Minerva Humanoids Develops Roger: A Humanoid Robot for Remote Explosive Handling in Just Five Months

Introducing Roger: The Advanced Humanoid Robot for Remote Explosive Operations

According to НВ — Техно: In a remarkable five-month sprint, the startup Minerva Humanoids engineered Roger, a humanoid robot designed to remotely manage explosives and hazardous equipment. Unlike traditional crawler robots equipped with a single manipulator arm, Roger’s advanced design integrates operator remote control with sophisticated onboard software that ensures balance, navigation, and self-recovery after falls. This enables Roger to perform highly dexterous tasks, making it a significant leap forward in robotics for dangerous environments.

Operators guide Roger using virtual reality headsets, which enhance safety by allowing full control without physical exposure to hazards. The robot is equipped to handle a variety of critical situations, including:

• Neutralizing explosive ordnance;
• Responding to hazardous materials;
• Operations on offshore oil and gas platforms;
• Work at high-voltage power facilities.

Dominic Askwith, an expert in the field, emphasized the impact of this innovation: "Every operator knows the long, difficult process when robots fail, and they have to suit up in full protective gear to intervene manually. Roger represents a transformative shift - allowing operators to control everything remotely while keeping their bodies safe in the command center."

Minerva Humanoids was founded at the end of 2025 by Sandor Felber and Maurice Rame. Felber, serving as CEO, brings experience from MIT CSAIL and Tesla’s Optimus program, while CTO Rame spent six years at Boston Dynamics leading the development of the Stretch robot. Their combined expertise propelled Minerva from concept to a working Roger prototype in a notably short timeframe, demonstrating the team’s agility and innovation capacity.

Singapore Launches H2RC Humanoid Robotics Center

Alongside Minerva's achievements, Singapore inaugurated the 2,694-square-meter Humanoid Robotics Center (H2RC) on September 30, 2023. Managed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), this facility aims to integrate humanoid robots into security and emergency response units by 2028. This initiative reflects a global trend toward embedding robotics into public safety and law enforcement operations.

Roger’s capabilities were showcased at NATO’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center of Excellence in Slovakia and successfully tested at one of two major airports, underscoring its potential for enhancing public safety. Given the rapid pace of robotic innovation, Minerva Humanoids and Roger stand poised to become essential assets in risk management and crisis response scenarios.

The development of Roger highlights the growing momentum in deploying robotics for hazardous tasks such as bomb disposal and hazardous material handling. By combining remote operation with virtual reality, this technology significantly reduces operator risk by eliminating the need for physical presence in dangerous environments. This advancement exemplifies evolving strategies in security and technology sectors that are set to redefine how risks are managed worldwide.

As the field of robotics continues to evolve, Minerva Humanoids’ advancements with Roger could pave the way for similar initiatives globally. For instance, Singapore plans to integrate humanoid robots into security and emergency response by 2028, illustrating a growing trend towards utilizing robotics in critical operations and enhancing safety in hazardous environments.