American startup opens 'school' for humanoid robots
At the new facility called Robot Park, Apollo robots learn how to perform many tasks such as loading boxes on a conveyor belt or sorting toys into boxes. They are often staffed next to them to control, guide and supervise.
The new facility operates 7 days a week. Data from practice sessions is used to improve the AI model that acts as the "brain", helping the robot become useful in factories and homes. "This is a playground for robots to learn," Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik, told Business Insider.
One of the biggest challenges when developing autonomous robots is the lack of real-world data. While chatbots are trained on huge databases of text and images on the Internet, robots have no such database. Robot Park was born to improve this.
Cardenas said that there will be more Robot Park facilities built in the future. "I want to have robot training zones around the world, even open to the public so everyone can see how the future is being built," he said.
Apptronik spun out of the Human Oriented Robotics Laboratory (HCRL) at the University of Texas in 2016 to commercialize technology developed in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, which was organized by the US military to build robots to operate in disaster areas. Initially, Apptronik produced robot parts for other businesses, but according to the company's CEO, the main goal has always been to create multi-purpose humanoid robots.
The first version of Apollo launches in 2023. The company is developing Apollo 2 with better batteries, motors, and sensors, designed for data collection and customer testing programs. It is 1.8 m high, can operate for 4 hours and lift 25 kg with two hands. Apollo 3, the version Apptronik plans to sell to customers for commercial work, is also in development.
Apptronik has raised about a billion USD and is valued at over 5.5 billion USD. Mercedes, one of the startup's investors, uses Apollo robots in factories for simple tasks such as collecting components and tools for the assembly line. DeepMind, Google's AI research division, also uses Apollo to improve Gemini Robotics - Google's AI model for robots.
In China, many humanoid robot training facilities have sprung up in recent years. According to CGTN, the Kylin facility of more than 5,000 square meters, inaugurated in Shanghai last January, can train more than 100 humanoid robots at the same time in the early stages with many specialized training scenarios such as welding and car testing. By 2027, the facility aims to train 1,000 mixed robots at the same time.
In May, a pilot facility for humanoid robot applications also opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The center initially has 130 robots operating in more than 30 occupational scenarios, from catering, automated retail, event performance to power line inspection, fruit picking and underground activities. Similar facilities are gradually forming in many localities, encouraged and funded by the Chinese government.