GXO, Apptronik Plan Potential Deployment of Up to 1K Humanoid Robots
By Greg Bock · · 2 min read
Insider Brief
- GXO Logistics and Apptronik signed a letter of intent to expand trials of the Apollo humanoid robot, with a potential global deployment of up to 1,000 units over four years.
- Expanded warehouse trials will begin in 2027, testing Apollo in picking, material handling, packing and sorting, with an initial North American commercial rollout targeted for late 2027 if performance requirements are met.
- The companies have collaborated since 2024, completing a U.S. autonomous picking pilot and evaluating more than 50 logistics tasks at Apptronik’s Robot Park training facility.
GXO Logistics and Apptronik have signed a letter of intent to expand warehouse trials of the Apollo humanoid robot, with a potential global rollout of up to 1,000 units over the next four years.
According to GXO, the companies plan to begin expanded trials in 2027, with an initial commercial deployment through a Robotics-as-a-Service model in North America slated for late that year. The rollout will depend on the robots meeting agreed productivity, safety and operational performance requirements.
Expanding Warehouse Trials
The expanded program will test Apollo across several warehouse operations, including:
- Order picking: Goods-to-person and person-to-goods picking.
- Material handling: Moving cases and totes.
- Order processing: Packing and sorting goods.
The trials will evaluate safety, security and technical requirements while measuring productivity and operational performance. The companies will also examine how Apollo, which is designed to perform repetitive, physically demanding tasks, works alongside employees and existing warehouse automation.
GXO CEO Patrick Kelleher said the expanded partnership will help identify warehouse tasks where humanoid robots can provide operational benefits.
“Humanoid robots are the latest evolution of intelligent automation, and their increasing dexterity will make them one of the most transformative applications of physical AI in logistics,” Kelleher said.
The companies began working together in 2024 through a proof-of-concept program focused on warehouse applications. Earlier this year, Apollo completed a U.S. pilot involving autonomous picking of small consumer goods that the companies described as successful. The partners have also collected data and conducted live autonomous evaluations across more than 50 logistics tasks at Apptronik’s Robot Park training facility.
Apptronik co-founder and CEO Jeff Cardenas said the collaboration has focused on evaluating Apollo against operational performance measures in working warehouse environments.
“Our expanded partnership with GXO shows what’s possible when you pair a leading logistics provider with robots designed from the start for thoughtful collaboration with people,” Cardenas added.
