Present at the Mobile World Congress on the Dassault Systèmes stand, the American start-up Westwood Robotics is developing a humanoid robot intended for industrial environments and dangerous tasks.
Based in Los Angeles, the company relies on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform to design and simulate its robots. Its founder and CEO, Xiaoguang Zhang, discusses the company’s strategy, the first deployments of its Themis robot and its vision of the booming humanoid market.
JDN. What does your partnership with Dassault Systèmes consist of?
Xiaoguang Zhang. We are both partners and customers of Dassault Systèmes. Concretely, we use their software to develop our robots. We design the entire robot ourselves, both the hardware and the software. And we rely on Dassault tools for design and simulation (SOLIDWORKS software for mechanical design and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for collaboration and simulation, allowing in particular to create a virtual twin of the robot, editor’s note).
The design consists of modeling the different parts of the robot and their interactions. The simulation then makes it possible to virtually test the mechanical structure, analyze certain dynamic behaviors and optimize the design before building the physical prototypes.
Can you present your robot?
Our humanoid robot is called THEMIS. He is 1.60 m tall, weighs 36 kg and can carry up to 15 kg. THEMIS is the first humanoid robot equipped with a hot-swappable battery system. This means we can replace the battery in seconds without interrupting the operation of the robot, allowing it to operate 24/7.
It is also the first robot capable of manipulating objects while moving, which is approximately eight times faster than traditional robotic manipulation approaches.
How much does it cost?
Today, THEMIS costs around $40,000, which we consider a very affordable price. Our goal is for robots to become teammates of humans, able to take on repetitive, physically demanding or dangerous tasks, so that people can focus on activities that actually require human intelligence.
When did this project start and where are you today?
We launched the project in 2023 and we are currently in production in small series. Several clients are already testing our robots as part of proofs of concept (POC), and certain projects are close to their finalization. Currently, our robots are mainly used for handling hazardous materials and for logistics applications.
Are your clients only industrial companies?
Yes. We do not want our robots to be used in the weapons sector. We believe that robots should not be weaponized, and therefore we will not supply them to the army or the police. In the future, some applications such as inspection of hazardous environments after chemical disasters may be relevant. But today, our priority remains logistics and the handling of dangerous materials.
How are you positioning yourself on the humanoid robot market?
We believe the market is huge, as many tasks could benefit from humanoid robots. What differentiates us from certain competitors is that we consider our machine above all as a robot, and not as a simple replica of a human being. We focus on robotic capabilities and productivity, to create a truly useful tool for industrial applications and daily operations.
Why choose a humanoid robot rather than another type of robot?
Even today, many tasks are not automated. Work environments often feature stairs, uneven terrain or narrow spaces, which are difficult to manage with traditional automation systems. Additionally, some tasks change frequently. In these situations, building a dedicated automation line is not always relevant. Humanoid robots can operate in environments designed for humans and adapt to different types of tasks.
What are the main technological challenges?
There are many of them. As we develop all hardware and software in-house, each component must be optimized. The design of actuation systems is particularly complex, as is the integration of everything at system level. The robot must be stable, reliable and completely safe. We aim for a success rate above 99%, which makes the engineering process particularly demanding.
