California start-up Satyress has unveiled its Threehalves robot, a teleoperated centaur-like humanoid designed to aid humans doing dangerous jobs that expose them to injury, death or extreme conditions.

Threehalves was quietly unveiled on X by Satyress founder Beau Gaston last year, who said he's been working on the robot since 2022, according to an appearance on the TBPN podcast.

The robot is designed to resemble a centaur, where its frontal human-like portion can hold power tools such as a chainsaw, while its four legs allow it to navigate tricky terrain.

According to the company, it was designed for workers such as foresters, operators, builders or craftsmen, and others who are exposed to jobs with "inhumane conditions".

"We are taking a teleoperation-focused approach not to replace skilled workers, but give skilled workers superpowers – in jobs that are dangerous for humans now, or impossible, due to risk of injury or death, extreme heat, bitter cold, pitch darkness, or other inhumane conditions," said Satyress.

The robot stands about 7 feet tall (2 metres) and is completely black, with pointed horns and small glowing eyes.

It does not have the "hands" seen on many humanoid robot products. Instead, power tools can be affixed to the robot's arms via custom, square attachments.

It is operated via remote control, with cameras in the head creating a video feed for operators.

According to the company, it is "more dangerous than it looks". Some safety features were considered in its scale – the width of its horns disallows passage through standard pedestrian doors, and it cannot turn around in a standard hallway.

Certain weaker points on the body can also be pierced by a projectile or sharp instrument, which are rendered in company graphics as a gun or knife, to instantly stop the robot.

If damaged, modular components can also be replaced quickly, according to the company.

It is designed to be transported to job sites via a pickup bed, in crouched positions "side by side".

Gaston told TBPN that he embraced a more intimidating-looking design to signal to the public the humanoid robot's capabilities, rather than concealing them via a more palatable exterior.

He also said police forces have reached out to inquire about using the robot for public safety in the wake of a wave of recent publicity, which has been "surprising".

Other recent humanoid robot developments include robots designed for home environments, many of which are designed to help with household tasks such as Neo by 1X Technologies and a CLOiD by LG.

The photography is courtesy of Satyress