Apptronik's Apollo Humanoid Robots: Paving the Way for Self-Replicating Automation

Factory trials begin for humanoid robots that could build more of themselves

A hot potato: The prospect of humanoid robots building more humanoid robots sounds like something from science fiction, but an Austin-based company has just signed a deal that could eventually lead to this scenario. It's inevitably caused more fears about human jobs being lost, but the company behind the machines says it will leave employees more time for "creative, thought-intensive projects." Robot-maker Apptronik has announced a pilot partnership with American firm Jabil. In addition to its supply chain services primarily serving OEMs, Jabil is involved in designing, engineering, and manufacturing electronic circuit boards and systems. Jabil said that it has several customers who are developing robots and warehouse automation. The new deal will see it provide a factory environment that will offer real-world validation testing of Apptronik Apollo robots, ahead of scaling the robot for manufacturing. The 5-foot 8-inch, 160-pound robots have a 4-hour-per-battery-pack runtime and a 55-pound payload. The pilot program will see the robots carry out an array of simple, repetitive tasks such as inspection, sorting, kitting, lineside delivery, fixture placement, and sub-assembly. Jabil also said it has agreed to begin producing the Apollo robots in its factories, meaning that should the pilot program work out, these robots will eventually be put to work building more of themselves. The idea of AI-powered robots working tirelessly to create more robots sounds concerning. Apptronik told TechCrunch this is still a ways off, though it is targeting 2026 to begin manufacturing commercial units. Before we start to worry about robots building more robots, there's the pressing issue of how this type of increased automation will impact human jobs. The makers of automation/AI systems regularly claim that their products will help workers rather than replace them, with the machines carrying out more repetitive and monotonous tasks so humans can concentrate on other work. Apptronik followed the same line, stating that its robots will give people more time for projects that the machines cannot do. The announcement says those whose tasks have been taken by the Apollo robots could spend more time on "creative, thought-intensive projects" - like writing resumes, probably. This is the second major pilot deal entered into by Apptronik. It signed an agreement with Mercedes-Benz in March 2024 that saw Apollo put to work on certain tasks on the automaker's production lines. In January last year, BMW announced that humanoid robots would begin working at its vehicle manufacturing plants, starting in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 5-foot 6-inch, 130-pound robots, made by Californian Robotics startup Figure, were successfully tested at the facility in June, when they inserted sheet metal parts that were assembled as part of the chassis.

Apptronik's humanoid robots take the first steps toward building themselves | TechCrunch

Apptronik, an Austin-based maker of humanoid robots, on Tuesday announced a new pilot partnership with American supply chain/manufacturing stalwart, Jabil. The deal arrives two weeks after Apptronik announced a $350 million Series A financing round aimed at scaling up production of its Apollo robot. The Jabil deal is the second major pilot announced by Apptronik. It follows a March 2024 partnership that put Apollo to work on the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing floor. While the company tells TechCrunch that its partnership with the automaker is ongoing, it has yet to graduate beyond the pilot stage. In addition to test running the humanoid robot on its factory floor, this new deal also finds Florida-based Jabil and Apptronik becoming manufacturing partners. Once Apollo is determined to be commercially viable, Jabil will begin producing the robot in its own factories. This means that should everything go according to plan, the humanoid robot will eventually be put to work building itself. Given the humanoid industry's focus on manufacturing, such deals seem like an inevitability. The prospect of humanoids building humanoids is still a ways off for Apptronik, however. The robotics startup recently told TechCrunch that it is targeting 2026 to begin manufacturing commercial units. For the time being, the Jabil deal will find an undisclosed number of Apollo systems performing a range of "simple, repetitive intralogistics and manufacturing tasks," including things like sorting and transporting parts. The real-world validation is a key step toward scaling the robot for manufacturing. The better Apollo performs on the Jabil factory floor, the closer it becomes to slotting into a production line that will eventually include Apollo itself. Apptronik is one of a number of companies building humanoid robots for industrial applications, including Agility, Boston Dynamics, Figure, and Tesla. Of these, only Agility has announced that its robots have been deployed beyond an initial pilot phase. Competition may be stiff for the nascent category, but Apptronik has a number of elements working in its favor. In addition to hundreds of millions in funding, the University of Texas spinoff has a decade of experience working on humanoids, including NASA's Valkyrie robot. Last December, Apptronik announced a partnership with Google DeepMind to develop AI for its humanoid systems.

Apptronik, Jabil Partner to Scale Apollo, Advancing Robots that Build Robots

The robots are designed to support the existing workforce by taking over repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on more complex projects. Apptronik, a US-based AI-powered humanoid robotics company, and Jabil, a global leader in engineering and manufacturing, have announced a collaboration to build and integrate Apollo humanoid robots into Jabil's manufacturing operations. This partnership leverages Apollo robots on the production lines that create them, marking progress towards robots constructing robots. The company announced this in a post on X, saying it is "paving the way for Apollo to build Apollo." The pilot program involves testing newly manufactured Apollo units in Jabil's factory environment. The units will perform tasks such as inspection, sorting, and sub-assembly. These robots are designed to support the existing workforce by taking over repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on more complex projects. Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik, stressed the need for rapid, scalable production of humanoid robots at the right price to make them ubiquitous. He noted, "Apollo humanoid robots will handle material movement and assembly tasks in the factory." Brett Adcock, founder of Figure AI, also recently hinted at the new strategy of "robots helping build more robots" in his post on X. This collaboration aims to enhance Jabil's capabilities in solving complex manufacturing challenges and producing at scale, positioning Apptronik to expand into new markets such as retail and elder care. This partnership follows the latest funding development for Apptronik, where it raised $350 million in Series A funding. "This will fuel the deployment of Apollo, allow us to scale our operations, and get us one step closer to meeting the global demand for humanoid robots," the company announced on X. The funding round also saw participation from Google, which adds to the company's last partnership with Google DeepMind's robotics team to create truly intelligent and autonomous robots.