Robotics
Humanoid robot
Definition
A humanoid robot is a robot with a body arranged to resemble the human form, usually with a torso, arms, and legs. The term describes its physical form and does not by itself establish human-level intelligence or general autonomy.
Also known as: Humanoid, Humanoid robots
Updated
Form and capability are separate
Humanlike limbs give a robot a familiar arrangement for moving and handling objects. Boston Dynamics describes Atlas as a humanoid robot designed for industrial material handling. That application says more about the intended work than the word humanoid alone.
A humanoid's body does not explain how it chooses actions. Its movements may depend on a controller, a learned policy, a human operator, or a combination. Evaluate a specific robot by its documented tasks and operating conditions rather than its resemblance to a person.
Humanoid robots and embodied AI
Embodied AI can help a robot connect observations to actions, but it is not limited to humanoid bodies. Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics work describes experiments on two-arm platforms and adaptation to the humanoid Apollo robot.
This site's coined term xumanoid adds a particular idea of context-aware, learning, collaborative behaviour to the humanoid form. It is not a standard robot classification.
Sources
Related terms
Embodied AI
Embodied AI is artificial intelligence that perceives and acts through a body in a physical or simulated environment. It connects sensing, reasoning, and action rather than producing only text or images.
Robotic manipulation
Robotic manipulation is the use of a robot to change an object's position, orientation, or state through physical interaction. It includes grasping and moving objects as well as actions such as pushing or carrying them without a grasp.
Xumanoid
Xumanoid is a coined term used on this site for a humanoid robot that understands context, learns from experience, and works alongside people. It describes an intended combination of humanlike form and collaborative behaviour, rather than an established technical class.