10/24/2024 Sustainability & CO2 neutrality Report

The future of industry: human machines on the rise

Humanoid robots are on the verge of a breakthrough in industry. In recent years, advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and mechanics have accelerated development. They are already finding their way into the automotive industry, as the example of BMW shows. And perhaps soon in die casting production, where they could revolutionize the automated handling of cast parts with high precision and flexibility?

black human-like robot in front of white wall

Tobias Bock from the management consultancy Horváth emphasizes that humanoid robots can be flexibly integrated into production processes. A key driver for the imminent breakthrough of humanoid robots is the continuous development of AI systems. Bock emphasizes that the current “boost” of this technology was largely triggered by advances in artificial intelligence.

The superpowers of robotics: China and the USA

Thanks to digital twins, humanoid robots can learn new tasks in simulated environments. This significantly reduces programming effort and makes it easier to adapt to different requirements. One example of this is Nvidia's “Groot” project, which enables humanoid robots to learn motor skills in a virtual environment and overcome obstacles.In addition to technological advances, investment plays a key role. In China and the USA, considerable funds are flowing into humanoid robotics. In China, the state is specifically promoting the development of humanoid robots in order to strengthen production capacities and expand technological leadership. The Tiangong platform, which is available as open source, is also accelerating development.

Production launch of humanoid robots within reach

Tobias Bock expects series production of humanoid robots to begin by 2025 at the latest. These robots will initially take on simple, manual tasks – such as moving boxes in production environments.

As technological development progresses, humanoid robots should even be able to surpass human capabilities in areas such as flexibility, fine motor skills and speed by 2030. In the future, they could therefore also perform more complex tasks such as assembly work in production lines.

In the medium term, Bock believes that humanoid robots will be able to automate more than half of manual tasks in production environments. This mainly concerns physically strenuous, repetitive tasks that are currently carried out by human workers. By using robots, companies can close personnel gaps and relieve qualified workers of routine tasks.

Logistics in transition: robots take on heavy loads

In the automotive industry in particular, there are numerous manual tasks in logistics and pre-picking where humanoid robots can provide support. Mercedes is already testing the “Apollo” robot from Apptronik, which transports assembly kits. BMW is cooperating with Figure Robotics at its Spartanburg plant to integrate humanoid robots into the production process. Initial results show that humanoid robots can perform demanding tasks in a real working environment.

During a test run lasting several weeks, the humanoid robot Figure 02 successfully inserted sheet metal parts into special fixtures required for body assembly in the body shop at the Spartanburg plant. This step requires particularly tactile skills, which the robot was able to perform reliably. The BMW Group is currently working with Figure to test and evaluate the safe integration of humanoid robots into automotive production in order to make ergonomically unfavorable and tiring tasks easier for employees.

Luxury to necessity: falling prices for robots

Humanoid robots are currently still more expensive than conventional industrial robots. Tobias Bock estimates that the acquisition costs at market launch will be between 80,000 and 120,000 euros. Nevertheless, he expects a return on investment (RoI) of less than 1.36 years. This means that companies can benefit from their investments comparatively quickly.

Due to technological advances and economies of scale in mass production, the price of humanoid robots is expected to fall to around 48,000 euros by 2030. This development, combined with continuous improvements in technology, makes humanoid robots increasingly attractive for companies looking to make their processes more efficient.

Robots and the working world of the future

Humanoid robots are about to find their way into industrial environments. Advances in artificial intelligence, significant investment from the US and China and the imminence of mass production will lead to humanoid robots being increasingly used in production environments over the next few years.

Companies that recognize the potential of this technology early on can benefit from increased efficiency and productivity while relieving human workers of physically demanding, repetitive tasks.