Panasonic Targets Humanoid Robot Production by 2029

Panasonic Targets Humanoid Robot Production by 2029

The Japanese electronics group plans to leverage its expertise in batteries, components and manufacturing to develop a fully integrated humanoid robot.

OSAKA -- Panasonic Holdings plans to develop humanoid robots for factories and warehouses and aims to begin production by 2029, moving the Japanese industrial group beyond supplying components toward developing complete machines.

Group Chief AI Officer Akira Sakakibara told Nikkei Asia on October 5 that the project is still in its early stages and the company has not yet shared designs, specifications, production targets or customers.
The AI and Robotics Research Lab will lead development. Panasonic’s executive roster identifies Sakakibara as both group chief AI officer and director of the lab, putting the humanoid effort within a broader push to develop AI that interacts with physical devices rather than being siloed in software.

Panasonic officially created the CAIO role in April as part of an overhaul of AI work. Sakakibara has described AI that interacts with devices as one of the company’s areas of interest and has pointed to Panasonic’s factories, equipment, consumer products and supply-chain operations as places where AI connected to physical systems could eventually be applied.

The humanoid program is putting that strategy into a physical prototype. Sakakibara told Nikkei that Panasonic sees factories and warehouses as entry points because they contain repetitive material‑handling tasks in structured environments, although Panasonic did not reveal which jobs its robots will handle.

He also pointed to batteries as a potential advantage for Panasonic. Panasonic hopes to use battery technology to power motors, sensors and onboard computing while keeping robots lightweight.
Sakakibara emphasized battery safety, warning of fire risks as humanoids work alongside people. Panasonic Energy already develops batteries for automotive and industrial applications. When it opened a new battery research and development hub in Japan in September, the subsidiary identified humanoid robots among emerging applications that could increase demand for battery technology.

Panasonic can draw on in‑house battery engineering expertise, but future performance is unclear. The company has not disclosed battery specs, so comparisons with other humanoid platforms are premature. It also supplies components to robot developers.

Panasonic Industry has demonstrated humanoid systems - power management, sensing, thermal control and motion - and supplies motors and automation parts, so it already supplies parts of the humanoid supply chain, though it doesn't make complete humanoid robots.

The 2029 date should therefore be viewed as a development and production goal, not a confirmed launch. Panasonic has not announced whether it will build the humanoid in‑house or outsource key components.