Though it may not be entirely centered on applications in manufacturing, the announcement of the partnership between Apptronik, an AI-powered humanoid robotics company, and the Google DeepMind robotics team will likely have implications for the continuing development of industrial humanoids. According to the two companies, this partnership will combine artificial intelligence and “embodied intelligence” to advance humanoid robots for use in dynamic environments.
The term “embodied intelligence” refers to how the mind and body work together to influence behavior and learning. In robotics, it references the use of AI to create systems that can interact with the physical world effectively.
Founded in 2016 out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, Apptronik now has nearly a decade of expertise in human-centered design and hardware engineered for safety and reliability. After building and testing 15 different types of robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie Robot, Apptronik developed the current iteration of Apollo. Standing 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 160 pounds, Apollo has a battery life of four hours and a payload capacity of 55 lbs. It is designed to perform physically demanding tasks and operate safely in industrial spaces alongside humans.
Less than a year since Apptronik’s introduction of Apollo, the company has partnered with industry leaders like GXO Logistics and Mercedes-Benz.
In this partnership, Google DeepMind’s robotics team brings expertise in machine learning, engineering and physics simulation to the challenges facing the development of AI-powered robots. From pioneering advancements in foundation models to leveraging state-of-the-art AI models like Gemini, Google DeepMind’s robotics team is developing advanced AI systems that can support robotics applications, enabling reasoning and action in the real world.
See more Automation World coverage of humanoid robotics in industry:
