21/09/2026
How many chips does a humanoid robot actually need? The answer may be more than you think π
Don't just focus on the "brain" and the "cerebellum." What truly holds a humanoid robot together is the "nerve endings" spread throughout its entire body.
Take a reference platform with 40 joints as an example:
πΉ Joint drive: 40 sets of motor control + drive circuits. A traditional silicon MOSFET solution alone requires 40Γ6 = 240 power MOSFETs. Highly integrated solutions are now packing FOC, gate drivers, and power management into a single chip.
πΉ Encoders: High-performance joints commonly use dual encoders β one on the motor side, one on the reducer output side. That's 80 absolute encoders for 40 joints.
πΉ MCUs: One motion control MCU per joint, starting at 40; plus battery management, communication gateways, balance control, hand control, safety monitoring... A humanoid robot needs roughly 60 MCUs.
πΉ Sensors: IMUs, six-axis force/torque sensors, tactile sensors, LiDAR β none can be left out.
πΉ Power: Behind the 48V main power supply are BMS AFEs, fuel gauges, protection MOSFETs, and multiple DC-DC converters. There may be 8 to 12 different voltage rails inside.
πΉ Communication: With dozens of joint nodes, EtherCAT, CAN FD, TSN, and SerDes all come into play.
A rough estimate puts the number of chips in a humanoid robot at easily several hundred. And China's supply chain has already formed a complete ecosystem spanning chips, basic components, parts, actuators, joint modules, and whole-robot manufacturing
The robotics industry is following a path of scaled cost reduction similar to that of new energy vehicles.
Which type of chip do you think is the most underrated in humanoid robots? Let's talk in the comments π
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