The robotics company Humanoid has signed a key deal with German industrial conglomerate Bosch, to start mass producing humanoid robots for industry. The deal is considered a great step forward in the world of robotics, as it combines Humanoid’s highly advanced technology and design with Bosch’s many years of manufacturing experience.
This deal follows a very successful proof of concept (POC) where the Humanoid robot performed an incredibly difficult logistics task in an existing Bosch factory in Germany with near perfect results. In the tests, the robots were able to move boxes from a conveyor line to a trolley with a huge range of loads, in a frantic and confusing environment, maneuvering with great accuracy around obstacles in the workplace. The tests were so good that they exceeded expectations and proved that robots could be successfully used in an industrial environment.
Now they have achieved success in the tests, the companies intend to begin large-scale manufacturing of the HMND 01 with the aim of bringing the robots to many industrial environments, most notably logistics and manufacturing. This development from testing phase into commercial production marks a big turning point for Humanoid and they have reached a stage where they feel ready to bring the robots to the market.
The agreement means that Bosch will act as more than just a manufacturer, they will provide both technical and strategic consulting, as well as having the robots under development in the future, from design through production, to supply chains and reduction in costs, so that industrial manufacturers can deploy these new and remarkable robots in industry with ease.
In addition, and very interestingly, part of this deal means that the current technologies that have been developed by Bosch over the years, will be implemented into the HMND 01, including sophisticated sensors, actuators, and other highly complex precision components, which are expected to greatly improve the reliability and performance of the HMND 01.
Humanoid’s aim is to turn from a prototyping and testing business to a serious industrial humanoid robotics company. They believe that these robots will shape the future of industrial automation and, with their adaptivity, will outperform any existing robot technology. Traditional fixed robots used in manufacturing can only perform one pre-programmed task repetitively and are useless for carrying out different and more complicated duties which can be accomplished by a humanoid robot, saving great expense in the long run.
With the agreement, Humanoid receives the industrial experience, technical know-how, and market access needed to achieve this, and Bosch strategically gains an important step forward in the area of industrial automation for the future.
The robotics industry will no doubt watch on intently, in anticipation of the transformation this partnership is set to bring to industrial automation and to prove to the world that the humanoid robot will be an integral part of the future of manufacturing.
