Made-in-Cambridge humanoid robots are coming to help you, not hurt you

The demand is rising for robots who can perform hazardous human tasks. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte finds out how one Cambridge company is responding to the need.

Robots designed to look and move like real people are soon expected to be a $15 billion USD industry.

New data from MarketsandMarkets projects the global humanoid market will grow from $2.92 billion USD in 2025 to $15.26 billion USD by 2030.

“Those are conservative estimates,” said Tarek Rahim, the CEO of Mirsee Robotics, a Cambridge, Ont. robotics company that specializes in these robots.

A humanoid robot is a one designed to resemble the human body in shape and often mimics its movements and actions. They typically walk on two legs and have a torso, head, arms and legs, though some may only replicate parts of the human form, like the ones made by Mirsee.

“The reasons we do wheel designs is because they’re inherently stable. You cannot knock this guy over,” explained Rahim while showing CTV News that the robot could not be pushed over.

He also demonstrated how the robot could move around a room on wheels with the help of a PlayStation controller.

So, why are these features so important?

Like the made-in-Cambridge humanoid robots, they are being used to help with human tasks.

“These robots are designed to go to far away places or hazardous work sites where it’s hard to get trained people, or it’s too dangerous to have human labour at,” explained Rahim.

Mirsee Robotics said their robots are already addressing critical Canadian challenges like gathering data from remote First Nations water plants, providing support in aging care facilities and filling essential roles in precarious industries.

“These robots are going to tackle the repetitive, monotonous job,” said Rahim. “Most importantly, they’re going to handle the backbreaking labour that humans should really not be doing.”

There’s no need, he added, to worry about the humanoids taking over traditionally human jobs. They may replace some roles but, as with any emerging technology, it will also create new employment opportunities.

That idea is backed by the projected growth of the industry.

However, in the manufacturing sector, numbers from Statistics Canada showed Canada ranked 12th in robot installations behind countries like the United States and Mexico, which ranked third and ninth, respectively.

Mirsee said they have the tech to catapult Canada to the top of world rankings in an industry they believe will have the same impact as the automotive revolution.

Rahim and his team not only have the impressive technology, but the passion to match it – a passion that is reignited every time the humanoid robots turn on and learn new tasks.

“In a way, it’s the most rewarding feeling ever,” Rahim said, adding, “I imagine that’s what having children feels like.”