Humanoid and Schaeffler strike deal to deploy thousands of humanoid robots in factories - Robotics & Automation News
The agreement is one of the largest disclosed humanoid robot rollouts ever announced and positions Humanoid, founded by Artem Sokolov in 2024, among the youngest companies to secure a large-scale contract at this level.
Key takeaways
The most recent headlines show a surge in large‑scale deployments and performance milestones for humanoid robots. British startup Humanoid has signed a phased supply agreement with German motion‑technology giant Schaeffler to roll out a four‑digit fleet of its wheeled HMND 01 Alpha units across Schaeffler’s global factories, with the first sites in Herzogenaurach and Schweinfurt slated to go live between December 2026 and June 2027; the contract also includes a seven‑digit order for actuators that hints at a potential total of 100 000 robots over the next five years. In the United States, California‑based Figure AI extended an eight‑hour autonomous package‑sorting test into a continuous 24‑hour run, during which three Helix‑02 humanoids sorted more than 28 000 parcels without failure, underscoring progress toward round‑the‑clock warehouse operation. Meanwhile, China’s Unitree Robotics unveiled a 9‑foot, 1 100‑pound humanoid called GD01 that can carry a human passenger and transform into a quadruped, priced at $650 000, illustrating the country’s push to dominate the high‑profile, human‑sized segment of the market. In Japan, the Institute of Science Tokyo opened an unmanned laboratory staffed by ten robots—including the Maholo LabDroid humanoid—to automate medical experiments, reflecting a broader trend of integrating autonomous humanoids into research environments. Together, these developments indicate that humanoid robotics is moving from prototype showcases to extensive commercial rollouts, longer autonomous operation periods, and increasingly diverse applications across manufacturing, logistics, and scientific research.
The agreement is one of the largest disclosed humanoid robot rollouts ever announced and positions Humanoid, founded by Artem Sokolov in 2024, among the youngest companies to secure a large-scale contract at this level. It targets deployment of a four-digit number of wheeled units across Schaeffler’s global facilities by 2032.
The agreement follows a series of successful proof-of-concepts and a strategic partnership announced in January 2026 between the two companies.
The initial deployment phase, running from December 2026 through June 2027, will take place across two Schaeffler sites in Germany.
In Herzogenaurach, the focus will remain on advancing box handling use case within a live production environment. At the same time, operations in Schweinfurt will begin with a three-month capability demonstration and integration testing period, followed by a three-month on-site phase dedicated to validating stable, continuous operation approaching full production scale.
A core principle of the collaboration is economic viability at scale: Humanoid will support Schaeffler in integrating its robotic systems into existing production environments.
This includes meeting Schaeffler’s requirements for system architecture, safety, and IT infrastructure, as well as aligning with standardized rollout processes and security-by-design principles. Skip to primary navigation Skip to primary sidebar Skip to secondary sidebar
Robotics & Automation News
Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Humanoid and Schaeffler strike deal to deploy thousands of humanoid robots in factories
by David Edwards
Humanoid, a UK-based AI and robotics company, has signed a binding, phased deployment and supply agreement with Schaeffler, a leading motion technology company, to integrate humanoid robots directly into live manufacturing operations.
The first systems go live in Germany before the end of 2026. Humanoid will also purchase actuators from Schaeffler as a preferred supplier.
Mentioned in this article