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Humanoid robot maker Apptronik teams with Google

Partnership brings greater AI expertise to walking robots for wider applications in factories and warehouses.

humanoid robot carrying box in warehouse
Ben Ames
By Ben AmesDec 20, 2024
Ben Ames
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
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The humanoid robot manufacturer Apptronik on Thursday said it has partnered with Google to accelerate the advancement of its AI-powered robots and make them more helpful to people in dynamic environments.

The deal will add the Google DeepMind robotics team’s AI expertise to Austin, Texas-based Apptronik’s robotics platform, allowing the units to handle a wider range of tasks in real-world settings like factories and warehouses.

Since launching its “Apollo” two-legged robot model a year ago, Apptronik has started pilot programs testing the robots with companies including contract warehousing provider GXO and automaker Mercedes-Benz.

The Texas firm joins other providers of two-legged robots such as the Oregon company Agility Robotics, which is currently testing its humanoid units with the large German automotive and industrial parts supplier Schaeffler AG, as well as with GXO. GXO is also running trials of a third type of humanoid bot made by New York-based Reflex Robotics. And another provider of humanoid robots, the Canadian firm Sanctuary AI, this year landed funding from the consulting firm Accenture.

“We’re building a future where humanoid robots address urgent global challenges,” Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, said in a release. “By combining Apptronik’s cutting-edge robotics platform with the Google DeepMind robotics team’s unparalleled AI expertise, we’re creating intelligent, versatile and safe robots that will transform industries and improve lives. United by a shared commitment to excellence, our two companies are poised to redefine the future of humanoid robotics.”

RoboticsArticleTechnologyEditorialMaterial Handling
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RoboticsArticleTechnologyEditorialMaterial Handling
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