. Max is equipped with a display capable of mimicking facial expressions, built‑in speakers, and five‑fingered hands designed to manipulate small objects.
Meta’s robotics team travelled to China, with the company’s Vice President of Product for Robotics, Li‑Chen Miller, spending almost two months at Fourier’s Shanghai factory. Max was demonstrated to Meta employees at an internal robotics summit in late August.
In September, the partnership began work on a second prototype, Max 2. This updated version is expected to feature a redesigned torso, improved hands, a projector, and additional sensors to aid navigation of stairs.
Meta views humanoid robots as a potential physical extension of its Muse AI agent, aiming long‑term to develop machines that can assist with household tasks. The company also reinforced its robotics capabilities through its May acquisition of Assured Robot Intelligence, a startup that develops AI models enabling robots to understand and adapt to human behaviour.
Despite the progress, Meta has clarified to The Information that the collaboration with Fourier is focused on internal research and experimentation, and it has no plans to sell the units.