Sanctuary AI has announced plans to deliver its humanoid robot to a Magna manufacturing facility. Headquartered in Canada, Magna operates auto manufacturing facilities in Austria and is known for producing cars for top European automakers like Mercedes, Jaguar, and BMW. As is typical with such deals, Sanctuary AI has not disclosed the exact number of robots it will deploy.
This announcement comes on the heels of similar partnerships between other companies and major automakers. Figure and Apptronik are piloting their humanoid systems with BMW and Mercedes, respectively. Meanwhile, Agility announced a deal with Ford during CES in January 2020, focusing on last-mile deliveries using Digit units. However, Agility has since shifted its focus to warehouse deployments, collaborating with partners like Amazon.
Magna invested in Sanctuary AI in 2021, coinciding with Elon Musk’s announcement of a humanoid robot for Tesla factories. Sanctuary AI, based in Vancouver, unveiled its humanoid system, Phoenix, in May of the same year. Phoenix stands at 5’7” and weighs 155 pounds, with a particular emphasis on dexterous hands to enable expanded functionality beyond basic mobility.
While Phoenix represents Sanctuary’s first walking humanoid, the company had previously deployed an earlier model at a Canadian retailer. Despite limited leg footage, Sanctuary prioritized crafting agile hands, crucial for tasks beyond basic movement.
Sanctuary AI describes the pilot program with Magna as a multi-disciplinary assessment to enhance the cost and scalability of robots, utilizing Magna’s automotive product portfolio, engineering expertise, and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, Magna has made a strategic equity investment in Sanctuary AI.
As with any pilot program, Sanctuary AI has kept the details confidential, including the number of robots, pilot duration, and deployment location. Ultimately, the success of these partnerships hinges on achieving favorable ROI, which will determine future developments and deployments.
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