Agile Robots has forged a partnership with Google DeepMind to collaborate on robotic development with the AI research laboratory, marking another addition to a series of collaborations by robotics companies.
Based in Munich, Germany, Agile Robots revealed on Tuesday that it has formed a strategic research alliance with Google DeepMind. This collaboration entails Agile Robots incorporating Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics foundation models into its robots, while the data gathered by these robots will be used to enhance the Gemini AI models.
The two companies will jointly test, refine, and deploy robots utilizing the Gemini foundation models for industrial applications across various sectors, including electronics manufacturing, automotive, data centers, and logistics.
“Agile Robots has already installed over 20,000 robotics solutions worldwide, demonstrating intelligent automation on a large scale,” stated Zhaopeng Chen, co-founder and CEO of Agile Robots, in the press release announcing the deal. “The significant opportunity ahead lies in autonomous, intelligent production systems that can revolutionize entire industries. By integrating Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics models into our robotic solutions, we position ourselves at the forefront of this rapidly growing market.”
A spokesperson mentioned that the partnership is long-term, but did not provide specific details regarding its duration or financial terms.
Founded in 2018, Agile Robots has secured over $270 million in venture capital from investors such as the SoftBank Vision Fund, Chinese hardware firm Xiaomi, and Midas Group, among others.
This is the latest instance of a robotics hardware company partnering with Google DeepMind to further its technological advancements.
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Earlier this year, Boston Dynamics, owned by Hyundai and known for the dog-like Spot robot, announced a partnership with Google DeepMind to employ the company’s AI foundation models in the development of its forthcoming humanoid robot Atlas. Boston Dynamics was owned by Google from 2013 to 2017.
In general, partnerships in the robotics sector have been on the rise this year. In early March, German robotics startup Neura Robotics announced a partnership with Qualcomm, which involves Neura Robotics utilizing Qualcomm’s newly introduced IQ10 processor series, designed for mobile robots and humanoids, as a reference design for future robots.
Considering the complexity of robots, both in hardware and software, these partnerships are logical. As companies aim to develop autonomous robots, collaborations between firms with distinct strengths—be it hardware, dexterity, or software—are beneficial.
As many industry leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, view physical AI as the next frontier for the AI market, these partnerships are expected not only to persist but to accelerate.
