Aris, the robot-dog that watches over the Mercedes factory in Düsseldorf

At the Mercedes-Benz factory in Düsseldorf, Aris is a newly hired colleague who is as intriguing as he is fascinating.

On his four metal legs, “Aris” wanders between the production lines of the Sprinter and eSprinter. But far from being a laboratory curiosity, this autonomous robot-dog is a very serious key player in the site’s digitization strategy.

His main role? Detecting compressed air leaks. Invisible to the naked eye, these can cause enormous energy loss and weigh heavily on the bill. With an acoustic imaging module capable of “visualizing” sounds, Aris identifies anomalies, locates them, and sends alerts. Teams can then respond quickly, avoid system failures, and reduce the factory’s energy consumption. Mercedes estimates that about 60% of losses related to these leaks are thus avoided, resulting in annual savings in six figures.

These robots who want to do us good

But Aris doesn’t just listen attentively to compressed air. The robot is also capable of performing routine inspections on the analog gauges of certain machines, automatically recording the data. It moves autonomously in the workshops, climbs stairs without difficulty, and adapts to various environments.

In the near future, Mercedes plans to expand its scope of action. Aris could check evacuation routes, create a “digital twin” of the factory, or serve as an analytical tool for other industrial installations.

Behind his futuristic appearance, Aris embodies a very pragmatic evolution: relieving employees from repetitive tasks and enhancing energy efficiency. Where a technician would take time to spot a leak or check a gauge, the robot-dog acts quickly, with precision, and transmits usable data in real time.

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With Aris, Mercedes-Benz takes another step toward predictive maintenance and Industry 4.0. And while this metal companion may not wag his tail, he remains undoubtedly one of the best allies of the Düsseldorf factory for producing more efficiently and sustainably.