The strategic partnership will drive new frontiers in embodied AI, bringing useful, general-purpose humanoids to the world
AUSTIN, Texas and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Apptronik, the AI-powered humanoid robotics company, announced it had entered a strategic partnership agreement with the Google DeepMind robotics team. The partnership will bring together best-in-class artificial intelligence with cutting-edge hardware and embodied intelligence, advancing humanoid robots that can be more helpful to people in dynamic environments.
“We’re building a future where humanoid robots address urgent global challenges,” said Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik. “By combining Apptronik’s cutting-edge robotics platform with the Google DeepMind robotics team’s unparalleled AI expertise, we’re creating intelligent, versatile and safe robots that will transform industries and improve lives. United by a shared commitment to excellence, our two companies are poised to redefine the future of humanoid robotics.”
Apptronik has one of the most established legacies in humanoid robotics, positioning it as the leading platform built for the AI age. Founded in 2016 out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, Apptronik brings nearly a decade of expertise in human-centered design and hardware engineered for safety and reliability. After building and testing 15 different types of robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie Robot, Apptronik developed the current iteration of Apollo. Standing 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 160 pounds, Apollo is designed to perform physically demanding tasks and operate safely in industrial spaces alongside humans. Its thoughtfully crafted, approachable design balances complexity and functionality, earning praise from customers and partners alike.
Google DeepMind’s robotics team has been at the forefront of AI and robotics. It brings together world-class expertise from machine learning, engineering, and physics simulation, around the hardest challenges facing the development of AI-powered robots. From pioneering advancements in foundation models to leveraging state-of-the-art AI models like Gemini, Google DeepMind’s robotics team is developing advanced AI systems that can support robotics applications, enabling reasoning and action in the real world.
This partnership builds on Apptronik’s rapid momentum. In just under a year since unveiling Apollo, the company has partnered with industry leaders like GXO and Mercedes-Benz, with more exciting collaborations set to be announced next year.
To see Apollo in action, watch Google DeepMind’s video here.
About Apptronik
Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered humanoid robots. Our goal is to create human helpers to support humanity in every facet of life. Our robot, Apollo, is designed to collaborate thoughtfully with humans—initially in critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond. Apollo is the culmination of nearly a decade of development, drawing on Apptronik’s extensive work on 15 previous robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie robot. Apptronik started out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin and has 150 employees.
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