Agile Robots CEO Predicts Physical AI Will Be 10x Larger Than Automotive Industry

Agile Robots CEO Zhaopeng Chen says “physical AI is going to be 10x bigger than automotive” as the Munich-based robotics company expands its manufacturing, AI development and humanoid robot operations.

Chen made the prediction at the company’s Physical AI Media Day in Munich and Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany, where Agile Robots opened its engineering laboratories, Robots Academy and manufacturing operations to journalists.

He described the company’s strategy as building “a combination of body, brain and application”, with Agile Robots developing an integrated technology stack spanning robotics data, AI models, software and hardware.

The company says it now employs more than 3,500 people, including more than 2,000 R&D specialists, operates more than 20,000 sq m of laboratory space and has deployed more than 20,000 automation systems worldwide.

A central part of that strategy is Agile ONE, the company’s 174 cm humanoid robot, which has entered initial production at its manufacturing facility in Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich. The 69 kg robot has a 20 kg payload and is being developed for manufacturing, logistics and assembly applications.

Inside Agile Robots’ Munich operations

Agile Robots provided a glimpse inside its Munich headquarters, engineering labs and Robots Academy, as well as its manufacturing operations in nearby Fürstenfeldbruck (images above).

The facilities bring together robot development, AI research, testing and production, with engineers working across humanoids, robotic arms and other automation systems.

Agile Robots says it employs more than 3,500 people, including more than 2,000 R&D specialists, and has more than 20,000 sq m of laboratory space worldwide.

Developing infrastructure

Agile Robots is also developing the data and AI infrastructure needed to make its robots more autonomous. Its Robots Academy in Munich collects training data through teleoperation and human task demonstrations, supplementing data generated by deployed robots, simulation and other visual sources.

The company says its physical AI systems are already being applied to variable production tasks, server assembly, intralogistics, material handling and dexterous manipulation. Its wider product portfolio includes robotic arms, mobile robots, intelligent hands and grippers, and complete automation cells.

Agile Robots was founded in Munich in 2018 as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center, or DLR. The company now operates more than 25 sites globally and says it holds more than 650 patents.