Noble Machines
Noble Machines, formerly Under Control Robotics, is a Sunnyvale, California company founded in 2024 by engineers from Apple, SpaceX, NASA and Caltech and led by chief executive Wei Ding. It builds Moby, a heavy-lifting general-purpose humanoid for hazardous and physically demanding industrial work in manufacturing, construction, logistics, energy and semiconductor plants. Moby can lift about 60 lb (27 kg), climb steep inclines and work outdoors, and uses end-to-end AI so it can learn new real-world skills in hours rather than months, through language, demonstrations and gestures. Noble Machines emerged from stealth on 3 March 2026 with its first robots already shipped to a Fortune Global 500 customer within 18 months of the company's launch. Investors include UP Partners, Centre Street Partners, Nirman Ventures, Oakseed Ventures, Paperjet Ventures and South Park Commons. The company planned to show Moby at NVIDIA GTC 2026 and to release its next generation soon.
💡Notable Achievement: Noble Machines, formerly Under Control Robotics, emerged from stealth on 3 March 2026 with Moby humanoids already shipped to a Fortune Global 500 customer, 18 months after launch.
What Does Noble Machines Do?
Noble Machines is a Sunnyvale company founded in 2024 that builds Moby, a heavy-lifting humanoid for hazardous industrial work.
“Rugged humanoids that already work real shifts.”
Heavy Lifting
Moby lifts about 27 kg and handles steep inclines and outdoor terrain.
Fast Learning
End-to-end AI learns new skills in hours rather than months.
Real Deployment
Shipped to a Fortune Global 500 customer within 18 months.
What Can Noble Machines Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Heavy, hazardous tasks in industrial sites.
Heavy Lifting
Lifts about 27 kg.
Rough Terrain
Navigates steep inclines and outdoors.
Noble Machines Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
Moby 3
Manufactured by Noble Machines
Moby 3 is an industrial humanoid robot engineered by Noble Machines to automate hazardous, physically demanding tasks across construction, logistics, manufacturing, and energy sectors. Built around a "whole-body AI" architecture, Moby learns new tasks through natural language instructions, demonstrations, and gesture-based training, eliminating traditional programming. Its rugged form factor features strong aluminum and composite limbs capable of navigating stairs, scaffolding, and cluttered workspaces while lifting up to 27 kg. The robot integrates 34 degrees of freedom with dexterous multi-fingered hands for manipulating industrial tools. Powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Orin edge AI stack, Moby coordinates locomotion, manipulation, and balance in real time, adapting to terrain changes and shifting payloads. Designed for "4D jobs"—dull, dirty, dangerous, and declining—Moby prioritizes practical strength and environmental mobility over human-like aesthetics, enabling autonomous and teleoperated modes for five-hour shifts.
Noble MachinesTimeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Noble Machines founded as Under Control Robotics
Engineers from Apple, SpaceX, NASA and Caltech found the company that later becomes Noble Machines.
Source: therobotreport.com
Noble Machines emerges from stealth
Noble Machines comes out of stealth and reveals it has shipped Moby humanoids to a Fortune Global 500 customer.
Source: therobotreport.com
Noble Machines Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Noble Machines Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Working deployment at a large customer.
- ✓Team from Apple, SpaceX, NASA and Caltech.
Core Strategic Focus
Releasing its next robot generation.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •No published price or funding amount.
- •Very young company.
Noble Machines vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
| Strategic Dimension | Moby 3 (Noble) | Apollo (Apptronik) | Digit v5 (Agility) | Figure 02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload Capacity | 60 lbs (27 kg) | 55 lbs (25 kg) | 35 lbs (16 kg) | 45 lbs (20 kg) |
| AI Foundation Stack | NVIDIA Isaac GR00T | Google DeepMind Gemini | In-House Fleet AI | Custom Multimodal VLA |
| Onboard Silicon | NVIDIA Jetson Thor | High-Performance Dual x86 | Custom Edge Compute | Custom Neural Hardware |
| Commercial Stage | Enterprise Pilot Stage | Production Pilot (Mercedes) | Commercial Production (GXO) | Production Pilot (BMW) |
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Noble Machines
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Noble Machines
What is Noble Machines?
Noble Machines, formerly Under Control Robotics, is a Sunnyvale, California company founded in 2024 that builds Moby, a heavy-lifting general-purpose humanoid for industrial work.
Who runs Noble Machines?
Noble Machines is led by chief executive Wei Ding. The company was founded in 2024 by engineers with backgrounds at Apple, SpaceX, NASA and Caltech.
What is the Noble Machines Moby?
Moby is a general-purpose humanoid built for heavy, hazardous work. It lifts about 60 lb (27 kg), handles steep inclines and outdoor terrain, and learns new tasks with end-to-end AI.
Where is Moby used?
Noble Machines targets manufacturing, construction, logistics, energy and semiconductor sites, and has already shipped robots to an unnamed Fortune Global 500 manufacturer.
When did Noble Machines launch?
Noble Machines came out of stealth on 3 March 2026, about 18 months after it started, announcing its first industrial deployment of Moby humanoids.
Who has invested in Noble Machines?
Noble Machines' investors include UP Partners, which led its seed round, and Centre Street Partners, Nirman Ventures, Oakseed Ventures, Paperjet Ventures and South Park Commons.
How much does Moby cost?
Noble Machines has not published a price for Moby. Industrial customers arrange deployments directly with the company, which said it plans to release its next robot generation soon.
Where is Noble Machines based?
Noble Machines is based in Sunnyvale, California, in Silicon Valley, and planned to exhibit its Moby humanoid at NVIDIA GTC 2026.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Noble Machines datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.