Mercedes has invested in Apptronik robots and is already testing them in its factories
Mercedes-Benz has joined investors in Apptronik, a company that develops humanoid robots, and has begun testing these mechanical assistants in its own production facilities.
Here's What We Know
Apptronik has successfully closed a $403 million Series A funding round, surpassing its initial goal of $350 million. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, investors include Google, Japan Post Capital, ARK Invest, and corporate venture capital arm Ryder System.
Apptronik Apollo robots are already being tested at Mercedes-Benz production sites:
- At the "Digital Factory Campus" in Marienfeld (Berlin, Germany).
- At the plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.
Expansion to other locations is planned in the future.
Apollo robot at the Mercedes-Benz car assembly plant. Photo: Apptronik
The robots are trained through teleoperation - people remotely control the robots, which "memorise" the performed actions with the purpose of further autonomous repetition of these tasks. According to production manager Joerg Burzer, the company is interested in using the robots to:
- Overcoming labour shortages in certain areas
- Perform monotonous, repetitive tasks
- Work in hazardous environments
In terms of economic feasibility, Burzer said that large-scale deployment will become "very interesting" when the cost of the robot drops to "a five-digit dollar amount," though he did not give an exact timeline or current cost.
It is worth noting that Mercedes-Benz is not the only carmaker experimenting with humanoid robots - Honda, Hyundai and BMW are also exploring the use of such machines, although large-scale deployment has yet to happen.
Source: Reuters
