Renowned roboticist Rodney Brooks, who co-founded iRobot, has a wake-up call for investors pouring billions into humanoid robot startups, arguing that they are wasting their money. The Fundamental Challenges of Dexterity and SafetyBrooks also points out a major safety concern: the physics of full-sized, walking humanoid robots. Brooks predicts that in 15 years, successful “humanoid” robots will actually have wheels, multiple arms, and specialized sensors and will abandon the human form. A Competitive and Highly Funded FieldDespite Brooks’ skepticism, the humanoid robotics field is highly competitive and well-funded. Apptronik, a humanoid robot maker that has raised nearly $450 million, counts Google among its backers and has partnered with Google’s DeepMind robotics team.