Audi is testing mobile humanoid robots developed by Agile Robots to automate parts sequencing at its facility in Germany. The proof of concept focuses on picking components from containers and arranging them in the correct order for subsequent assembly operations.The project brings together Audi, Agile Robots, Dassault Systèmes, and NVIDIA to explore the use of humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing. The initiative combines physical robot testing with virtual simulation, but it has not disclosed quantified performance results or a timeline for wider factory deployment.Humanoids automate sequencingAudi is testing mobile humanoid robots to automate parts sequencing at its Ingolstadt Production Lab in Germany. The proof of concept combines robotic manipulation, AI and virtual simulation to explore how robots can pick components from containers and arrange them in the correct order for vehicle assembly.Announced on October 21 at NVIDIA GTC Berlin, the project aims to automate a material-handling task that remains challenging for conventional industrial robots because component shapes, packaging, and positions vary.Audi’s material-supply operations involve around one million picks daily, with components required to reach assembly workstations in the correct order. This figure describes the scale of the existing workflow, not the performance achieved by the humanoid robots.The trial uses Agile One humanoids designed to combine human-height reach and dual-arm manipulation with the mobility of a wheeled base. This configuration allows the robots to operate within existing industrial environments without necessarily requiring factories to be redesigned around fixed robotic workstations.The robots are being tested at Audi’s Production Lab, where the company evaluates technologies for future manufacturing and logistics operations. The system is intended to retrieve components from material containers and place them in a predetermined sequence for subsequent assembly.“For decades, picking within the sequencing process has remained one of the toughest automation challenges in automotive logistics. Together with our partners, we are now exploring how AI-powered robotics can help solve this challenge and unlock a new level of productivity in our Audi factories,” said Gerd Walker, Board Member for Production and Logistics at AUDI AG, in a statement. Advances in factory automationHandling unsorted components presents several technical challenges. A robot must identify individual parts, determine how to grasp them, extract them without damaging them, and position them correctly. Flexible or semi-rigid components can be particularly difficult to handle because they may deform during manipulation.AI-powered perception and dual-arm coordination are intended to help Agile Robots’ systems address these challenges. The approach could extend automation to parts-handling tasks that are difficult to perform reliably using conventional systems designed for specific objects and carefully controlled environments. However, the announcement does not provide measured picking rates, error frequencies, or other performance results from the trial.The project also uses virtual simulation to evaluate the robots before deploying them in Audi’s logistics operations. Dassault Systèmes is creating a virtual twin of the logistics environment using its DELMIA application and 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The digital environment will allow engineers to assess whether a proposed robotic task is feasible and evaluate cycle times, ergonomics, and safety. NVIDIA Omniverse libraries provide additional capabilities for simulating physical environments and robot interactions.Testing these factors virtually can help engineers identify potential problems before conducting physical trials on the factory floor. It also provides a way to examine different operating conditions without repeatedly interrupting real production processes. The partners also plan to use AI-powered virtual assistance to support engineering workflows and speed up development and validation.The initiative is part of a broader automotive industry effort to use humanoid robots for logistics and manufacturing tasks. Its practical value will depend on whether the systems can consistently handle varied components, operate at useful production speeds, and work reliably within existing factory infrastructure.For now, the Audi project remains a proof of concept, with no confirmed timetable for factory-wide deployment.