Audi to Trial Agile Robots' ONE for Parts Sequencing

Audi has chosen Agile Robots' humanoid ONE, a 174 cm, 69 kg biped capable of lifting up to 20 kg, to trial parts sequencing at its Ingolstadt plant.

The German manufacturer said at the NVIDIA GTC Berlin event that a project to assess the merits and usefulness of humanoid robots in automotive production is already underway, run in cooperation with Dassault Systèmes and NVIDIA. Audi did not name a fuller solution set, only that it had selected machines from German startup Agile Robots for the work.

How the ONE will be used and tested

Agile's ONE stands 68.5 inches (174 cm) tall and weighs 152 pounds (69 kg). It can operate on two legs or on a mobile platform depending on the application, and uses cameras and LiDAR for environmental perception. Arms fitted with tactile sensors perform lifts and manipulations at roughly human walking speed; payload capacity is specified at 44 pounds (20 kg).

Audi is specifically exploring deployment of the ONE in parts sequencing at Ingolstadt, where sequencing operations require around one million picks each day. The task demands that robots identify components of varying shapes and sizes, sometimes packaged and sometimes mixed together in containers, then select and deliver the correct part in the correct order to the right workstation.

The robot pairs its vision system with an undisclosed artificial intelligence stack to interpret what it sees, then grips parts with its tactile-enabled arms. Agile's robot is being exercised both in simulation, using an application developed by Dassault Systèmes together with NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, and in real-world trials. Audi has not disclosed how far along testing currently is.

Audi says successful trials would lead to integration of bipedal robots into assembly and production alongside human workers, with the company forecasting reduced manual workload and improved efficiency at a corporate level. The precise implications for the workforce and the timetable for any broader rollout remain to be determined.

Agile Robots currently offers a single humanoid product, the ONE, in several configurations, and Audi's project will be among the latest industry tests of bipedal automation in carmaking.