Meta builds humanoid robot ‘Max’ with China’s Fourier, report says

Meta has built a prototype humanoid robot with Chinese robotics start-up Fourier and is already working on a second version, according to a report published on Saturday, 31 October. The Information, a US technology news outlet, reported the project, citing people familiar with the work. Reuters carried the report the same day and said it could not immediately verify it.

The robot is known inside Meta as Max, according to the report. It weighs about 106 pounds (48 kilograms) and stands about 1.5 metres tall, and it was built in roughly three months. It runs on Nvidia’s Jetson Thor chip, and the report says it has a screen for showing human-like expressions, built-in speakers and five-fingered hands. Meta showed Max to some staff at an internal robotics meeting in late August.

Meta’s robotics team travelled to China to work on the project, and the company’s vice-president of product for robotics, Li-Chen Miller, spent almost two months at Fourier’s factory in Shanghai, the report says. Work on a second version, called Max 2, began in September. That version is expected to have a redesigned torso, better hands for picking things up and extra sensors to help it climb stairs.

Why it matters

Meta is best known for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, but this report shows it is now building robot bodies as well as software. Meta sees humanoid robots as a physical form for its Muse AI agent, with the long-term aim of machines that can help with household tasks. That puts it alongside other big tech firms racing to build robots for the home. No launch date has been set for any Meta robot, and the company has described the work as internal research.

What happens next

The next test is whether Max 2 moves beyond the lab. Watch for any public showing of the robot, any comment from Meta or Fourier, and any sign of when — or whether — a version might be sold. Until either company speaks publicly, the details rest on the report alone, and they may change as the project develops.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://srnnews.com/meta-builds-humanoid-robot-with-chinese-startup-fourier-the-information-says/ (Reuters via SRN News, 31 October 2026)
• https://in.tradingview.com/news/seekingalpha:f12388378094b:0-meta-built-humanoid-prototype-in-robotics-push-the-information/ (Seeking Alpha via TradingView, 31 October 2026)
• https://asiaone.news/meta-develops-humanoid-robot-max-with-chinese-robotics-partner/ (AsiaOne, 1 November 2026)