The workforce is being joined by humanoid robots as they make their way into the industrial sector. Apptronik's Apollo bot, following in the footsteps of BMW's
According to experts at
However, Apollo is unlikely to encounter such dangers during its pilot program at Mercedes. The company announced on Friday that it is looking to use robotics to relieve its workers of mundane and repetitive tasks, as well as physically demanding workloads.
Jörg Burzer, from the Mercedes-Benz Group, explains that the company is exploring the potential of using robots to support its skilled workforce in manufacturing. This includes filling gaps in low-skill, repetitive, and physically demanding work, allowing highly skilled team members to focus on building top-of-the-line cars.
Apollo, developed by the
The Apollo model being used by Mercedes features a redesigned face with LED eyes and a sensor array unibrow. The head now has a grille and the chest displays the Mercedes emblem instead of an OLED interface.
According to the Financial Times, the pilot program is taking place at a Mercedes manufacturing facility in Hungary, where there is a labor shortage in the auto industry. The company will be exploring different ways in which Apollo can assist on the production line, such as delivering components and inspecting parts while workers assemble the vehicles.
Apptronik CEO and co-founder, Jeff Cardenas, believes that Mercedes' use of robotics for low-skill, physically demanding tasks will set an example for other organizations to follow in the near future. The details of the pilot program, including its duration and the number of Apollo humanoids being used, have not been disclosed.