Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn and US AI chipmaker NVIDIA are reportedly in discussions to deploy humanoid robots at a new Foxconn facility in Houston, where AI servers for NVIDIA will be produced, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

As reported by Reuters, this would mark the first time a NVIDIA product is manufactured with the help of humanoid robots and would also be the first Foxconn AI server plant to incorporate them on its production line.

The deployment, expected to be finalised in the coming months, would represent a significant milestone in the industrial adoption of humanoid robots, a technology poised to revolutionise manufacturing operations.

Foxconn is currently developing its own humanoid robots in collaboration with NVIDIA, and has also trialled models produced by China’s UBTech.

However, the sources said it remains unclear what type of robots will be used in the Houston facility, their appearance, or how many will be deployed initially.

The aim is for the robots to be operational by the first quarter of next year, coinciding with the start of production for NVIDIA’s GB300 AI servers at the new factory.

While the specific roles of the robots remain undisclosed, a Foxconn presentation in May indicated that they are being trained to perform tasks such as picking and placing objects, inserting cables, and assembling components.

According to one source, the Houston site is considered ideal for deploying humanoids due to its larger space and new infrastructure, compared to existing AI server manufacturing sites.

The sources requested anonymity as they are not authorised to speak publicly.

Leo Guo, General Manager of the Robotics Business Unit at Foxconn Industrial Internet, the group’s AI server subsidiary, revealed at an industry event in Taipei last month that the company plans to showcase two humanoid robot models at its annual technology event in November.

One robot will have legs, while the other will be based on a wheeled autonomous mobile robot (AMR), which Guo noted would be a more cost-effective option.

In April, NVIDIA announced its intention to build AI supercomputer manufacturing facilities in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas.

Both sites are expected to begin production within 12 to 15 months.

For NVIDIA, the use of humanoid robots in its manufacturing process represents a deeper investment in the technology, the company already provides a development platform for humanoid robot manufacturers.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang predicted in March that widespread use of humanoid robots in factories is likely within five years.

Automakers including Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also explored the use of humanoids on assembly lines, while Tesla is developing its own version.

China, too, is making strategic bets on humanoid robotics, anticipating that many factory roles will eventually be filled by machines.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News America, based on image by Phonlamaistudio via Freepik