Sanctuary AI is set to deliver its humanoid robot to a manufacturing plant owned by Magna, a company with its headquarters in Canada and automotive production facilities in Austria. Magna produces and assembles vehicles for several of Europe's leading car brands, such as Mercedes, Jaguar, and BMW. Details about the quantity of Sanctuary AI's robots to be implemented remain undisclosed, as is common in such agreements.
This announcement aligns with similar initiatives by Figure and Apptronik, which are introducing their humanoid robots to BMW and Mercedes, respectively. Additionally, Agility disclosed a partnership with Ford at the 2020 CES, focusing on employing Digit units for last-mile delivery solutions, although this application is currently not a priority, with Agility shifting its focus to warehouse operations, including collaborations with Amazon.
Magna made an investment in Sanctuary AI in 2021, around the same time Elon Musk revealed Tesla's intention to develop a humanoid robot, later named "Optimus." Sanctuary AI, located in Vancouver, introduced its Phoenix model in the previous year. Phoenix stands at 5’7” and weighs 155 pounds, showcasing a height typical for such robots.
Although Phoenix isn't Sanctuary's inaugural humanoid robot, it is the first to have walking capabilities. Nonetheless, most available footage primarily showcases the robot's upper body. The company has also been working on enhancing the robot's hand dexterity, which is crucial for expanding its range of tasks beyond just transporting items.
The pilot program with Magna is described by Sanctuary as "a multidisciplinary evaluation aimed at enhancing the cost-effectiveness and scalability of robots, leveraging Magna’s portfolio of automotive products, engineering, and manufacturing expertise, along with a strategic investment from Magna."
These pilot programs should be viewed for what they are: preliminary tests, not definitive endorsements of the technology or its applications. The success of such initiatives will ultimately be measured by the return on investment (ROI) that Magna achieves. Specific details regarding the number of robots, the duration of the pilot, and the exact location of deployment remain undisclosed.
