Before humanoid robots begin working in factories or homes, they first have to learn the basics.
Texas-based robotics startup Apptronik has opened a nearly 90,000-square-foot training facility called Robot Park in Austin, where its Apollo humanoid robots practice real-world tasks.
Backed by investors including Google and Mercedes-Benz, the company uses the site to teach robots skills such as loading boxes onto conveyor belts, sorting objects into bins, and performing other repetitive jobs.
For now, the robots are largely operated remotely by human controllers who stand nearby, guiding their movements and ensuring tasks are completed correctly. The facility operates seven days a week, generating large amounts of training data from every session.
That data is then used to improve the AI models powering Apollo's decision-making and movement. Apptronik hopes the continuous training will eventually allow its humanoid robots to work independently in factories, warehouses, service industries, and even people's homes.