Meet ‘Alex’: A Disaster-Response Humanoid Challenging China’s Robotics Rise

The Institute for Human Machine Cognition (IHMC) has revealed its next-generation humanoid robot, Alex, which has ditched legs and features advancements in manipulation, perception, and teleoperation.

IHMC and its commercial partner, Boardwalk Robotics, plan to showcase the robot’s capabilities at an open house on April 10. It says Alex has been developed with a focus on high-risk environments, where it should demonstrate outdoor mobility and autonomy.

The IHMC project is a multi-year, multimillion-dollar effort backed by the US Office of Naval Research. It is a not-for-profit venture aimed at building technology that extends human capabilities through robotics.

The new system weighs about 15 kilograms less compared to IHMC’s previous robot, Nadia, largely due to custom-built actuators. Alex weighs 85 kilograms with the battery while maintaining the same performance levels as Nadia, according to Interesting Engineering. IHMC believes the lower weight should improve agility and energy efficiency.

Alongside improvements in vision and perception, Alex also features enhanced teleoperation capabilities, including the ability to operate as part of a robot team. IHMC sees a future where robots operate in high-risk environments, such as house fires and hazardous sites, and where they serve as part of disaster response teams, with potential military applications.

Boardwalk Robotics is marketing Alex for a wide range of potential use cases, though the company is still in exploration mode regarding deployment.

A contender against the wave of Chinese robots

IHMC is one of several robotics firms in the US with deep technical expertise, but that appear hesitant to fully enter the market. Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, and Tesla all have ambitions to deploy robots across sectors and into homes, but there has been limited commercialization so far.

That contrasts with China, where companies such as Unitree Robotics, AgiBot, and UBTECH Robotics shipped over 1,000 robots in 2025. AgiBot recently announced it had surpassed 10,000 robot sales, making it the market leader. While still small compared to mature markets like smartphones and televisions, these robots sell for tens of thousands of dollars and can be deployed across a wide range of applications.

In addition to commercializing their robots, these Chinese companies appear less concerned about public markets. Unitree has already filed for an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s STAR Market, with indications that the business is financially solid.

This commercial lead may backfire on Chinese robotics manufacturers, however, with the US government reportedly looking to ban the sale of foreign-made technology in the country.

For a deeper look at how China is accelerating its robotics edge, check out how humanoid robot training schools are fueling the next wave of development.