Toyota is preparing to take factory automation to an entirely new level, with plans to deploy around 400,000 robots across its manufacturing operations starting in 2028.
According to media reports citing Reuters, the Japanese automotive giant is expected to invest nearly 1 trillion yen every year in robotics and factory modernization. That works out to roughly $6.4 billion, or around 24 billion Saudi riyals, annually.
The robots would be deployed across Toyota factories, affiliated companies, and major suppliers, and the fleet is expected to include everything from humanoid machines to more specialized robots designed specifically for industrial work.
Toyota’s ELEY Robot Shows Where Its Factories Are Heading
Toyota’s push into robotics is about more than simply replacing people on production lines. The company is looking for ways to deal with labor shortages in certain markets, modernize aging factory infrastructure, and bring manufacturing costs down as competition across the global auto industry continues to intensify.
One example of that strategy is ELEY, Toyota’s humanoid robot prototype. Instead of trying to perfectly mimic the human body, ELEY combines two fingered hands with a wheel based mobility system, allowing it to move quickly and efficiently around a factory.
Artificial intelligence also plays an important role. ELEY is designed to learn by observing human workers as they perform complex manufacturing tasks, allowing the robot to study their movements and decisions before attempting to reproduce them.
That technology could eventually operate on a huge scale. Toyota has around 60 manufacturing plants worldwide, including 11 in the United States, giving the company an enormous industrial network in which advanced robotics could be deployed.
Automakers Are Racing Toward Robotic Factories
Toyota is hardly alone in its ambitions. Robotics and artificial intelligence are quickly becoming another major area of competition between the world’s largest automakers.
Hyundai plans to introduce Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia plant in the United States starting in 2028. The robots are expected to assist with production at the facility, which builds electric vehicles including the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9.
Tesla, meanwhile, continues to develop Optimus. Elon Musk has much bigger ambitions for the humanoid robot than factory work alone, with plans to eventually offer it to consumers for everyday household tasks.
BMW has also moved beyond experimentation, introducing AI powered AEON robots at its Leipzig factory in Germany following successful trials at the company’s Spartanburg facility in the United States.
Mercedes Benz is taking a slightly different approach. The German automaker uses four legged robots called Aris for inspection work, including checking vehicles and mechanical systems for unusual noises and potential leaks.
