In its continual move towards automation, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) NIO (NYSE: NIO) has initiated a pilot program employing humanoid robots on its EV assembly line at one of its manufacturing facilities.
NIO operates EV production facilities at two locations in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province in eastern China. The humanoid robot, dubbed Walker S, was developed by Shenzhen-based UBTECH ROBOTICS, a company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. This marks the first instance of the Walker S being deployed on an EV assembly line.
Functioning autonomously in a controlled environment, the Walker S robot performs quality inspections of components such as headlight covers, door locks, and seat belts. Additionally, it is tasked with affixing NIO EV logos onto the vehicles.
While NIO has not officially disclosed details regarding its humanoid robot initiative, UBTECH is committed to integrating robots into EV assembly processes to enhance productivity. The company proclaims on its website that “the future of humans lies in human-robot coexistence.” Although the Walker S model is not listed on UBTECH’s website, its counterpart, the Walker humanoid robot, stands at 57 inches (145 cm) tall and weighs 170 pounds (77 kg). Powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries with a two-hour charging time, the Walker has a reported battery life of two hours.
