Photos: Apollo humanoid robots prepare to transition from factory floors to space

The Apollo humanoid robot, developed by Apptronik in collaboration with NASA over the past decade, represents a significant advancement in humanoid robotics designed for both industrial and space applications. Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, Apollo’s architecture is derived from NASA’s Valkyrie project and incorporates liquid-cooled robotic actuator technology developed through NASA SBIR contracts. This actuator technology enables precise, reliable movements, allowing Apollo to perform physically demanding and repetitive tasks. Currently deployed in Mercedes-Benz factories for logistics work, Apollo serves as a practical testing platform to prepare the robot for the challenging environments of spacecraft and extraterrestrial habitats. NASA’s interest in humanoid robots like Apollo is driven by their compatibility with human-designed tools and environments, such as space stations and lunar habitats. Humanoids can operate existing interfaces and perform complex maintenance remotely, acting as avatars for human operators. Unlike earlier space robots like Robonaut 2, which lacked legs and thus mobility, Apollo features advanced actuators and