Texas Instruments to Power 2027 Humanoid Robot Boom
The company expects each unit to carry up to $1,000 in specialized semiconductor and radar components by 2027.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Robotics
Live Poll
Do you believe the growth of humanoid robotics will be a net positive for society?
Texas Instruments projects a surge in robotics production by 2027, with each humanoid unit estimated to contain $500 to $1,000 in chip content. The company is actively integrating its sensing and control technology into advanced robotics platforms.
Why it matters
The move highlights the growing semiconductor intensity of industrial automation as manufacturers integrate sophisticated sensors and power management systems into humanoid designs.
Texas Instruments has optimized its GaN power stages to operate at PWM frequencies exceeding 100 kHz for 48V joints. These designs feature a 1 kW power capacity to support complex humanoid movement.
The players
Texas Instruments
An American technology company that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits for electronics designers and manufacturers.
UBTECH
A global company specializing in the research, development, and manufacturing of intelligent humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence technologies.
NVIDIA
A prominent technology firm that focuses on the design of graphics processing units and high-performance computing platforms for artificial intelligence.
Apptronik
A robotics company based in the United States that develops general-purpose humanoid robots designed for commercial applications.
The details
Texas Instruments has deployed UBTECH Walker S2 humanoids on its own production lines and is supplying components to Apptronik. The company also integrated its IWR6243 radar sensor and C2000 microcontrollers into the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform.
Timeline
Late 2025 or early 2026 marked the deployment of UBTECH Walker S2 humanoids.
March 2026 saw the announcement of the collaboration with NVIDIA.
2027 is the target year for the expected increase in robotics production.
The Tech Race
This integration into the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform marks a shift toward standardized semiconductor architectures for humanoid robots. It accelerates the transition from custom, isolated robotics systems to scalable, chip-heavy platforms.
Increased production scale and standardized chip integration could lead to lower costs for industrial automation hardware over time. For developers and integrators, these reference designs provide a blueprint for creating more efficient and reliable robotic joints.
The takeaway
The move toward standardized semiconductor content in robots suggests a maturing manufacturing pipeline for humanoid units. Companies are prioritizing power efficiency and precision sensing to transition robots from controlled environments to general-purpose utility.
Further reading
Learn more about advancements in the Robotics sector to understand the role of specialized hardware.
Live Poll
Do you believe the growth of humanoid robotics will be a net positive for society?
