In an opinion piece published on the Forbes website, Romain Moulin, CEO of Exotec, argues that specialized robots, designed for specific tasks, are more efficient and cost-effective than humanoid robots.
This perspective, also highlighted in the Fortune article, suggests that the future of robotics lies in purpose-built machines rather than those mimicking human form.
Moulin uses the analogy of a dishwasher versus a humanoid robot washing dishes to illustrate his point: “The dishwasher is faster, more efficient, and vastly more cost-effective because it’s designed specifically for one task.”
He emphasizes that in structured environments like warehouses, where tasks are predictable and repetitive, specialized systems will always outperform humanoids.
This aligns with Moulin’s previous statements, as reported in Robotics and Automation News, where he stated that humanoid robots “serve no purpose in automated warehouses”.
He likened developing humanoid robots for warehouse tasks to “designing planes to flap their wings”, arguing it’s not the most efficient solution.
While humanoid robots might find applications in unstructured environments or in-home settings, Moulin believes that in industries like warehousing, the economic advantages of specialized robots are undeniable.
He points to Amazon’s investment in specialized robotics after acquiring Kiva Systems as evidence of this trend.
