This $5 Billion Startup Is Putting Humanoid Robots To Work

Bloomberg correspondent Joshua Brustein visits Robot Park, Apptronik's Austin, Texas facility where the company's Apollo 2 humanoid robots perform tasks like sorting toys and loading conveyor belts. Despite Apptronik's claims of autonomous capability, the robots observed were actually teleoperated by human pilots wearing VR headsets and sensor suits, with the real purpose being data collection to train future AI systems. CEO Jeff Cardenas compares today's humanoid robots to 1980s personal computers — limited now, but a sign of where the technology is headed, positioning Apptronik as an underrated, pragmatic player in the humanoid robotics space.