The Humanoid Robots of CES 2025: A Glimpse into the Future
CES 2025 has been an intriguing showcase for humanoid robots, filled with both remarkable advancements and familiar faces. The spotlight shone brightly when images of leading humanoid models stood alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote speech. Among these, Agility’s Digit made a notable appearance at a secluded Nvidia booth, working alongside a miniature conveyor belt. This marked a nostalgic return for the bipedal robot, reminiscent of its debut at CES 2020 as part of Ford’s exhibition.
- Agility’s Digit returns to CES
- Apptronik’s Apollo makes a standout appearance
- Collaborations with industry giants like Mercedes, BMW, and Amazon
While most humanoid representations came from smaller companies, Apptronik stood out with its Apollo robot. Making its way from Austin to the CES stage as part of Texas Instruments’ showcase, Apollo integrates some of Dallas-based semiconductor giant’s cutting-edge modules. After several close encounters, this was my first opportunity to see Apollo up close and personal.
“When Apptronik initially shared footage of Apollo back in 2023, I had to triple-check that it wasn’t just an animated render. Its design is refreshingly different—bright and almost cartoon-like, complete with large eyes and a head reminiscent of early iMacs.”
{TechCrunch}
Apollo is designed primarily for factory tasks, but its welcoming appearance suggests that industrial robots don’t have to be intimidating or cold. Its movements were impressively smooth, and it even posed for photos with a playful demeanor. It’s important to note that the demo was limited—a simple pick-and-place scenario meant purely for demonstration. The intelligent, autonomous version set to work in factories will offer far more complexity.
Apptronik has already started factory pilots with Mercedes as of March this year. This comes on the heels of partnerships between Figure and BMW, as well as Agility and Amazon. These collaborations signal exciting times ahead for humanoid robots in industrial settings.
