Global motion technology leader Schaeffler AG has entered a strategic partnership with robotics startup Humanoid (SKL Robotics Ltd.), planning to deploy hundreds of humanoid robots across its production facilities over the next five years. This collaboration, bridging German industrial prowess with agile robotics development, marks one of the most ambitious real-world scaling efforts for humanoid robots to date.
For all the viral videos of humanoids performing parkour, the true test of the technology lies not on a demo stage, but in the gritty, demanding environment of a factory floor. That test is now beginning at a massive scale. Schaeffler, the Herzogenaurach, Germany-based automotive and industrial supplier, has partnered with the ambitious startup Humanoid in a deal that could see hundreds of two-armed, mobile robots working alongside human employees within a few years. This isn’t just a pilot; it’s a phased, multi-year roadmap to integrate humanoids as a “practical and reliable part of industrial environments,” representing a major vote of confidence in the category’s near-term viability.
“Real-world integration is the ultimate test for humanoid robots,” said Artem Sokolov, founder of Humanoid, a company that impressively built a functional alpha prototype of its HMND 01 robot in just seven months. The partnership is comprehensive. Beyond the planned deployment of hundreds of robots, Schaeffler will become the preferred supplier for actuators—the crucial components that enable precise joint movement—for Humanoid’s wheeled platforms. The companies will also collaborate on data collection and AI skill development, using teleoperation and synthetic data to train models specifically for Schaeffler’s operational needs. This deep technical and supply chain integration is designed to move beyond one-off demos to measurable, repeatable industrial processes.
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For Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld, the move is a strategic play to cement the company’s role in the future of automation. “As a motion technology company, we want to play a key role in the growing humanoid robotics market,” Rosenfeld stated, citing the firm’s decades-long manufacturing excellence as a key asset. The partnership gives Humanoid, which has over 200 engineers across London, Boston, and Vancouver, a powerful industrial anchor and a clear path to scale. According to The Robot Report, initial deployments will begin with beta-stage robots in 2026 and 2027, focusing on validation against Schaeffler’s stringent safety and performance requirements. Following this, Humanoid plans to offer its robots via robot-as-a-service (RaaS) models.
This announcement signals a pivotal shift for the humanoid robotics industry. It moves the narrative from “if” they will be useful to “how” and “when.” By aligning a innovative startup’s rapid development cycle—their HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal achieved stable locomotion 48 hours after assembly—with a global industrial player’s need for reliability and scale, this partnership creates a powerful blueprint. It demonstrates that the path to viable humanoid robots runs directly through partnerships with established manufacturers who can provide not just a testing ground, but also the critical motion components and real-world data needed to evolve from a fascinating prototype into an indispensable factory worker.
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