Humanoid and Siemens complete proof of concept to test humanoid robot - The Manufacturer
# Humanoid and Siemens complete proof of concept to test humanoid robot Posted on 15 Jan 2026 by The Manufacturer Share this article: Share on Linkedin Share on Twitter Share on facebook Copy Link Company: Siemens Humanoid, a UK-based AI and robotics compan...
Key takeaways
Humanoid robots are moving from laboratory demos toward industrial and commercial use. In mid‑January 2026, Humanoid’s wheeled Alpha HMND 01 robot completed a six‑week proof‑of‑concept at the Ford Innovation Centre in Cologne, handling complex tote‑kitting and dual‑arm manipulation of large car‑body parts using NVIDIA Omniverse digital twins, and the company is now exploring full‑scale production deployment. The day before, Humanoid and Siemens finished a separate proof‑of‑concept at Siemens’ Electronics Factory in Erlangen, where the robot achieved a throughput of 60 tote moves per hour, continuous autonomous operation for over 30 minutes and more than eight hours of uptime, demonstrating reliable performance in a real‑world logistics setting. Chinese manufacturer UBTech is scaling up dramatically, targeting production of 5,000 industrial humanoids in 2026 and 10,000 in 2027, having already shipped about 1,000 units and selling $112 million worth of robots, and it recently secured a multi‑figure purchase from Airbus for testing humanoid assistance in aircraft assembly. At CES 2026, Boston Dynamics showcased a new Atlas version, while BionIT Labs introduced “Adam’s Hand”, a dexterous robotic hand that was demonstrated on two humanoid platforms (Robee R and Robee M) for industrial and medical use. Meanwhile, AI startup 1X announced a new “world‑model” AI that lets its humanoid Neo learn tasks directly from its own video feed, reducing reliance on human tele‑operators. Industry analysts at the International Federation of Robotics note that 2026 is seeing a shift from headline‑grabbing spectacles toward pilots that deliver measurable economic value, with safety, reliability and cycle‑time efficiency becoming the key criteria for wider adoption of humanoid robots in factories and service settings.
Humanoid and Siemens complete proof of concept to test humanoid robot
Posted on 15 Jan 2026 by The Manufacturer
Share this article: Share on Linkedin Share on Twitter Share on facebook Copy Link
Company: Siemens
Humanoid, a UK-based AI and robotics company, and Siemens, a leading technology company, have successfully completed a proof of concept (POC) demonstrating the use of humanoid robots in industrial logistics.
Humanoid’s HMND 01 wheeled Alpha robot was deployed in real operations at a Siemens facility, marking a significant step toward the deployment of humanoid robots in industrial settings. This successful POC is the first step in a broader partnership between the two companies to test and validate how humanoid robots can be used in real-world environments. “At Humanoid, we are a commercially driven company. Our focus is on creating robots that deliver measurable value in real-world settings. Working closely with industrial and technology partners allow us to validate our systems against real operational requirements and understand which use cases matter outside the lab. This joint POC with Siemens showed clear potential for practical deployment of humanoid robots. We see them move steadily toward the real world, and partnerships like this one help accelerate that transition,” noted Artem Sokolov, founder and CEO of Humanoid. The second phase involved a two-week on-site deployment at the Siemens Electronics Factory in Erlangen, where partners assessed the robots in a real-world production environment. This joint POC measured both performance and reliability of humanoid robots under autonomous operation. Target metrics were met in full and included a throughput of 60 tote moves per hour, operation with two different tote sizes, continuous autonomous task execution for more than 30 minutes, uptime exceeding eight hours.
Mentioned in this article