Humanoid Robots to Contain Up to $1,000 in Chips by 2027

Texas Instruments sees robotics production scaling rapidly, driving demand for specialized power and control hardware.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Robotics

Humanoid Robots to Contain Up to $1,000 in Chips by 2027

Live Poll

Do you believe the growth of humanoid robotics will be a net positive for society?

Texas Instruments projects that humanoid robots will contain between $500 and $1,000 in its semiconductor components by 2027. The company is actively integrating its chips into industrial robotics, including its own production lines using UBTECH's Walker S2.

Why it matters

As humanoid robotics production scales in 2027, chipmakers are positioning their specialized power and control hardware to capture the growing bill-of-materials value per unit. This shift signals a transition from R&D-focused prototypes to standardized industrial deployment.

Texas Instruments employs gallium nitride (GaN) power stages for motor joints reaching 1 kW capacity and 48V, operating at pulse-width modulation (PWM) frequencies above 100 kHz. These designs rely on C2000 microcontrollers to manage high-precision motion control.

The players

Texas Instruments

A semiconductor company specializing in analog and embedded processing chips for industrial and automotive applications.

UBTECH

A robotics manufacturer known for developing humanoid robots such as the Walker series for research and factory use.

NVIDIA

A designer of GPUs and AI-focused hardware, including the Jetson platform for edge robotics and autonomous systems.

The details

To support high-torque humanoid movement, Texas Instruments uses GaN power devices—semiconductors that enable faster switching and higher efficiency than traditional silicon—within motor joints. The company has integrated its IWR6243 radar sensors and control systems directly into the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform, a specialized architecture for humanoid computing. These technical implementations are detailed in the company's reference designs, specifically TIDA-010979 and TIDA-010992, which outline the integration of C2000 series microcontrollers.

Late 2025 or early 2026: Texas Instruments deployed UBTECH Walker S2 humanoids.
March 2026: Texas Instruments announced a collaboration with NVIDIA.
2027: Expected increase in robotics production.

The Tech Race

Texas Instruments is positioning its specialized power and sensor components as the standard hardware layer for the emerging humanoid robot market. By integrating its stack into the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform, the company is competing for dominance in the control architecture of next-generation autonomous systems.

Industrial operators will see the integration of these high-frequency GaN power components as humanoid robots begin to handle more sophisticated factory floor tasks in 2027. Early adopters include companies utilizing the UBTECH Walker S2 for automated assembly line production.

The takeaway

The race to standardize humanoid robotics internals is intensifying as component suppliers move beyond generic processors toward domain-specific power stages. Watch for 2027 production numbers to confirm whether current design-in efforts translate to widespread industrial factory adoption.