Humanoids enter factories

A humanoid robot has started doing live logistics work inside a Siemens electronics factory in Erlangen, Germany. (press.siemens.com) Siemens and UK robotics firm Humanoid said on April 16 that the HMND 01 Alpha wheeled humanoid was tested in operations at the site, where it picked, transported, and placed totes for human workers. Siemens said the robot met all target metrics, including 60 tote moves an hour, more than eight hours of uptime, and autonomous pick-and-place success above 90%. (press.siemens.com) The machine used Nvidia’s “physical AI” stack, which means software for training robots in simulation before they act in the real world. Siemens said its Xcelerator software and controls handled the factory integration, including digital twin tools, industrial controls, and fleet management. (press.siemens.com) (theaiinsider.tech) Factories already use fixed robots for welding, packing, and moving parts, but those systems usually stay in fenced cells or repeat one motion. Siemens and Humanoid are testing a different setup: a mobile robot that can move through existing aisles and handle containers inside a working electronics plant. (press.siemens.com) (thehumanoid.ai) The timing ties to a broader Siemens-Nvidia push announced at CES on January 6, 2026. The companies said then they wanted to build fully AI-driven, adaptive manufacturing sites, starting with the Siemens Electronics Factory in Erlangen as the first blueprint. (press.siemens.com) (nvidianews.nvidia.com) Humanoid says HMND 01 was designed for warehouses and factories, with modular hardware and software that can be reconfigured for different jobs. On its product page, the company says the robot can assist with goods handling, kitting, part handling, and machine feeding in electronics and automotive plants. (thehumanoid.ai) The companies are also pitching this as more than a one-off demo. Siemens said the goal is to make humanoids “fully integrated” shop-floor assets, and Humanoid chief executive Artem Sokolov said the Erlangen work showed the robots are ready for industrial deployment. (press.siemens.com) (theaiinsider.tech) Humanoid has already lined up another manufacturing partner. In January 2026, the company and Schaeffler announced a multi-year plan to deploy hundreds of humanoid robots across Schaeffler facilities over five years, with beta deployments scheduled for 2026 and 2027. (theaiinsider.tech) For now, the clearest result is narrow and concrete: a humanoid robot completed tote-handling work for more than one shift inside a live Siemens factory. Siemens is using Erlangen as the test bed for what it says could become an AI-run factory model. (press.siemens.com) (nvidianews.nvidia.com)