Mercedes-Benz Advances AI-Driven Production and Humanoid Robotics at Berlin’s Digital Factory Campus

2:03 pm UTC March 21, 2025 Mar 21, 2025 | by: Mercedes-Benz | Mechanical engineering

(Photo by: Mercedes-Benz)

The Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus (MBDFC) cements its position as a leading global hub for production and digital innovation.

Mercedes-Benz is fast-tracking the modernization of its production network by solidifying Berlin-Marienfelde’s role as a center for MO360 digital production technology, now enhanced with Artificial Intelligence (AI), humanoid robots, and groundbreaking innovations like the production of high-performance electric axial-flux motors.

Since 2022, Berlin-Marienfelde has been the focal point for global digital production innovations, courtesy of the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus (MBDFC). The campus fosters the development of advanced software solutions within a real-world production environment. Central to this is the MO360 digital production ecosystem, which integrates vital software applications and data from across the global production network. At MBDFC, new processes and technologies are developed and rapidly rolled out for use in automotive production.

Mercedes-Benz has now upgraded its MO360 production system by incorporating AI tools like the Digital Factory Chatbot Ecosystem and MO360LLM Suite, alongside humanoid robots from U.S.-based company Apptronik. This bolsters Berlin-Marienfelde’s reputation as a leader in global innovation. The facility tests these cutting-edge systems, such as those enabled through the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), before they are deployed at other plants. Recently, Berlin-Marienfelde played a pivotal role in preparing the Rastatt plant for its production of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, the first car equipped with MB.OS.

“Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde remains at the forefront of automotive production, keeping Germany on the map as a hub of global innovation. AI and humanoid robots present an exciting frontier, enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and intelligence in production,” said Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management.

Berlin-Marienfelde: Pioneering Robotic Automation
Mercedes-Benz is pushing the envelope with cutting-edge technology, integrating Apollo, one of the most advanced commercial humanoid robots, into its production lines. Mercedes-Benz plans to invest a low double-digit-million euro sum into Apptronik, founded in 2016 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab, as part of its commitment to humanoid robotics in manufacturing.

Since the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz has leveraged industrial robots to handle repetitive, physically demanding tasks. Currently, humanoid robots are being trialed to support logistics tasks, such as transporting parts to production lines for skilled workers to assemble and performing initial quality checks. Apollo robots have been collecting real-time data to refine specific use cases in MO360. Production staff at Mercedes-Benz have imparted their knowledge to Apollo via teleoperation and augmented reality, and the next milestone involves enabling Apollo to carry out autonomous operations.

In December, Apptronik announced a strategic partnership with Google DeepMind, combining advanced AI with innovative hardware to further the development of humanoid robots capable of assisting in dynamic environments.

AI in Everyday Production
AI is transforming production at the MBDFC, where Mercedes-Benz is harnessing new smart technologies to enhance the global production network. The MO360 AI Factory brings intuitive AI tools into production. For example, the Digital Factory Chatbot Ecosystem allows employees to query production databases in real-time, receiving answers in multiple languages about machine maintenance and best practices.

“AI takes over the tasks we usually enjoy less, giving us time to focus on real innovation, creativity, and value-adding activities. I’m convinced that it makes a significant contribution to business success when applied strategically and executed pragmatically. So, let’s embrace it as a key part of our solution moving forward,” said Katrin Lehmann, Chief Information Officer of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

One key AI tool is the virtual multi-agent system, which analyzes complex data in real time. These AI agents help engineers identify the root causes of quality deviations quickly, offering insights and solutions, significantly increasing production efficiency.

Transforming Marienfelde with Axial-Flux Motors
Alongside developing advanced production processes, Marienfelde has long been integral to Mercedes-Benz’s powertrain production network. As the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles, Berlin is emerging as a hub for producing high-performance electric motors. From next year, the cutting-edge axial-flux motors will be manufactured at Marienfelde. This innovative production method involves around 100 processes, 65 of which are new to Mercedes-Benz, and 35 completely new to the industry, driven by innovations like AI and laser technologies. Over 30 patents have been filed, further highlighting Marienfelde’s role as a leader in production innovation.