‘Human’ robots given floor at Mercedes

Machines the size of factory worker take over ‘dull and repetitive’ tasks for German car maker

induStry editor

MERCEDES has installed humanlike robots in one of its factories as part of a trial to offload more physically demanding and repetitive tasks over to machines.

The “Apollo” robots, made by Texas-based start-up Apptronik, are roughly the size of a typical factory worker at 5ft 8in and weighing 160lb.

Each one can lift weights of up to 55lb and is designed to operate alongside human colleagues. So far, the machines are being used to bring parts to the production line for workers, who then take care of assembly. In future they could also be used to inspect components.

The trial, first reported by the

is part of efforts to automate “some physically demanding, repetitive and dull tasks for which it is increasingly hard to find reliable workers”, a Mercedes spokesman said.

Jörg Burzer, a board member at Mercedes-Benz Group, said: “To build the most desirable cars, we continually evolve automotive production.

“We are exploring new ways robotics can support our skilled workforce in manufacturing. This is a new frontier and we want to understand the potential both for robotics and automotive production.”

Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and chief executive of Apptronik, said the trial set-up was “a dream scenario”.

He added: “Mercedes plans to use robotics and Apollo for automating some low skill, physically challenging, manual labour – a model use case which we’ll see other organisations replicate in the months and years to come.”

BMW, the rival German car maker, said it was poised to deploy similar machines in January, after joining forces with California-based Figure.

Figure’s machines are similarly designed and take breaks every five hours to walk themselves to charging stations. The developments come after Tesla, the car maker run by billionaire

Elon Musk, has been demonstrating its own “Optimus” robots that can squat without falling over and pick up an egg without breaking it.

In a video released in December, Tesla showed off a machine that it said

‘The trial is part of efforts to automate tasks for which it is increasingly hard to find reliable workers’

could walk 30pc faster than previous iterations.

Human-shaped robots are seen as useful for factory spaces because they are the right size to navigate spaces designed for humans. So far, none are as quick and dexterous as human beings, meaning that the time when they can fully replace their fleshy overlords remains some time away.

In the meantime, companies such as Amazon and Ocado have begun to revolutionise industrial work with other types of robots that work in separate spaces to humans.

These are often deployed in fencedoff areas of warehouses – where human workers do not typically venture – to quickly and efficiently sort goods.

For example, Amazon’s “Sequoia” robots, similar to large robot vacuum cleaners, can scoot around warehouse floors carrying large shelves of goods on top of them, picking out items needed by human staff who then package them up for delivery.

Number of cases last year where potholes led to tyres, wheels, steering or suspension being damaged

will need to be towed to a safe location rather than given a spare wheel change.

These types of callouts are more “time-consuming and expensive” for the AA, with Mr Pfaudler warning it also led to higher costs for drivers.

He said: “For us, it’s a big problem. Previously, drivers would have had a spare tyre, so we would just be able to go and fix it for them and then off they’d go. Now, most cars don’t have one, so it is often a tow job, or we use our multi-fit wheel, and that is a lot more complicated, time-consuming and expensive.”

A government spokesman said: “We’re taking decisive action to resurface roads and fix potholes by investing an extra £8.3 billion of reallocated HS2 funding, the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements and enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across the country. In addition, we have made £150 million available for local authorities right nowmeaning funding for most authorities has increased by almost a third compared to last year, with £150 million to follow in the coming financial year.”

The Local Government Association, has estimated the national pothole backlog would cost a total of £14 billion to patch up fully.

Humanoid robots are helping assembly line workers at a Mercedes factory by fetching parts to be added to vehicles. The trial will also use the machines to inspect components