**Famed Roboticist Warns: Spending Billions on Humanoids Is a Waste**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 28, 2025, 10:01 AM*
Rodney Brooks, a leading roboticist and co-founder of iRobot, has issued a stark warning to investors pouring billions into humanoid robot startups. In a recent essay, Brooks criticized the prevalent approach of teaching robots dexterity by showing them videos of humans performing tasks, calling it “pure fantasy thinking.”
### The Challenges of Replicating Human Dexterity
Brooks emphasized the unmatched complexity of the human hand, which is equipped with approximately 17,000 specialized touch receptors. According to him, no robot has yet been able to replicate this intricate level of sensitivity and control.
He also raised safety concerns regarding full-sized walking humanoid robots. These machines consume significant amounts of energy to maintain balance and pose serious risks if they fall.
### A Different Vision for the Future of Robots
Looking ahead, Brooks predicts that successful “humanoid” robots 15 years from now will likely feature wheels, multiple arms, and specialized sensors — rather than attempting to closely mimic the human form.
He expressed skepticism about the massive investments currently being made, suggesting that much of the funding is directed toward expensive training experiments unlikely to scale to mass production.
This isn’t the first time Brooks has challenged the lofty expectations set by overly optimistic entrepreneurs and investors in the robotics industry.
### Market Growth Despite Warnings
Despite Brooks’s cautionary stance, the market for humanoid robots continues to expand rapidly. Apptronik, a prominent humanoid robot manufacturer, has raised nearly $450 million from investors including Google. Similarly, Figure — another key player backed by Microsoft and the OpenAI Startup Fund — recently announced over $1 billion in committed capital from its latest funding round.
As investments pour in, the debate over the most realistic and practical paths for humanoid robotics development remains very much alive.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/famed-roboticist-warns-investors-on-humanoid-robots/story
