Humanoid robots are already at work at Mercedes

At Mercedes’ main German campus, Artificial Intelligence and humanoid robots are revolutionizing production.

What was once science fiction is now becoming reality at Mercedes. The German automaker is accelerating the transformation of its production network with artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robots at its Digital Factory Campus (MBDFC) in Berlin. This site, a true global innovation hub, develops and tests new technologies before deploying them internationally.

The MBDFC campus, launched in 2022, relies on a digital ecosystem combining data and software applications to optimize automobile production. By 2025, Mercedes will incorporate advanced features, including a production chatbot and solutions based on language models, as well as Apollo, a humanoid robot designed by Apptronik. This multi-million euro investment marks a new era where humans and machines collaborate on repetitive and physically demanding tasks, such as intralogistics.

Apollo at the helm at Mercedes

Apollo, capable of transporting components or assisting with initial quality inspections, trains using real-world data collected in actual environments, aided by augmented reality tools and teleoperation. The goal? To make these robots fully autonomous for flexible and intelligent production.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere at MBDFC. Virtual assistants analyze data in real time, identify anomalies and trends, and suggest effective solutions to optimize quality. With the Digital Factory Chatbot, even the most complex technical questions receive immediate answers in multiple languages. Finally, the strategic partnership between Apptronik and Google DeepMind promises to further accelerate these advances by combining advanced robotic hardware and cutting-edge AI.

At Berlin-Marienfelde, Mercedes demonstrates that the future of the automobile relies not only on technological innovation but also on the ability to reinvent production. Let’s hope for the future of our children that Skynet isn’t hiding behind all this.

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