Apptronik Apollo
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Overview
Apptronik Apollo is a general-purpose humanoid robot developed by Apptronik, headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company was founded in 2016 as a spinoff from UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab by a team that participated in developing NASA’s Valkyrie robot. The core philosophy is human-centered safe collaborative robotics. The biggest differentiators are safe human-robot collaboration through Force Control architecture and the target price of under $50K.
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apptronik (Austin, Texas) |
| Height | 5’8” (173cm) |
| Weight | 160 lbs (72.6kg) |
| Payload | 55 lbs (25kg) |
| Battery | 4 hours (hot-swappable) |
| Uptime | 22 hours/day (with battery swap) |
| Target Price | <$50,000 |
| Sensors | Stereo vision, torque sensors, IMU |
Key Significance
The most significant aspect of Apollo is presenting humanoids as practical industrial collaborative robots (Cobots).
Why is Apollo Important?
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NASA Technology Lineage: The Apptronik founding team participated in developing NASA’s Valkyrie (R5) robot for the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge. CTO Nick Paine is from the NASA-JSC Valkyrie DRC team, bringing robust robot design experience for extreme environments to Apollo.
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Force Control Architecture: Unlike traditional industrial robots, Apollo detects and responds to external forces in real-time through torque sensors in each joint. This is a key element of Collaborative Robot (Cobot) design, aimed at safe collaboration with humans.
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Modular Design: Apollo is designed modularly to be mountable on legs, wheels, or fixed platforms. This means the configuration can be flexibly changed according to use case.
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Economic Accessibility: Targeting under $50,000 BOM (Bill of Materials) cost, pursuing economically feasible levels for industrial sites compared to existing humanoids ($100K-$250K).
Company Background: Apptronik
Founding Story
- 2013: Participated in NASA’s Valkyrie robot project for DARPA Robotics Challenge
- 2016: Spun out from UT Austin Human Centered Robotics Lab to establish Apptronik
- Founders: Dr. Nicholas Paine (CTO), Dr. Luis Sentis (Scientific Advisor), and 4 co-founders
- Mission: Developing “robots that help humans, not replace them”
Funding Status
| Period | Amount | Key Investors |
|---|---|---|
| ~2024 | $28M | Early investment |
| 2025.02 | $350M (Series A Round 1) | B Capital, Capital Factory, Google |
| 2025.03 | +$53M (Series A Additional) | Mercedes-Benz, etc. (Total $403M) |
- Mercedes-Benz invested “low-to-mid double-digit euros (~$10-14M)” in the Series A additional round (Reuters report)
- Google participated in Series A
Design Philosophy
Human-Centric Design
Apollo was designed on the clear philosophy of “human-centered robotics.”
[Traditional Non-Collaborative Industrial Robots]
- Precise position control priority
- Ignores external collisions, maintains path
- Generally requires safety cage
- Works in space separated from humans
[Apollo's Force Control]
- Real-time external force detection through torque sensors
- Responds flexibly to collisions
- Reduced safety cage requirements (collaborative robot design)
- Goal: collaboration in same space as humansKey Design Principles
- Safety First: Safe interaction with humans through Force Control architecture
- Human Environment Compatible: Human-like size (5’8”, 160 lbs) to minimize facility modifications
- Practicality Focus: Focus on reliability and task performance rather than flashy movements
- LED Face: Human-friendly interface providing status display and interaction cues
Proprietary Technology: Linear Electric Actuators
- Proprietary linear electric actuators developed over 13+ generations
- Reduced complexity, cost savings, improved reliability
- Developed safe actuator control system in collaboration with Texas Instruments
Mercedes-Benz Partnership
2024.03: Commercial Agreement
Apptronik and Mercedes-Benz announced a major commercial deployment partnership for Apollo.
