John Robertson, the innovator behind the startup Monocycle Robotics, believes his work may have spurred Elon Musk’s interest in humanoid robotics. The ongoing trend sees these robots as cost-effective tools designed to augment human labor and perform tasks more efficiently, although the veracity of this belief is yet to be established. Previously, Robertson’s career spanned Boston Dynamics and later Google following its procurement of the robotics business. The sector of humanoid robotics is tipped to explode, with Morgan Stanley suggesting their revenue could exceed $5 trillion dollars by the midway point of this century.
Firms such as Tesla, Agility Robotics, Figure AI, Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, and Engineered Arts have all expressed intentions to break into the humanoid robot market. Yet the technical and practical challenges of independent, bipedal machines remain unsolved. Disney has been employing grounded animatronics for decades, and the logical progression would be to introduce free-roaming versions within their amusement parks. Considering his experience, Robertson may seem like an ideal forefront figure in humanoid robot development, but he expresses reservations about the current market focus.
According to Robertson, the industry tends to view robots as tools designed for labor augmentation and task performing, and a way to reduce costs. However, whether their application is truly more efficient remains an open question. He argues that robotics companies should be simplifying their initial products rather than attempting to launch highly complex ones right out of the gate. He likens the situation to Ford attempting to build a contemporary car in 1908 instead of starting with the simpler Model T.
In the close of 2013, Boston Dynamics was acquired by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, only to be sold to Japan’s SoftBank Group four years later. Around the same time, Robertson transitioned to Disney, convinced of their solid business justification for robotics and legged locomotion technology. Yet, aside from technical and cost hurdles, Robertson believes the sector has overlooked a key aspect: customer wants and needs.
As he points out, the idea of being surrounded by human-sized, heavy, soulless-looking robots may not sit well with the general public. The current designs are intimidating, impersonal, and potentially dangerous. These are essentially functional tools, not friendly companions. Echoing global concerns, Robertson also notes the problem of Chinese robots and other IT hardware: the risk of data privacy violations and covert backdoors.
Reflecting on his career, Robertson shares that the companies he has been part of have been targets for infiltration by the Chinese government. It is, as he puts it, only a matter of time before one becomes the victim of such a breach. For this reason, he sees an opportunity to create domestic humanoid robots that people can trust and feel comfortable with, even if they are not designed for performing house chores or serving beverages.
Robertson brings to spotlight Yogi, a humanoid robot designed primarily for social interaction, aiming to surpass SoftBank’s Pepper in terms of user experience. His vision is not just about building a robot, but a character enriched with humanoid technology. If interaction with Yogi feels robotic, then they have not achieved their goal. Yogi is designed to be a natural and comfortable presence, capable of responding to queries and guiding guests in a hospitality setting.
Yogi could even be useful in a medical environment, showing visitors to patient’s rooms. Further capabilities are expected to evolve as more training and user feedback is experienced. Robertson emphasizes that the development of such technology is a collaborative effort and does not solely rest on the shoulders of its creators.
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