Meta and Fourier reportedly built a humanoid prototype named Max in three months
The Information reports Meta and Shanghai-based Fourier built a 1.5-metre humanoid called Max and began Max 2 in September, though Meta says it won't sell it.
Meta has built a humanoid robot prototype together with Shanghai-based Fourier, and a second version is already in development, according to an October 31 report by The Information, as covered by Humanoids Daily. Inside Meta the robot is called Max. The two companies reportedly needed three months to build it, and work on Max 2 began in September.
Max is said to stand about 1.5 meters tall, weigh roughly 48 kilograms and run on NVIDIA Jetson Thor computing. It reportedly has five-fingered hands that can lift small bottles and toys, speakers in the chest and a face that shows expressions. Meta's requirements include recognising a voice from five meters, reading a gesture from three meters, keeping eye contact and signalling when the robot is listening, thinking, speaking or unsure. Max 2 is expected to bring a redesigned torso, better hands, a projector and extra sensors for stairs.
Why it matters
Until now, Meta's home robotics plans showed up mostly as job listings and an acquisition. Max is the first described physical platform. Still, a Meta spokesperson said the work is internal research and the company has no plans to sell these units. No launch date has been given, and the requirements above are design goals, not test results from real homes. Watch for evidence of how well Max handles household tasks, and for any sign that the hiring in Shanghai and Shenzhen is moving toward large-scale manufacturing.
