Based in Barcelona since its creation in 2004, PAL Robotics is one of the historic European players in humanoid robotics. The company has developed several generations of bipedal robots, including REEM-A, REEM-C and then TALOS, a humanoid platform intended for advanced research.
Presented in 2017 and developed in collaboration with LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse, TALOS is designed as a research platform on dynamic locomotion and manipulation, used in various academic and industrial projects. PAL Robotics also has locations in Toulouse and Italy. The start-up is presenting its humanoid robot Kangaroo this week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
JDN. PAL Robotics is one of the rare European start-ups present in the field of humanoid robotics. Is this a challenge or an advantage?
Francesco Ferro. Recently, more than an advantage, it has become a handicap for me. In Europe, on a bureaucratic level, we have not yet found the right rhythm to move forward, while we are evolving in a global competition. Our competitors, particularly in Asia (Unitree, AgiBot, etc.), benefit from strong support from the State, with considerable funding. In the United States, companies can rely on the power of venture capital and large industrial groups that need these robots for multiple applications.
Does Europe have a chance of catching up?
There are fewer and fewer European companies taking robotics really seriously. We are losing know-how that we helped to build. Today, China concentrates a large part of robotics production. We still have a few examples in Europe, but the pressure is strong.
I don’t know how long we can last in the face of price differences, speed of execution and new industrial practices. Sometimes, instead of feeling supported, we feel more constrained. If Europe can accelerate, we may still be able to remain competitive.
Can you detail your different robots and their uses?
Kangaroo robots represent the state of the art in robotics in terms of sensors and perception. They integrate force control (torque control) using torque sensors embedded in the joints, allowing fine, dynamic and secure interaction with the environment.
Kangaroo is part of the technological continuity of TALOS, itself resulting from previous developments of REEM-C. used in many European laboratories and projects. It was one of the first robots used in European pilot projects, notably with Airbus. Airbus was one of the first large industrial companies to take a concrete interest in the use of bipedal humanoid robots for factory applications.
What about the other robots?
For the mobile manipulators part, we have the TIAGo Pro. And the third business unit concerns intralogistics. We have mobile bases as well as StockBot robots. StockBot is a robot that carries out inventories autonomously. We work with retailers, notably Decathlon. Thank you to Decathlon for giving us the opportunity to be present in 40 countries. We are established in around fifteen countries worldwide and we have already installed around 100 robots which carry out inventories every day.
What are your types of customers and what are the main applications?
For the mobile handling part, our robots are used in logistics and the manufacturing industry. They perform pick-and-place operations, move objects and collaborate with other robotic systems, in particular mobile bases coupled with manipulator arms.
We also work in the health sector, with patients, in hospitals and residences for the elderly. We are developing several pilot projects there, because we know that human resources will be increasingly constrained in the future.
More recently we have worked in agriculture. As part of European projects, we are developing solutions for working in the vineyards, particularly for harvesting and pruning the grapes. Agriculture represents a strategic market: labor is becoming scarce, even though food production remains a fundamental and sustainable need.
How much do your robots cost?
Prices have fallen sharply. A few years ago, the most expensive robots could reach 900,000 euros. Today, the most expensive models are around 200,000 euros. However, we are not yet fully competitive with China, in particular because of access to raw materials and components.
What are the challenges posed by the development of these robots?
Beyond mechatronics, robotics is above all an immense work of integration. It’s not just about bringing together mechanics and electronics engineers, but also control and software specialists. We are fortunate to have a multicultural team, accustomed to working effectively together.
The challenges are numerous: the complexity of manufacturing, that of applications, but also the need to demonstrate to customers that, in the long term, these solutions are more efficient than current alternatives. There is also the question of scalability: if we have to produce 200 robots today and demand falls tomorrow, how can we adjust our industrial capacity?
Reliability is another major issue. In some sectors, a reliability rate of 80% may be acceptable. In robotics, this is not enough: we must get closer to 100%, otherwise robots cannot function correctly. It is therefore a question of finding the right balance and deploying these technologies where they provide real added value.
Why is it important to develop humanoid robots?
It’s very simple: all existing factories were designed for humans. These robots can integrate into these environments. We have already transformed our cities for cars: roads, infrastructure… I don’t think the industry is doing the same thing for robots. Some people think that we need to create factories entirely designed for robots, with specific infrastructures. Rather, I believe that we must develop flexible and versatile machines, capable of intervening in existing environments, particularly in dangerous situations.
Aside from your origin, what differentiates you from your competitors?
An important point for me is that we are not developing military applications. However, a large proportion of the robots that we see emerging recently are also intended for uses linked to defense. For me, this is unfortunate, because I believe that robotics should be used to help people, not to oppose them.
