This Week in Home Robots: Optimus Production, Figure 04 and More
Week of October 27, 2026. Every week we round up the biggest news in home robots, explain what it means if you're thinking of buying one, and link to the original reporting. Here's what moved this week.
1. Tesla starts building Optimus, but home buyers will wait
Tesla says its Fremont factory is now making its first production-quality Optimus humanoids. On the earnings call, Elon Musk called it early production and said reaching 20,000 robots a week will take at least a year. Tesla is targeting its first customer deliveries for late 2027, and those early robots are expected to go to businesses, not households.
Our take: This is the clearest sign yet that Optimus is real, but if you want a humanoid in your home, Tesla isn't the quickest route. Keep an eye on our Optimus page, where we'll track reservations when they open.
Source: Humanoid Guide
2. Figure locks the design of Figure 04
Figure CEO Brett Adcock told staff that its next humanoid, Figure 04, has reached design lock, with new hands and battery testing under way. He also teased Helix 3.0, the next version of the AI that runs Figure's robots. Last month, Figure's current robot was tested in 30 homes it had never seen and completed its full set of chores, including making beds and folding towels, about 56% of the time.
Our take: 56% is impressive for unfamiliar homes, but it's not yet something you'd pay for. Figure 04 is the model to watch for a real home launch. No price or date yet.
Source: Humanoids Daily
3. Roborock's F25 Ultra cleans with steam and hot water
Roborock has launched the F25 Ultra, a handheld wet-and-dry vacuum that can clean with 150°C steam or hot water to lift dried-on stains. It has 22,000 Pa of suction, a lay-flat design for getting under furniture, and a self-cleaning roller. It's available now for $799, and some US retailers already have it for less.
Our take: Not a robot, but a strong partner for one: robot vacuums handle daily cleaning, and this handles the sticky spills they can't. See today's price on Amazon.
Source: T3
4. Apple's robotic home screen rumored for 2027
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a premium smart display with a 9-inch screen on a motorized arm that turns to follow whoever's speaking. It could arrive in 2027 or 2028.
Our take: It's a rumor, but it's a big one. When Apple moves into home robotics, even a small step like this, the whole category tends to go mainstream.
Source: AppleInsider
5. AgiBot gets 110 humanoids dancing at once
Chinese humanoid maker AgiBot coordinated 110 of its full-size Expedition A3 robots in a synchronized dance in Jinan, China, and says they were standard production units. A Guinness World Records judge attended, though it's unclear how the record fits with existing categories.
Our take: The dance is a stunt, but 110 production robots in one room is a real signal. Chinese makers like AgiBot and Unitree are building humanoids at a scale that will push prices down for everyone.
Source: Humanoids Daily
6. A new home robot opens reservations
Tuesday Labs is taking reservations for Voxel, a home robot designed to tidy up, find lost belongings and look after plants. It's still a prototype, and no price or delivery date has been announced.
Our take: Exciting idea, early days. We'd wait for real-world demos before putting down a deposit.
Source: Humanoids Daily
Beyond the home: AGCO's self-driving farm machines
At its Tech Day earlier this month, farm equipment giant AGCO demonstrated OutRun, a system that lets existing tractors run autonomous grain carts during harvest. Farm fields are where a lot of the navigation tech in today's robot mowers gets proven first.
Source: KuCoin News
Deal watch
Black Friday is November 27, and Amazon's deals usually start the week before. We're tracking the robot vacuums, mowers and pool robots worth watching on our Black Friday robot deals page.
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