Swiss robotics company Embodied AI today unveils AIR, a humanoid robot built to share the factory floor with people.
The company said AIR, which went from research to actual robot in nine months, can take on the repetitive manual tasks that change too often for conventional robots. That will allow people already on the line can focus on work that needs their skill.
AIR is designed with a "tendon-driven architecture" that keep motors, gearboxes and electronics in its torso. Embodied said its arms carry almost no mass and give way on contact, and that it runs on wheels rather than legs, because factory floors are flat and wheels are more stable. The robot is designed under ISO/TS 15066:2016 with CE marking planned for 2027.
AIR starts every job under the control of a human operator. Every run is recorded, and Embodied AI’s own AI stack learns from those demonstrations until AIR can do the task itself, typically within a month. The operator then stays on hand to cover for anything it hasn’t seen before. What one robot learns, the next can use.
“Hallucination of AI models is acceptable in the digital space because humans review, reject, or correct the output before acting on it. In robotics, however, incorrect actions have immediate and irreversible physical consequences. When AI is used for taking physical actions, errors can cause severe damage or endanger human lives. Safety and reliability are non-negotiable requirements of physical AI to enter the real world at scale. These are the principles that guided the design of AIR,” said Embodied CEO Francesco Stella in a statement.
The company said it has already signed contracts with major OEMs globally. AIR is now being tested with global manufacturers, and the company is starting plans for scaled production.
