The startup’s approach relies on proprietary foundation models that connect what a robot sees with task information and physical movement. Rather than programming each motion manually, Industrial Next trains its systems through demonstrations and simulated practice.
Co-founder Lukas Pankau said the company developed a detailed simulation environment intended to approximate real-world physics. Robots can use that environment to practice precise manufacturing tasks before performing them on production equipment.
That approach is meant to address one of the challenges facing robotics developers: physical automation does not have access to the enormous datasets that have supported the development of internet-trained AI models. The shortage is particularly acute for tasks involving intricate assembly and manipulation.
Industrial Next is targeting jobs that have traditionally been difficult to automate because they require precision and adaptability. Conventional factory robots are typically programmed around highly repeatable processes, and even relatively small changes to a product or production setup can require additional programming or equipment adjustments.
The company points to smartphone manufacturing as an example of what its technology can already handle. Pankau told TechCrunch that Industrial Next stations are involved in producing one of the world’s most popular smartphones, although he did not identify the manufacturer.
Those tasks include threading a flexible cable and attaching a small connector cap. Pankau also described a station that removes protective film from camera modules and buttons.
For that operation, he said the system has performed at or above human speed with 100% accuracy and was able to work with an unfamiliar phone model and production line. Those figures come from Industrial Next and refer to smartphone assembly rather than the BMW evaluation.
The collaboration with BMW will instead examine whether Industrial Next’s approach to dexterous manipulation can translate to automotive manufacturing. Neither company has identified a specific production line or provided a timetable for a possible deployment.
Industrial Next was founded in 2021 by Pankau and Allen Pan, who previously worked together at Tesla. Pankau served as a lead electrical architect, while Pan led work on autonomous factory systems. Their experience with difficult-to-program manufacturing equipment later contributed to the decision to start Industrial Next.
The company’s ambitions extend beyond individual manufacturing tasks.
“We ultimately want to take this to building a full car end-to-end without any human touching ever,” Pankau told TechCrunch.
For now, the BMW partnership gives Industrial Next an automotive environment in which to test whether its AI-driven robotic systems can handle the kind of complex factory work the company says it has already automated in smartphone production.
This analysis is based on reporting from Superpower Daily.
Image courtesy of Industrial Next.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
