UPS may be the first to deploy a real humanoid robot, and they will soon be able to process your package
UPS is exploring game-changing technology upgrades: humanoid robots. Sources familiar with the matter said the logistics giant had an active conversation with Microsoft-backed robot startup graph AI to integrate the robots into its operations.
The move marks a significant development of UPS’s automation strategy, bringing robotic weapons beyond more advanced mobile AI-driven systems.
“We regularly explore and deploy a variety of technologies, including robotics,” UPS said in a statement that there are no named numbers.
what happened
Humanoid robotshown in a viral February video, sees sorting packages next to the conveyor belt, suggesting warehouse missions in the real world. It is 5’6″ and is built for an environment designed for humans.
Our first customer use case took 12 months and our second customer use case took only 30 days
Helix learns high-speed logistics through a single neural network
On Sunday, we successfully verified this site on our client site pic.twitter.com/ev5oesehly
– Picture (@figure_robot) February 26, 2025
The exact scope of potential UPS deployments remains, but ongoing speeches show growing momentum.
UPS has been increasing technology investments, spending about $1B per year on automation to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Past actions include:
- AI-powered Orion routing system saves 10 million miles per year
- Edge and network planning tools save hundreds of millions of dollars
- Partnership with Agile Companies.
Why
upsand the logistics industry is fighting long-term labor shortage. About 76% of the logistics operations report staffing gaps. Humanoid robots provide scalable fixes to perform tasks with agility that traditional systems cannot handle.
What’s next
Experts believe that humanoid robots have become the mainstream in logistics within 5-10 years. UPS’s early moves could bring significant advantages, especially when the figures seek $1.5B of funds at a valuation of $39.5B.
If UPS goes all out on human robots, it can redefine warehouse work and set a precedent for the future of global logistics.
