Toyota and Honda test humanoid robots in Japanese factories

Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) are testing humanoid robots in Japanese factories on tasks ranging from wire harness installation to final inspection, according to Automotive News. Both Japanese automakers showed their latest machines at the 2026 Japan Mobility Show.

Toyota (TM) is further along with ELEY (Embodied Learning robot for Enhanced Yield). It’s a battery-powered, wheeled robot built in-house that weighs about 50 kg. It picks parts from boxes, places them where needed, and folds fabric. Workers teach it by wearing finger-shaped attachments modeled on its hands and performing precise assembly motions, which become data the robot learns from. Starting in 2028, Toyota plans to operate up to 400K robots of all kinds, including about 150K at its headquarters plants. The humanoid robots will be added as factories are upgraded, with Toyota (TM) noting they will work alongside people, not replace them.

Meanwhile, Honda (HMC) is focusing on humanoid robots with dexterous hands rather than walking robots, having retired ASIMO in 2022. Large-scale testing is planned at Honda’s Yorii factory, starting with sorting incoming parts before moving to assembly, and the company aims to sell the technology in the early 2030s. While CEO Toshihiro Mibe noted Honda is “very far” from humanoids working throughout a factory, he expects robots to gradually take over handling parts. Honda (HMC) plans to start designing vehicles with a humanoid robot-enhanced workforce in mind.

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