Luxury Carmaker Introduces Humanoid Robots for Enhanced Efficiency
According to last week’s announcement, Apptronik and Mercedes are still working to determine specific applications for the Apollo, including robots transporting parts from storage to human workers.
Luxury Carmaker Introduces Humanoid Robots for Enhanced Efficiency: It will follow Tesla’s example and explore the potential use of humanoid robots in the factory.
But rather than developing its own robots, à la Tesla’s Optimus (nee Tesla Bot), Mercedes will partner with U.S. robot technology startup Apptronik. A similar agreement was signed by BMW in January with rival robotics company Figure to explore using Figure’s 01 robot at BMW’s Spartanburg plant.
TECH NEWS: Humanoid robots are joining the @MercedesBenzUSA workforce
The automaker will deploy @Apptronik's Apollo robots at a Mercedes factory in Hungary.Workers at Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plants will soon be joined on the factory floor by Apollos, humanoid robots… pic.twitter.com/yFKzLHoQBU
— Freethink (@freethinkmedia) March 21, 2024
Based in Austin, Texas, Apptronik is developing a robot dubbed Apollo that is designed to handle repetitive tasks. There is a labor shortage in areas such as low skill, repetitive, and physically demanding work, according to Mercedes’ head of production, Jörg Burzer.
According to last week’s announcement, Apptronik and Mercedes are still working to determine specific applications for the Apollo, including robots transporting parts from storage to human workers. Parts are typically transported in containers referred to as totes, and robots can inspect the components in the totes simultaneously during transportation.
This will change the world – forever.
On August 19th, 2021, Tesla unveiled the Optimus Bot. Well… unveiled is probably a little bit generous.
They showed a person in a robot costume doing some sick dance moves, followed by a 10-minute presentation outlining their plans to… pic.twitter.com/PQwd0OyADj
— Farzad (@farzyness) September 24, 2023
Companies looking to implement some automation don’t have to redesign their factory floors because the robots work in the same spaces designed for humans. Apollo robots are roughly five feet, eight inches tall and weigh 160 pounds. They can lift up to 55 pounds, according to Apptronik, and they have artificial intelligence that can be used to train them to perform specific tasks.
Mercedes has not yet announced when Apollo robots will be deployed in its plants.
Although Tesla revealed a second-generation prototype of its Optimus robot late last year, the company has not yet decided when to deploy it.
Hyundai Motor Group has been investing heavily in robotics, including the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, since 2000, when Honda introduced its first ASIMO robot.