‘Many more metal men’: Ambitious goals for humanoid mass production




There will be ‘many more metal men’ in the world from now on, according to automatica, one of the world’s leading industrial trade shows for the robotics and automation industry

Humanoid robot development is progressing at an impressive pace.

The power struggle between the US and China, along with advances in AI, battery development, and mechanics, has led performance improvements among the metal men. automatica will show how far this development has progressed by now.

The humanoids from China recently had an opportunity to show their capabilities during a half marathon in Beijing. Around 20 humanoid robots successfully competed against humans during the 21-kilometer run.

With this race, the People’s Republic achieved its goal of presenting the country as a leading supplier of human-like robots.

Two legs unlock maximum flexibility and mobility

A half marathon raises a frequently asked question once again: Why do humanoids have legs? Wouldn’t wheel drives be more efficient?

Jonathan Hurst, chief robot officer at Agility Robotics, explains why most humanoids still have two legs: “Two-legged robots are designed to coexist with humans and offer great versatility and mobility beyond the possibilities of wheel drives.

“With their legs, humanoids can adapt to complex environments, walk up stairs and curbs, and perform a wide range of tasks.”

Digit, Agility’s humanoid robot, is already being used in a number of applications – primarily in logistics centers operated by companies such as amazon and GXO Logistics.

With a height of 1.75 m and an approximate weight of 64 kg, Digit can take on complex tasks such as lifting loads weighing up to 16 kg. And advanced sensor technology based on LiDAR and cameras even enable it to navigate independently.

Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, will also discuss Digit and how humanoids can fill gaps in the automation chain during her presentation at automatica Forum in Hall A5.

She will be followed by Carolin Richter, head of next generation robotics at BMW Group, who will deliver an application-centric speech on her company’s experience with specific humanoid deployments in practice.

The US and their pioneering role in tech development

Just like Digit, other sophisticated humanoids are from the US as well. They include Atlas by Boston Dynamics, Optimus by Tesla, and Apollo by Apptronik. All of them already work in the automotive industry as part of pilot projects.

Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says: “We are developing the world’s most advanced and performant humanoid robots to assist humans in sensible and revolutionary ways.”

However, driving these developments takes a lot of capital investment and strong supporters. Apptronik just raised more than $350 million in its latest round of financing.

Co-operations with Nasa, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind as well as users such as Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics are intended to maintain Apptronik’s leading role in this promising market.

Two legs unlock maximum flexibility and mobility

A half marathon raises a frequently asked question once again: Why do humanoids have legs? Wouldn’t wheel drives be more efficient?

Jonathan Hurst, chief robot officer at Agility Robotics, explains why most humanoids still have two legs: “Two-legged robots are designed to coexist with humans and offer great versatility and mobility beyond the possibilities of wheel drives.

“With their legs, humanoids can adapt to complex environments, walk up stairs and curbs, and perform a wide range of tasks.”

Digit, Agility’s humanoid robot, is already being used in a number of applications – primarily in logistics centers operated by companies such as amazon and GXO Logistics.

With a height of 1.75 m and an approximate weight of 64 kg, Digit can take on complex tasks such as lifting loads weighing up to 16 kg. And advanced sensor technology based on LiDAR and cameras even enable it to navigate independently.

Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, will also discuss Digit and how humanoids can fill gaps in the automation chain during her presentation at automatica Forum in Hall A5.

She will be followed by Carolin Richter, head of next generation robotics at BMW Group, who will deliver an application-centric speech on her company’s experience with specific humanoid deployments in practice.


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