Mercedes-Benz with Apptronik to roll out humanoid robot ‘Apollo’ in manufacturing

Monitoring Desk

BERLIN: Mercedes-Benz and Apptronik, a leading developer of advanced humanoid robots, has recently announced a strategic collaboration to roll out a humanoid robot.

This humanoid robots would be capable of low skill and physical challenging and manual labour with aimed at revolutionizing manufacturing processes.

The Apollo robots are expected to assist in tasks such as delivering parts to the production line for assembly and conducting simultaneous inspections of components.

They will facilitate the transportation of assembled parts later in the manufacturing process.

“To build the most desirable cars we continually evolve the future of automotive production: 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.

This is a new frontier and we want to understand the potential both for robotics and automotive manufacturing to fill labor gaps in areas such as low skill, repetitive and physically demanding work and to free up our highly skilled team members on the line to build the world’s most desirable cars,” said Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management.

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

“Mercedes plans to use robotics and Apollo for automating some low skill, physically challenging, manual labor – a model use case which we’ll see other organizations replicate in the months and years to come.”

Under this partnership, both companies will work together to explore the integration of cutting-edge robotics technology into Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing operations.

In line with Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to excellence and innovation, the collaboration will focus on leveraging Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid robots to enhance various aspects of manufacturing, particularly in logistics and assembly processes.

By incorporating humanoid robots like Apollo into their facilities, Mercedes-Benz aims to empower its workforce with state-of-the-art technology while optimizing operational efficiency.

This approach enables the automation of physically demanding and repetitive tasks, ultimately streamlining production processes without the need for extensive facility redesigns.

The collaboration signifies a significant step forward in the integration of robotics into traditional manufacturing environments, marking a shift towards a more efficient and adaptable approach to production.