India’s humanoid robots "Sherpa Mecha" produced by Ati Motors are getting factory-ready

Bengaluru-based robotics startup Ati Motors, best known for its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), says its Sherpa range is about to execute more than 1 million autonomous missions annually, serving factories from India to Southeast Asia, the US, and Mexico. 

"Introducing Sherpa Mecha: The Future of Human–Robot Collaboration: We are excited to unveil Sherpa Mecha, Ati Motors’ bold leap into next-generation humanoid robotics for industrial and research applications," the company shared on its LinkedIn page.

With Sherpa Mecha, the company aims to add human-like dexterity to machine efficiency, taking “total automation” closer to reality.

"Sherpa Mecha is designed to push the boundaries of automation and open new possibilities for collaborative robotics," the company added.

MoneyControl reports that the humanoid called Sherpa Mecha moves between workstations, lifting, scanning, and delivering materials in a Bengaluru warehouse.

Also read: ‘Salary at 10 am, resignation at 10.05 am’: HR slams employee’s 5-minute exit for lack of “professional ethics” (startuppedia.in)

What is Sherpa Mecha?

Ati Motors co-founder and CEO Saurabh Chandra explained that Sherpa Mecha is a “human-inspired” machine,  but not one that tries to mimic people.

“Too many humanoids globally are designed to be ‘too human-ish’. Our approach is to take inspiration from humans, but still make something that plays to the strengths of a machine,” he told Moneycontrol.

Instead of legs, Sherpa Mecha uses wheels for speed and stability on the factory floor. It has carbon-fibre arms that can lift 12 kg at nearly a metre’s reach, far beyond human imagination, with future versions targeting 35 kg.

Instead of human-like fingers, Sherpa has swappable tools that can be changed mid-task, which allows it to switch from bin-picking to item-picking without downtime. Cameras are embedded in its “hands” to enable precise vision for tasks such as inspection and metrology.

Currently positioned as a research product, the humanoid robot will work with both industrial research teams and universities over the next year before reaching production environments.

Features of Sherpa Mecha as shared by company

1. Humanoid-inspired platform for advanced human–robot interaction
2.  State-of-the-art actuation and modular intelligence, built for complex industrial tasks
3. Advanced sensor fusion (3D LiDAR, AI vision) for real-world awareness
4. Open for research partnerships with universities and innovation centres

The company shared a special animated video on LinkedIn to showcase Sherpa Mecha’s capabilities and innovation journey to life.

Also read: GST Intelligence asks Google to take down 6 gambling websites over registration and tax evasion claims (startuppedia.in)