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Announcement Date | March 15, 2024 |
| Significance | Apptronik major commercial partnership, Mercedes-Benz humanoid pilot |
| Test Locations | Berlin-Marienfelde Digital Factory Campus, Hungary factory |
Application Areas
- Parts Delivery: Transporting parts to assembly lines
- Kitting Work: Carrying parts boxes for assembly
- Quality Inspection: Performing parts inspection
2025.03: Mercedes-Benz Investment and Expansion
- Mercedes-Benz directly invested in Apptronik Series A (~$10-14M)
- Production Director Joerg Burzer: “Planning to expand deployment to other factories”
- One of the early large-scale pilots where humanoids actually collaborate with human workers in automotive production
Industrial Application Areas
Primary Target: Manufacturing and Logistics
| Application Area | Task Examples |
|---|---|
| Automotive Manufacturing | Parts transport, assembly kit delivery, quality inspection |
| Logistics/Warehouse | Tote carrying, picking, palletizing |
| Electronics Manufacturing | Delicate parts assembly, inspection |
Secondary Target: Service and Care
- Hospitality: Hotel, restaurant service support
- Healthcare: Hospital logistics, patient assistance
- Elderly Care: Long-term goal of elderly care support
CEO Jeff Cardenas: “We’ve reached the point where the economics work. Factories and warehouses are the first step with pilot funding, and production scale-up will lower prices further.”
Competitive Comparison
| Item | Apptronik Apollo | Tesla Optimus | Figure 02 | Agility Digit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Safe collaboration, Force Control | Mass production, End-to-End AI | General manipulation | Logistics specialized |
| Height | 173cm | 173cm | ~175cm | ~175cm |
| Weight | 72.6kg | 57kg | ~60kg | ~65kg |
| Payload | 25kg | 20kg | 20kg | 16kg |
| Target Price | <$50K | $20-30K | $100K+ | ~$250K |
| Battery | 4 hours (hot-swap) | 8 hours | ~5 hours | ~4 hours |
| Strength | Safety, NASA lineage | Price, production scale | Hand dexterity | Logistics validation |
Apollo’s Differentiators
- Force Control: Torque sensor-based safe collaboration design
- Payload: 25kg, higher than major competitor humanoids (Optimus 20kg, Digit 16kg)
- Hot-Swap Battery: Minimize charging wait time with battery swaps (22 hours/day uptime possible)
- Modular Design: Various configurations available (legs/wheels/fixed)
- NASA Technology: Proven technology from Valkyrie robot development experience
Limitations and Challenges
- Dynamic Capabilities: Lacking dynamic movement demonstrations like running, jumping compared to Atlas, Optimus
- AI Capabilities: Google participated in Series A, but no proprietary VLA model
- Production Scale: 2026 mass production plan announced with Jabil, actual production verification needed
- Market Competition: May be disadvantaged in price competition with Tesla ($20-30K target)
Timeline
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | NASA Valkyrie project participation (DARPA Robotics Challenge) |
| 2016 | Apptronik spinoff from UT Austin |
| 2022 | NASA humanoid commercialization partnership agreement |
| 2023.08 | Apollo humanoid unveiled |
| 2024.03 | Mercedes-Benz commercial pilot contract signed |
| 2025.01 | Apollo work demonstration at CES 2025 |
| 2025.02-03 | Series A $403M close ($350M + additional $53M, Mercedes-Benz, Google participation) |
| 2026 | Target mass production start with Jabil |
References
Official Materials
- Apptronik Official Site - Company and product information
- Apollo Product Page - Apollo detailed specs
- Apptronik About Us - Company history and team
Mercedes-Benz Partnership
- Apptronik-Mercedes Partnership Announcement - Official press release
- Reuters: Mercedes-Benz Apptronik Investment - 2025 investment report
Technical Analysis
- IEEE Spectrum: Apptronik Apollo - Technical detailed analysis
- TI-Apptronik Collaboration - Actuator safety system
- Apollo Spec Comparison - Detailed spec data
News and Analysis
- TechCrunch: Apollo at CES 2025 - CES 2025 demonstration
- TechCrunch: $350M Series A - 2025.02 Series A funding
- Apptronik $403M Series A Close - 2025.03 additional round
- Robot Report: Apollo Unveiling - Initial unveiling analysis
NASA Connection
- NASA-Apptronik Partnership - NASA collaboration background