Apptronik unveils Apollo humanoid for manufacturing and logistics

Apptronik unveiled Apollo on 23 August 2023, introducing a humanoid designed initially for material handling in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The Austin company specified a height of 5 feet 8 inches, a weight of 160 pounds and a payload of 55 pounds. Apollo uses swappable batteries, with Apptronik claiming around four hours of operation per pack to support continued work without waiting for a recharge.

The platform uses force control to manage physical interaction and has displays on its face and chest to communicate its status. Its modular design allows the torso to operate on legs, a wheeled base or a stationary mount, depending on the task and installation. The initial commercial focus is repetitive industrial movement in environments and layouts designed around people.

Apptronik developed Apollo after building more than ten earlier robots, including work on NASA’s Valkyrie programme. Founded in 2016 as a spinout from the University of Texas at Austin, the company drew on that actuator, controls and humanoid-development experience for the new platform. Apollo’s launch introduced its industrial design and intended applications ahead of subsequent customer deployments.