Mercedes will test humanoid robots for “low-skilled” jobs

Humanoid robots have advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, and some large companies are starting to take notice.

Mercedes Benz, for example, just signed an agreement with Apptronik, a Texas robotics specialist, to collaborate on finding high-tech robot applications that the auto giant could implement. The deal will include a trial in which Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid robot will work alongside human Mercedes workers at the plant.

As part of the trial, the robot will deliver vehicle parts to a production line for assembly by workers, and will also deliver bags of parts later in the production process.

“When we set out to build Apollo, a deal like the one we are announcing today with Mercedes-Benz was a dream scenario,” Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apollo, said in a statement. “Mercedes plans to use robotics and Apollo to automate some low-skill and physically demanding manual jobs. This is a model use case that we will see in other organizations in the coming months and years.”

We are very pleased to cooperate with @Mercedes Benz empower employees in their manufacturing plants with emerging technologies that automate physically complex, repetitive and boring tasks that people don’t want to do. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/jIXj8uGTKh

— Apptronik (@Apptronik) March 15, 2024

Advanced robotics, and even more so, increasingly dexterous humanoid robots, are feared to replace large numbers of human workers. Apptronik clearly advocates for robotic assistance rather than replacement. Mercedes chief executive Jörg Burzer shares this approach, explaining that the idea is to “fill job gaps in areas such as low-skilled, repetitive and physically demanding work, and free up highly skilled members of our team on the line.”

Apollo is the culmination of Apptronik’s dedicated efforts to create more than 10 robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie humanoid robot. He is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. The robot can handle payloads of up to 55 pounds and operate for four hours on a single charge. Batteries can be quickly replaced to maximize efficiency.

Apptronik is far from the only company developing a new wave of humanoid robots, with a growing number also eyeing the automotive sector. In January, for example, California-based Fig signed a similar agreement with BMW to deploy its own humanoid robot at the automaker’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.