Introducing Apollo: The iPhone humanoid robot set to revolutionise robotics, know all the details

In a vision that once seemed confined to science fiction, the Texas-based robotics startup, Apptronik, has unveiled its cutting-edge humanoid robot named ‘Apollo.’ This innovative robot has been designed to handle a wide array of tasks that are often deemed dull, dirty, and dangerous, thus allowing humans to focus on more creative and valuable endeavors.

In order to strengthen the supply chain by solving labour shortages, the primary purpose of Apollo is to deploy it in logistics. It will do physically difficult tasks within warehouses.

The origins of Apollo

Apptronik's journey began at the University of Texas at Austin's Human-Centred Robotics Lab. During the DARPA Robotics Challenge, the team worked with NASA's Valkyrie robot, which helped them polish their skills. Based on this foundation, they created Apollo, a flexible, adaptive, and mass-produced humanoid robot that drew inspiration from the world of space travel while tackling real-world logistical issues.

Jeff Cardenas, cofounder and CEO of Apptronik, said, "Our goal is to build versatile robots to do all the things that we don’t want to do to help us here on Earth and eventually one day explore the moon, Mars, and beyond."

Specifications of robot

The Apollo robot comes with a range of specifications that encompass its battery life and lifting capability.

- Size: Apollo is human-sized, standing at 5 feet 8 inches (1.7 meters) tall

- Weight: It weighs 160 pounds (72.6 kilograms)

- Lifting power: Apollo can lift objects weighing up to 55 pounds (25 kilograms)

- Designed for mass production: The robot is created to be made in large quantities

- Electricity-powered: Apollo runs on electricity, a safer alternative to hydraulics

- Extended battery life: The robot's four-hour battery can be swapped for continuous operation up to 22 hours.

Prime applications of Apollo

Apollo's initial deployment focuses on the logistics sector, reducing physically hard activities within warehouses and improving supply chains hindered by labour shortages. Apptronik regards Apollo as a versatile tool that transcends logistics during the next decade. Its capabilities are intended to grow through continual upgrades, allowing employment in construction, electronics manufacturing, retail, and perhaps senior care.

Human-like mobility

The moving parts at the centre of Apollo's design enable movements like walking, arm movements, and item handling. These actuators are designed to resemble human muscles. A complex sensor network on the robot's head and other sensors that map out a 360-degree image of the area guarantee that it can move through its surroundings. Apollo's flexibility allows it to operate in a variety of environments, including rocky terrain and maybe alien surfaces.

Apollo: The iPhone of Robots

Since its introduction in 2013, the electric robot has undergone modifications and improvements. It is now being tested in Australia as a remote caretaker for unmanned and offshore energy plants.

According to Cardenas, assembly-line robots are frequently fixed to the floor or hooked into a wall and can only operate in areas that are specifically created for them. He further added that the Apptronik team spent years developing unique robots and parts that resulted in a humanoid that could operate in surroundings made for people. Apollo's design has its origins in Valkyrie's.