THEMIS Gen 2.5 Humanoid Robot Walks, Grabs, and Never Stops Moving

Westwood Robotics has just released their new and improved THEMIS Gen 2.5, a full-size humanoid robot that has made significant progress, literally, in terms of its ability to hold objects while in motion. Unlike your ordinary humanoid robot, this one continues to walk while performing the work at hand, rather than coming to a halt. Westwood is claiming it as the first commercially viable device to truly deliver on dependable manipulation on the move, and recent evidence shows that they aren’t just blowing smoke.

The Westwood engineering team completely overhauled the robot to make it more durable and able to handle the rigors of daily operation. As a result, impact resistance has risen by a considerable 40 percent over prior versions. The arms of the Gen 2.5 have also been improved to provide 7 degrees of freedom, with each capable of carrying a payload weighing more than 5 kilos. Meanwhile, the hip joints feature improved Mountain BEAR actuators, which produce a great boost of torque, enough to give the robot the power and balance it needs to stay going even during dynamic maneuvers, and that’s without overheating, as they’re giving out around 80 percent less heat than the previous model.

The software has really propelled the advancement here, with Westwood’s new AI-Augmented Humanoid OS (AOS) system bringing everything together. One module focuses on whole-body control, integrating sensor data to keep the robot steady even while its arms move around cargo. Another handles navigation with layered maps and semantic awareness, allowing for seamless path planning. The third module, which focuses on real interaction, is powered by an object-centric vision-action model, allowing the robot to plan activities effectively without spending a small fortune on onboard computation capacity.


As for how much has changed since the prior edition of THEMIS, the Gen 2.5 basically takes all of the nice stuff from previous generations, such as rudimentary walking and simple grasps, and amps it up with some very tough hardware and the entire rollout of the AOS system. Related models, such as the V2 series, have also demonstrated some promising results, reaching walking speeds near to human pace and even running at speeds of up to 10 km/h in tests, with approximately 40 degrees of freedom and lightweight frames weighing less than 35 kilos. GEN 2.5 brings those characteristics forward, but as the name implies, it prioritizes practical work.


That has to make manufacturers and warehouses take note; having a robot that can simply keep moving without stopping every few feet will save a lot of time on monotonous jobs. Hazardous sites could also benefit from fewer stops, as this means reduced exposure time in potentially dangerous zones. As for pricing, Westwood is providing the Gen 2.5 as a general-purpose platform, and you can order one directly from their website, but the exact cost will have to be determined through direct contact.