Minerva Humanoids
Minerva Humanoids is a San Francisco-based robotics startup that builds Roger, a rugged, semi-autonomous humanoid robot for dangerous jobs such as offshore and onshore oil and gas work, explosive ordnance disposal and hazardous-material response. A trained specialist works through Roger from a safe distance with a VR headset and haptic gloves, while the company's Minerva Intelligence software handles balance, fall recovery and navigation. Minerva was founded at the end of 2025 by CEO Sandor Felber (formerly of MIT CSAIL and Tesla Optimus) and CTO Maurice Rahme (formerly of Boston Dynamics). Its software and AI are developed in the US, while its hardware is engineered and assembled in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, Germany, and it also has an office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Minerva came out of stealth in October 2026 with about $10 million in pre-seed funding led by General Catalyst and started its first paid pilots that fall.
Minerva Humanoids Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
Roger
Manufactured by Minerva Humanoids
Roger is a rugged, semi-autonomous humanoid robot from Minerva Humanoids, built to do the world's most dangerous jobs so that people do not have to. A trained specialist operates Roger from a safe location: a VR headset shows the view from the robot's cameras, trackers on the operator's body send their movements to the robot, and haptic gloves return a sense of touch from Roger's two five-fingered hands. Minerva's own software, Minerva Intelligence, takes care of balance, fall recovery and navigation, so the operator can focus on the skilled part of the job. Minerva says Roger weighs 220 lb (about 100 kg), walks at 4.5 mph over stairs, sand and rubble, carries 26.4 lb in each hand, runs for more than 4 hours, is sealed to IP66 and works from -20°C to +60°C. It is aimed at oil and gas inspection and valve work, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), chemical and radiological (CBRN) response and casualty evacuation. Roger went from a blank sheet to a walking prototype in about five months in 2026 and was unveiled on October 6, 2026; it is still a prototype, with first paid pilots starting in fall 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
6 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Minerva Humanoids
What robot models does Minerva Humanoids manufacture?
Minerva Humanoids manufactures 1 robot model in the Origin of Bots database, including Roger.
Where is Minerva Humanoids headquartered and when was it founded?
Minerva Humanoids is headquartered in United States.
What industries and domains does Minerva Humanoids focus on?
Minerva Humanoids develops robotics solutions primarily targeting Humanoid Robotics, Hazardous Operations, Oil & Gas, Public Safety & Defense.
What core technologies and engineering stacks power Minerva Humanoids's robots?
Minerva Humanoids's platform leverages Minerva Intelligence shared-autonomy control (balance, fall recovery, navigation), VR headset and haptic-glove teleoperation with force feedback, Five-fingered dexterous hands with 20 DOF each, Encrypted COFDM long-range datalink to deliver high-performance autonomy and hardware reliability.
Which geographic markets does Minerva Humanoids serve?
Minerva Humanoids currently deploys and supports hardware across Oil and gas operators (onshore and offshore), Explosive ordnance disposal and CBRN teams, Airports and public-safety agencies.
How can commercial buyers and partners contact Minerva Humanoids?
You can reach Minerva Humanoids directly via their official website at https://www.minervahumanoids.com.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Minerva Humanoids datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Data is monitored and audited on an ongoing basis for accuracy. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.