Mercedes-Benz Pilots Use of Humanoid Robots for Repetitive Factory Tasks

Robotics firm Apptronik has announced a commercial agreement with Mercedes-Benz to identify potential uses for humanoid robots on its production lines. Apptronik’s Apollo, described by the company as “the world’s most advanced” general-purpose humanoid robot, will be deployed to perform repetitive, low-skill yet physically challenging jobs. Potential use cases as of now include inspecting and carrying parts to workers on a production line. The companies have not disclosed when and where exactly the robots will be used, or how many of them are being tested. 

In a press statement, Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management, said "Advancements in robotics and AI open up new opportunities also for us. We are exploring new possibilities with the use of robotics to support our skilled workforce in manufacturing.”

Jeff Cardenas, co-founder & CEO of Apollo said "When we set out to build Apollo, an agreement like the one we're announcing today with Mercedes-Benz was a dream scenario.”

Apptronik’s Apollo is a humanoid robot, standing 1.73m (5’ 8”) tall and weighing 72.6kg. It can carry and move with loads of up to 25kg at a time, and has a runtime of 4 hours per hot-swappable battery pack. It is capable of friendly interactions with humans, and has LEDs where a human’s eyes, mouth and chest would be, to display its status and communicate information. While being designed as a bipedal humanoid, Apollo robots are modular and can be mounted to platforms and used as tethered tools. 

Apollo is intended to perform all sorts of tasks in the same way that humans do, in spaces and using tools designed by humans for themselves, as opposed to specialised single-purpose robotic tools. According to Apptronik, this allows manufacturers to easily supplement or replace human workers with robots without the expense of retooling and reconfiguring production lines. 

The Apollo robot is also pitched as a tool that can help corporations dealing with labour shortages and turnover. The company suggests that using such robots for menial labour can free up humans to take on higher-skilled tasks and reduce workplace injuries, which could improve job satisfaction. However, reducing overall labour costs is also a major selling point. While retail and manufacturing are the company’s initial target markets, it has plans to develop Apollo further for use in construction, home delivery, elder care, and other areas.

Prior to Apollo, Apptronik has developed more than 10 other robot models, including exoskeletons, mobility platforms, robotic arms. It also created NASA’s Valkyrie rugged humanoid robot, for use in environments unsuitable for huans. The company was founded in 2016 out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.