Reliance-backed warehouse automation and robotics start-Up Addverb has sprung up a surprise with its plans to build a batch of 100 human-like robots by 2025.
Addverb’s first beta version humanoid robot will be ready by 2025
Also backed by GAIL India and Asian Paints’ Jalaj Dani, the Noida-based startup currently makes assistive dog robots, medical cobots and works with companies like Reliance, Amazon, Flipkart, ITC, P&G.
The move to foray into humanoid robotics comes at a time when global majors like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics and others are racing to develop robots for routine tasks. Co-founder and CEO Sangeet Kumar spoke to Outlook Business about the company’s vision and game-changing developments on the horizon.
Edited excerpts:
As you enter into the humanoid market, how are you planning your investments in this segment?
We are making strategic investments to enter the humanoid robotics market with a clear focus on advancing human-robot collaboration. While I cannot disclose specific figures, I can assure you that these investments are directed toward leveraging advanced technologies that will enable humanoids to perform complex tasks with precision, such as improving eye-hand coordination and decision-making.
How do you think this development is going to shape up India’ robotics industry globally?
Humanoids have the potential to revolutionise the robotics industry by introducing unprecedented versatility and adaptability, allowing robots to thrive in dynamic environments. This advancement will significantly enhance productivity while driving innovation and collaboration across sectors. Through our efforts in humanoid development, we aim to position India as a global leader in cutting-edge automation technologies, transforming workplaces into safer, smarter, and more efficient spaces.
Being backed by Reliance gives you a global edge, how are they helping you channelise this new segment?
Reliance has been instrumental in our journey toward building humanoid robots. This collaboration with Reliance also enables us to leverage key partnerships with industry leaders like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Intel. Additionally, pre-existing libraries developed by the Jio team significantly reduces our need for extensive in-house technological development. By tapping into these resources, we can streamline our efforts and focus on enhancing the capabilities of humanoid robots. This collaborative ecosystem not only accelerates innovation but also positions Addverb to effectively compete in the rapidly evolving robotics market, ultimately enhancing the functionality and adaptability of humanoid robots for various applications.
Have you partnered with any clients yet for deploying your humanoids? Which sectors will they cater to?
We are in advanced discussions with multiple stakeholders across industries. The humanoids we are developing are designed to cater to a wide array of sectors such as fashion, retail, energy etc. These robots will address specific use cases within these industries, ranging from enhancing customer experience in retail environments to performing complex and high-precision tasks in manufacturing and energy.
By when should they be ready and what kind of technology are you using, to give competition to global players?
Our first Beta version humanoid robot will be ready by 2025. We are combining advanced AI capabilities with our deep expertise in electromechanics to deliver a truly competitive solution.
The robot will feature GPU technology for superior computational performance, energy-efficient actuators for sustainability, and dual-arm functionality to handle complex tasks. It will also incorporate cutting-edge Visual and Language Action (VLA) technology, enabling it to operate autonomously in dynamic and unstructured environments. Self-learning algorithms and multi-modal data processing will ensure that our humanoid adapts quickly to new challenges, setting it apart from competitors.
Do you think India is ready for the humanoid's disruption? This could possibly automate a lot of sectors and remove a lot of workers from the grounds. What are your thoughts?
Absolutely, I believe India is ready for the humanoid revolution. Most of the industries are shifting to innovation and automation in order to increase productivity and competitiveness. Humanoids can change the way repetitive and hazardous work-otherwise often linked with manufacturing and logistics is being conducted, thereby leading to a much safer working environment and maximum efficiency.
But this change would have to be balanced with an upskilling of the workforce. At Addverb, humanoids are, on our part, more enablers of human talent rather than a replacement for it. That is what will make this disruption enable India-namely, improvement in productivity, as well as being a technology leader in advanced robotics in support of sustainable growth and technological excellence.