Android testing has begun at the Mercedes plant

Automaker Mercedes has begun studying the ability of Apptronik's Apollo robots to perform routine tasks on production lines. The partners told TechCrunch about this .

The companies are jointly testing various uses for androids, including the Apollo robot inspecting and delivering parts to employees. According to the manufacturer, Apollo is 172 cm tall. It can lift objects weighing up to 25 kg, and its battery charge lasts for four hours.

Apollo's computing power allows third-party artificial intelligence companies to add new functionality to it. According to representatives of Apptronik, androids will allow enterprises to automate production tasks without redevelopment of existing enterprises.

The company says its approach "aims to delegate to machinery some of the physically demanding, repetitive and routine tasks for which reliable workers are increasingly difficult to find."

“This is a new frontier. We want to understand the technology's potential for the automotive industry. This will make up for the shortage of labor for labor-intensive tasks and relieve the workload of our highly qualified employees,” said Mercedes production manager Jörg Burzer.

Neither company disclosed the deal amount or the number of Apollo robots being tested. According to TechCrunch, the number of mechanical assistants is small, given the pilot testing phase. 

Recall that in February, Android maker Figure raised $675 million from Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Intel, LG, Samsung and OpenAI.