Domestic vs industrial humanoid robot: which one for which use case?

Many would-be buyers think a "versatile" humanoid can do both. Spoiler: it can't. Domestic and industrial are two incompatible specifications.

Weight changes everything

An industrial humanoid weighs 60-75 kg. A domestic humanoid weighs 30-40 kg. Why? At home, the robot must fall without breaking the floor, without hurting a child, without smashing the oven door. Weight limits danger. In a factory, weight ensures stability under heavy load.

The outer shell

Compare 1X NEO and Figure 02: the NEO is wrapped in soft fabric, Figure 02 is steel and hard plastic. At home, you want tactile, silent, non-cutting. In a factory, you want washable, shock-proof, solvent-resistant. Two worlds.

Payload

A domestic humanoid needs 3-5 kg payload: a pan, a laundry basket, a shopping bag. An industrial humanoid handles 20 kg minimum: boxes, tools, metal parts. Artificial muscles, actuators, battery are all calibrated for the target.

Battery

Domestic: 4-6 h suffices (cyclical use). Industrial: 8 h minimum for a full shift. Tesla Optimus Gen 2 targets 8 h; Figure 02 caps at 5 h, which is already borderline for industry.

Cost

Domestic: target under £20,000 to buy or under £420/month lease. Industrial: £1,250 to £2,000/month is acceptable since ROI is computed against replacing a salaried role.

The practical takeaway

Don't ask "what's the best humanoid robot?". Ask "where will it work?". The answer gives you 80 % of the selection.

The Botoide comparator will explicitly ask for your environment (home, factory, warehouse, office, outdoor) and filter models accordingly.