Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Nov. 1 that Meta worked with Chinese robotics firm Fourier to produce a humanoid prototype called Max and has begun development on a second‑generation Max 2.
- Meta says the project is internal research, the robots are not for sale, and the company faced trouble sourcing some U.S. components for the prototypes.
- Industry sources describe Fourier’s role as an ODM that delivered only a few sample units to Meta and AWS rather than a large commercial order or long‑term joint venture.
- Reported specs for the Max prototype include a height of about 1.5 meters, weight near 48 kilograms, an Nvidia Jetson Thor chip, an expression display and five‑finger dexterous hands, with no production timetable.
- The news highlights a larger shift in the robotics sector toward software, fleet orchestration and real‑world trials led by Chinese players such as Xiaomi and Ling形开悟 even as investor funding tightens and some hardware firms face financial strain.