Apptronik Apollo Robot at CES 2025: Humanoid Robot in Action

Humanoid Robots at CES 2025: A Mixed Landscape

CES 2025 presented a varied showing for humanoid robots. The robot designs experienced a significant moment of recognition, evidenced by their prominent display alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote address on Monday.

Among these, Agility’s Digit was featured alongside a scaled-down conveyor system within Nvidia’s exclusive booth. This marked a noteworthy return for the bipedal robot, as an earlier iteration was showcased at CES 2020 as part of Ford’s exhibition.

Beyond the Major Players

Representation of humanoid robots was primarily concentrated among smaller companies, with Apptronik being a key exception. The Austin-based company’s Apollo robot was demonstrated as part of Texas Instruments’ presence at the event.

The Apollo humanoid incorporates modules developed by the Dallas-based semiconductor manufacturer, Texas Instruments, into its internal systems.

Having previously only seen footage, this was my first opportunity to observe the Apollo robot in person. Initial videos of the robot, shown by Apptronik to TechCrunch in 2023, initially led me to question whether they were computer-generated renderings.

The robot possesses a distinctly unique quality. It’s a welcome contrast to the prevailing aesthetic among competitors, which often leans towards dark, austere, and even dystopian designs.

Apollo’s design is bright and almost playful, featuring large, expressive eyes and a head shape reminiscent of early iMac models. While, like other first-generation humanoids, Apollo is primarily intended for factory applications, its design doesn’t necessitate a cold or intimidating appearance.

Demonstration and Deployment

The robot’s movements appeared fluid, and it even posed for photographs during the demonstration. It’s important to note, however, that this was a limited pick-and-place demonstration created specifically for showcasing purposes.

This demonstration did not represent the fully intelligent, autonomous version of the robot intended for deployment in actual factory environments.

Apptronik initiated factory trials with Mercedes in March, following similar announcements of collaborations between Figure and BMW, and Agility and Amazon.