From concept to factory: Mapping humanoid robot use cases

AI² Robotics is a Shenzhen-based developer of general-purpose humanoid robots. By combining advanced embodied AI with robust hardware, the company aims to bring flexible, humanlevel automation to real industrial and logistics environments. 

With the rapid development of humanoid robotics in China, manufacturers are seeking application scenarios that can bring real value to industry customers. To support this, AI² Robotics partnered with UNITY to identify feasible automotive logistics use cases for humanoid robots and translate them into clear development requirements that match actual needs. The project focused on understanding how humanoid robots can support logistics tasks such as sorting, picking and material-handling activities in automotive plants.
 

Drawing on UNITY’s deep knowledge of automotive production and logistics processes, end-to-end workflows for parts sorting, kitting and container handling were mapped in detail. Each workflow was broken down into task elements such as walking paths, perception requirements, grasping complexity, load characteristics and safety considerations. UNITY also applied its experience with automotive ERP systems to plan high-level interface concepts for call-offs, confirmations and booking steps, ensuring that future robot actions can be aligned with standard logistics and material-flow processes. 

Based on these findings, UNITY defined ten priority application scenarios and supported the training of AI²
Robotics’s robots to meet industry expectations for handling racks, containers, tools and cooperating with operators in real production settings. These outputs give AI² Robotics a concrete, industry-aligned foundation
for product development and serve as a roadmap toward future pilot deployments. The project provides AI²
Robotics with clarity on where humanoid robots can create value first and how to prepare the technology for successful adoption in automotive logistics.