Robots are used to perform repetitive tasks and initial quality checks
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by Brad Anderson
March 20, 2025 at 21:49
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- Mercedes-Benz tests the humanoid robots of the American company Apptronik in its Berlin factory.
- Apollo robots manage logistics, quality controls and help repetitive tasks on the line.
- Employees of the company helped train robots using teleoperation and augmented reality.
For decades, car factories rely on massive industrial robots to help build vehicles. Now, some of these plants go up with advanced human robots. Mercedes-Benz is the latest car manufacturer to jump on the train, launching a test of these robots on one of its German sites.
Although there is always the concern that robots can start to steal jobs, the good news for Mercedes employees is that their posts seem safe – at least for the moment.
The robots in question come from Apptronik, an American company founded in 2016 at the Laboratory of robotics centered on the man of the University of Texas. Mercedes-Benz has invested tens of millions in the company and now uses its Apollo robots at the Berlin-Marinfelde factory, putting them at work immediately.
Read: BMW goes in the future by trying humanoid robots in Us Plant
Apollo robots are initially used for internal logistics and focus on repetitive tasks. For example, they can move components or modules to the production line, where qualified technicians meet and install them in vehicles. They can also be used to carry out initial quality checks of the parts. It is not exactly the fabric of science fiction films, but it is an overview of what the future of factory work could look like.
Humans and robots, working together
What is interesting here is that Mercedes employees are not content to look at the robots do all the work, because they were involved in the training of Apollo robots by teleoperation and augmented reality. This process allowed robots to learn to work independently, reducing the need for constant supervision. And here is a nice touch: if the Apollo robots are at low power, they can simply connect and recharge. It sounds a little too practical, right?
The Mercedes-Benz digital factory campus also uses advanced artificial intelligence. The site now has a digital factory chatbot ecosystem which allows employees to access production databases and can even ask questions about the manufacture of best practices and the maintenance of machines.
More car manufacturers are following the step
Mercedes-Benz is not the only car manufacturer to test waters with this type of technology. Tesla continues to develop on her own humanoid robot, while BMW began to use advanced robots in its South Carolina factory last year.
And in 2024, the Chinese brand Dongfeng Motors introduced a robot powered by AI in its factory. Like the Apollo, the Dongfeng robot helps inspections and logistics, proving that the future of manufacturing undoubtedly becomes more robotic day by day.
