AI-powered humanoid robotics company Apptronik has entered a strategic partnership agreement with the Google DeepMind robotics team. According to the company, 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.’
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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-centred 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 172 centimetres tall and weighing 72 kilograms, Apollo is designed to perform physically demanding tasks and operate safely in industrial spaces alongside humans.
Google DeepMind’s robotics team brings together expertise from machine learning, engineering and physics simulation in order to tackle the challenges facing the development of AI-powered robots. From pioneering advancements in foundation models to leveraging state-of-the-art AI models such as Gemini, Google DeepMind’s robotics team is developing advanced AI systems that can support robotics applications, enabling reasoning and action in the real world.