Staff Perception Hardware Engineer

Apptronik turns robot simulations into reality. Rachyl Jones Thu, July 2, 2026 at 2:24 PM PDT The news. Humanoid-maker Apptronik has opened Robot Park, a factory in Austin, Texas, where its robots will practice real-world tasks across a warehouse the size of two football fields. One of the biggest hurdles for robot companies is a lack of real-world data: There aren't enough robots in the field to significantly improve the models running them, and existing testing sites can only hold a small number. Apptronik's new warehouse will see "hundreds" of the company's latest humanoids in operation, spokesperson Liz Clinkenbeard told Semafor. Its previous testing site could only hold roughly 10 at a time. The bots will practice tasks they'll perform for customers - often manufacturers - like packaging items together, sorting tools, and moving boxes around shelves. Along with real-world tests to train robot systems, companies also use digital simulations, where renderings of the robots practice tasks in the digital world. Those simulations can run all day, every day, but they don't account for limitations like aging hardware or real-world occurrences like a robot's foot slipping on the ground. By testing at Robot Park, the company can "capture that physical nuance and can adapt quickly," CEO Jeff Cardenas said. Apptronik will share the data it gets with Google DeepMind, a research partner and investor. Google can then integrate that data back into Gemini Robots, the AI model used across the robot industry. Know more. As part of Apptronik's Tuesday announcement of Robot Park, it also unveiled the latest line of its Apollo humanoid robots. Notably, it upgraded its wheeled robot, which looks like a humanoid mounted to a wheeled base rather than legs, because of high demand, Clinkenbeard said. The industry has not yet determined adequate safety standards for two-legged robots to operate alongside humans. But wheeled robots are currently allowed.

Apptronik debuts new Apollo 2 humanoid, launches 90,000-square-foot 'Robot Park' Image: Apptronik Jul 2, 2026 eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. eWEEK may make money when you click on links to its partners. Learn More Apptronik wants to solve one of robotics' biggest bottlenecks: collecting enough real-world experience to make humanoid robots genuinely useful. The Austin startup has opened a roughly 90,000-square-foot Robot Park where fleets of humanoid robots perform industrial work while continuously generating data used to train AI models. The company says the facility serves as a production-scale learning environment rather than a traditional research lab. The announcement reflects a broader shift across the robotics industry. Companies are increasingly competing not just on robot hardware, but on who can gather the most valuable real-world data to improve AI systems. Apollo 2 steps into the spotlight. Alongside the facility, Apptronik unveiled Apollo 2, its latest humanoid robot platform. It comes in two configurations, bipedal and wheeled, designed to handle different operational needs. The wheeled version targets industrial settings where stability and efficiency matter most, while the bipedal version is built for environments closer to human spaces, where walking ability and adaptability are required. According to Apptronik, Apollo 2 has been operating as a data-collection workhorse for over a year already. The system is now deployed across Robot Park sites and at partner and customer facilities to generate training data for future models. A key pillar of Apptronik's strategy is its partnership with Google DeepMind. Data gathered from Apollo 2 is used to advance Gemini Robotics, DeepMind's foundational AI models for robotics. Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas described the system as a feedback loop between real-world operations and AI training. The company has built what Cardenas called "a factory that produces robots, we also have a factory that produces data," according to Reuters. He added that Robot Park serves as the engine behind production-grade AI development, linking physical robots directly to model training at scale. Robots train for real work. The robotics industry has long struggled with a core problem: robots can perform impressive demos but often fail in real workplaces. Apptronik's approach aims to close that gap by prioritizing continuous exposure to real environments - logistics, manufacturing, and retail operations - rather than controlled lab demonstrations. If successful, this model could shorten the gap between prototype robots and commercially useful machines that actually perform repeatable work at scale. What Apptronik is really building. At its core, Apptronik is not just building robots; it is building a data pipeline for embodied AI. Robot Park functions like a manufacturing line, but instead of producing hardware, it produces training data. That data is then used to refine AI models that control future generations of robots. The partnership with Google DeepMind is especially significant. If Gemini Robotics becomes a widely used foundation model, Apptronik could benefit from early access and integration, but it also raises a long-term question: whether the intelligence it helps train becomes broadly shared across competitors. The company is also clearly separating roles between its current and future hardware. Apollo 2 is positioned as a workhorse for data collection, while a future system, Apollo 3, is expected to be the first fully commercial, scaled product. Also read: Japan wants 10 million AI-powered robots operating by 2040 as it expands robotics across manufacturing, caregiving, infrastructure, and disaster response. Aminu Abdullahi is a B2C and B2B technology and finance writer with more than six years of experience covering enterprise IT, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech, business software, and emerging technologies. His work has appeared in publications including TechRepublic, eWEEK, Channel Insider, Geekflare, Enterprise Networking Planet, eSecurity Planet, CIO Insight, and Webopedia. With a technical background in computer science, he specializes in translating complex technology topics into clear, accessible content for business leaders and decision-makers.

Apptronik, a Texas-based humanoid robotics startup valued at over $5.5 billion, has opened a 90,000-square-foot "Robot Park" in Austin where its Apollo robots practice tasks like loading boxes and sorting items. The facility operates seven days a week, generating training data to improve the AI models that control the robots. The company, which spun out from the University of Texas in 2016, has raised approximately $1 billion. Google's DeepMind and Mercedes are among its investors, with Mercedes deploying Apollo robots in factories for assembly-line tasks. Apptronik's current Apollo 2 model stands 6 feet tall, runs for four hours, and can lift 55 pounds. The company is developing both wheeled and legged versions, with wheeled robots expected to deploy sooner due to safety considerations. Apptronik plans to establish additional Robot Parks globally.