Apptronik
Apptronik, founded in 2016 in Austin, Texas, builds general-purpose humanoid robots, including Apollo, for logistics and manufacturing work alongside people.
Apptronik is a robotics company based in Austin, Texas, that develops general-purpose humanoid robots intended to work alongside people. Founded in 2016, the company frames its mission as "robots for humans", with an emphasis on harmony between people and machines and on designs that combine engineering with human-centric principles.
Its principal product is Apollo, a general-purpose humanoid robot aimed at logistics and manufacturing environments. Apollo is intended to address labour shortages and reduce turnover by taking on tasks that employees prefer not to do, and to lower work-related injuries associated with overexertion. The company positions the robot as a tool to improve how people live and work rather than as a wholesale replacement for human labour.
Apollo builds on roughly a decade of robotics development at the company. Since early 2016 Apptronik has produced multiple robotic platforms, including exoskeletons, humanoid torsos, bipedal mobility platforms and robotic arms, spanning work in humanoid robotics, bipedal locomotion and human-centered robotics. Earlier platforms were developed prior to the current humanoid product.
The company's stated concerns include worker safety, quality of life and the ethical implications of human-centered robotic design.