DePAI Digest: June 2025

Humanoids are very well getting hard to ignore.

The robots didn’t just make headlines this month, we saw them make significant progress. At Bloomberg Tech, live demos met real milestones, with major players in robotics taking the stage to reveal not just what they’re building, but where it’s already running.

As AI moves to the edge, and physical systems integrate more tightly with decentralized infrastructure, the machine economy continues to take its form, one deployment at a time.

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1. Amazon Tests Humanoids for Last-Mile Delivery

Amazon has begun testing humanoid robots for last-mile logistics in a controlled facility dubbed "humanoid park" in San Francisco. The robots navigate simulated neighbourhoods, using AI developed in-house. Hardware comes from partners like Unitree. If successful, this could reshape Amazon’s delivery model and set a precedent for humanoids in urban infrastructure.

These trials explore how humanoids could complement drivers, autonomously managing steps, porches, and gates, reducing human effort in the “final 10 feet” of delivery. Amazon’s broader strategy hints at building an AI-native logistics layer, with humanoids as the interface.

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2. Figure Launches Logistics Trials

Figure AI is no longer talking about humanoid potential it’s deploying it. CEO Brett Adcock confirmed their Helix AI is now handling deformable packages at human speed in early logistics trials. These deployments are a key step in scaling Figure’s full-stack humanoid fleet.

The trials validate end-effector dexterity and full-body coordination, which are critical for humanoids in warehouses. Figure’s closed-loop architecture also enables rapid iteration from real-world data, reinforcing its vertically integrated edge.

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3. 1X Brings Humanoids Into Real Homes

1X has released a new reinforcement learning controller paired with its Redwood AI stack, enabling its NEO humanoid to operate in actual residential environments. Redwood runs fully onboard, learning in real time from success and failure, and integrating vision, language, and proprioception to manage dynamic, cluttered spaces.

NEO’s live deployment tests not just functionality, but social co-presence. This is how a robot adapts to humans, pets, and unpredictable home layouts. It marks a shift from lab demos to everyday utility.

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4. Agility Robotics Signals Commercial Readiness

At Bloomberg Tech, Agility Robotics CEO Peggy Johnson emphasized that humanoids are no longer theoretical. Digit—Agility's flagship robot—has now spent over a year deployed in warehouses, with GXO pilots reaching 98% uptime. The company’s $1.75B valuation and $578M raised underline strong commercial confidence.

Agility’s focus on reliability and job-specific functionality, such as tote-handling, illustrates a pragmatic path to humanoid ROI. Its Oregon factory, now operational, enables scale production targeting logistics clients.

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5. UAE Launches Machine Economy Free Zone

Peaq and Pulsar Group have launched the Machine Economy Free Zone in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a regulatory and technical sandbox for tokenized machines, DePIN protocols, and universal machine ownership. It positions the UAE as a key node in the decentralized Physical AI ecosystem.

The zone enables pilots for decentralized identity, machine wallets, and value-exchange protocols essential for a programmable machine economy. It also aligns with the UAE’s broader ambition to be a global testbed for frontier technologies.

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6. Gemini AI Runs Onboard Apollo

Google DeepMind’s Gemini On-Device model now runs locally on Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid. It handles household tasks like folding clothes and assembly without relying on the cloud - fully onboard and designed to function in the unpredictability of real homes.

This integration showcases low-latency cognition and real-world task adaptation in cluttered, everyday environments. It’s also a significant benchmark for local AI autonomy in service robotics.

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7. NEURA Unveils 4NE-1 Gen 3 at Automatica

NEURA Robotics presented its third-generation 4NE-1 humanoid at Automatica 2025 in Munich. With a 100kg payload, 24/7 runtime, and on-device cognition, it’s built for seamless human collaboration. The robot operates without safety cages and learns through interaction. NEURA is no longer showcasing concepts, it’s building deployable systems.

The Gen 3 model aims for immediate commercial deployment in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. It also supports NEURA’s open AI stack, encouraging third-party developers to build directly on its cognitive layer.

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Bullish on Robotics? So Are We.

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