According to a report by the U.S. tech media outlet The Information, Meta is collaborating with the Chinese robotics startup Fourier Intelligence to develop a humanoid robot named “Max.” The two parties produced a prototype in just three months and are already working on a second version. This development comes as Tesla aggressively pushes for the mass production of its “Optimus” robot, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also actively champions advancements in robotics.
Meta is making a concerted push into the robotics sector, investing billions of dollars to develop a “general-purpose robot software platform” that integrates its Llama AI models with sensory inputs.
The Information reports that Max stands approximately 150 centimeters tall and weighs about 48 kilograms; it is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson Thor platform. While neither company has officially confirmed the news, if true, Meta would become the first among the four major North American cloud service providers (CSPs) to independently develop a humanoid robot product. Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has described Max as the “physical embodiment” of Meta’s AI agent, “Muse.”
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Shanghai, Fourier Intelligence distinguishes itself from many startups that rely solely on venture capital or focus exclusively on algorithms and laboratory research. Instead, the company employs a “dual-engine” strategy: it generates steady cash flow and high profit margins through medical rehabilitation technology—specifically medical exoskeletons used in over 3,000 hospitals worldwide—while simultaneously scaling up into the field of general-purpose humanoid robots. By leveraging a decade of expertise in “high-precision force feedback” and proprietary actuator technology, Fourier has transitioned these capabilities into its GRx series of bipedal humanoid robots, positioning itself as a key hardware development partner for global tech giants like Meta.
This partnership combines Meta’s robust software platform and massive computational resources with the technical “moat” that Fourier Intelligence has built in hardware. Fourier’s self-developed “FSA” integrated actuators—which combine frameless torque motors, harmonic reducers, motor controllers, and dual encoders—offer high power density and exceptional impact-resistant, compliant control. These features enable the robots to execute highly complex and demanding physical tasks.