|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Carmaker Mercedes-Benz is trialling humanoid robots from Texas-based start-up Apptronik for some tasks on its production lines, the companies said.
The trial is the latest show of interest in the area of humanoid robotics, where companies are trying to apply the latest AI technologies to the physical world.
Tesla is one of the best-known companies to have shown such units, while Apptronik also competes with other start-ups such as Figure AI, Agility Robotics and 1X Technologies.
Production experiments
Mercedes-Benz said it was testing Apptronik’s “Apollo” model for tasks such as moving components to the production line or carrying out quality checks.
The carmaker said it has also taken a stake in Apptronik in the low double-digit million-euros.
It has trained a handful of the Apollo robots for specific tasks through a process called teleoperation, in which human operators carry out the tasks remotely by operating the robot, which gradually learns and becomes autonomous.
The tests are being carried out at Mercedes’ Digital Factory Campus in Berlin and at a location in Kecskemet, Hungary, with plans to deploy them to other sites, production chief Joerg Burzer told journalists.
Burzer said the company was initially looking to address repetitive or hazardous tasks, adding that if costs could be reduced to below $100,000 (£76,900) the use case could become “very interesting”.
Growing industry
Honda, Hyundai, and BMW have previously carried out experiments with humanoid robots, while Tesla said it may deploy its own Optimus robot in its factories this year.
Apptronik, founded in 2016 at the University of Texas, Austin, raised $350m in Series A funding last month to scale the Apollo robot, in a round led by B Capital and Capital Factory with participation from Google.
The start-up is also working with GXO Logistics on trials for the robot and in late 2024 announced a partnership with Google’s DeepMind to use AI to improve Apollo’s skills.
