Humanoid signs Schaeffler deal for thousands

Humanoid said on May 13 that it had signed a binding, phased deployment and supply agreement with Schaeffler to put humanoid robots into live manufacturing operations, with the first systems due to go live in Germany before the end of 2026. The London-based company described the arrangement as one of the largest disclosed humanoid robot rollouts to date and said it would cover a four-digit number of wheeled units across Schaeffler facilities by 2032. (roboticstomorrow.com) Schaeffler had already disclosed a strategic technology partnership with Humanoid on January 13, saying at the time that it planned to integrate several hundred humanoids into its global production network over the next five years. (roboticstomorrow.com) That earlier announcement also said the companies would work on components including actuators for wheeled-base and bipedal robots, with Schaeffler becoming the preferred supplier of actuators for wheeled systems. The May 13 announcement expands that January framework from a several-hundred-robot plan to a four-digit deployment target by 2032, according to Humanoid’s statement. Humanoid said the agreement follows proof-of-concept work between the two companies and is structured as a robot-as-a-service model, under which it will provide the robotic systems, fleet-management connections, maintenance, technical support, software updates and performance management. (roboticstomorrow.com) Germany is set to host the first phase. Humanoid said the initial deployment will run from December 2026 through June 2027 across two Schaeffler sites. In Herzogenaurach, the work will focus on box handling in a live production environment. In Schweinfurt, the company said the program will begin with a three-month capability demonstration and integration-testing period, followed by a three-month on-site phase aimed at validating stable, continuous operation near full production scale. (schaeffler.com) The commercial structure extends beyond robot deployment. Humanoid said it also signed a five-year supply agreement under which Schaeffler will cover more than 50% of Humanoid’s demand for joint actuators for wheeled platforms through 2031. The company said that arrangement is expected to translate into a seven-digit number of actuators. (roboticstomorrow.com) Klaus Rosenfeld, Schaeffler’s chief executive, said in the January announcement that the company wanted to “play a key role in the growing humanoid robotics market” by using its manufacturing and industrialization expertise. Artem Sokolov, Humanoid’s chief executive and founder, said large-volume deployment in real factories would test whether humanoid robotics can move beyond lab work and proof-of-concept projects. (roboticstomorrow.com) Humanoid was founded in 2024 by Sokolov, according to the company’s May statement. Schaeffler, based in Herzogenaurach, has been building out a broader humanoid robotics effort, describing itself on its website as an integrator, industrialization partner and lifetime solution provider for robot manufacturers. (roboticstomorrow.com) By December 2026, the next milestone is scheduled to begin at Schaeffler’s Herzogenaurach and Schweinfurt plants, where Humanoid said the first live deployments and validation work will start under the phased rollout. The broader target remains a four-digit fleet across Schaeffler’s facilities by 2032, while the actuator supply agreement runs through 2031. (roboticstomorrow.com) (schaeffler.com)