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The 8 Most Unusual Applications for Humanoid Robots in 2040

November 1, 2025

By Futurist Thomas Frey

When people imagine humanoid robots in 2040, they picture the obvious: household helpers doing laundry, eldercare companions, manufacturing workers, retail associates. These are inevitable.

But I’m far more interested in the applications nobody’s talking about yet—the weird, unexpected, psychologically complex uses that will emerge once the technology becomes cheap and capable enough for creative experimentation. Here are eight applications that sound bizarre now but will seem obvious in retrospect.

Alternative Transportation, Driverless cars, Google, Transportation

People are attacking Waymo’s self-driving cars in Arizona by slashing tires and, in some cases, pulling guns on the safety drivers

December 16, 2018

Waymo self-driving cars in Arizona have had their tires slashed, and some of the vehicles’ safety drivers have had guns pulled on them, the Arizona Republic reports.
Twenty-one instances of people attacking Waymo cars have been recorded, according to the Arizona Republic, citing police reports.
It’s a fraction of overall traffic incidents — but the instances highlight a common fear people have about tech innovations. Continue reading… “People are attacking Waymo’s self-driving cars in Arizona by slashing tires and, in some cases, pulling guns on the safety drivers”

Science & Technology News

World’s first riot-control drone fires pepper spray and paintballs at protesters

June 24, 2014

Skunk drone

South Africa-based Desert Wolf, the maker of a drone that fires pepper spray bullets, says it has received its first order for the machine. The company told the BBC it had secured the sale of 25 units to a mining company after showing off the tech at a trade show.

Continue reading… “World’s first riot-control drone fires pepper spray and paintballs at protesters”