How Much Could Businesses Save with Humanoid Robots?
A back-of-the-envelope model for the total cost of ownership of a humanoid robot vs. a full-time worker.
The math
Assume a humanoid costs $30,000, lasts 5 years, runs 20 hours a day, and needs $4,000/year in maintenance and energy. Effective cost: about $2.50/hour of productive work.
Compared to a worker
A $20/hour worker with benefits costs roughly $30 per productive hour. The gap is enormous, and it explains why every logistics operator on earth is running pilots right now.
Caveats
Today's robots are slower than humans. Expected productivity parity in general-purpose tasks arrives around 2029.
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