Schaeffler plans to deploy 1,000 Hexagon humanoids by 2032 - The Robot Report
## Hexagon moves from pilot to deployment Building on the successful pilot, the companies now plan to deploy the robots across multiple sites, with additional applications, such as automated parts inspection, targeted for rollout starting at the end of 2026.
Key takeaways
The most recent headlines show that the humanoid‑robot market is moving from prototype showcases to large‑scale manufacturing and strategic acquisitions. 1X’s NEO platform, which began preorder in October 2025, has entered full‑scale production at a 58,000‑square‑foot factory in Hayward, California, and the company says it will be able to build up to 100,000 units a year by the end of 2027, aiming to bring a $20,000 home assistant robot capable of chores, scheduling and basic interaction to U.S. households. At the same time, Meta has announced the purchase of Assured Robot Intelligence, a startup that develops foundation models for whole‑body humanoid control, signaling the social‑media giant’s intent to integrate advanced AI‑driven robots into future consumer products. In the industrial arena, Schaeffler is partnering with Hexagon Robotics to roll out 1,000 AEON humanoids across multiple factories starting in late 2026, with a longer‑term goal of 1,000 units by 2032, while its collaboration with VinDynamics aims to extend actuator technology to additional robot makers. Apptronik, bolstered by a fresh $935 million Series A round, has appointed former Waymo executive Daniel Chu as chief product officer and is preparing to launch its Apollo humanoid for commercial use in logistics, elder‑care and other sectors. Market analysts at Roland Berger project that, if current development trajectories hold, worldwide revenues from humanoid robots could reach $300 billion by 2035, potentially climbing to $750 billion under optimistic scenarios. Finally, the startup Foundation has begun testing its general‑purpose humanoid robots in a supply‑transport demo in Ukraine and has secured a $24 million Pentagon contract, underscoring growing interest in military applications despite remaining challenges such as battery life and durability.
Hexagon moves from pilot to deployment
Building on the successful pilot, the companies now plan to deploy the robots across multiple sites, with additional applications, such as automated parts inspection, targeted for rollout starting at the end of 2026.
A key focus of the partnership is the generation and use of real-world production data to enable faster deployment of AEONs across new use cases and production settings.
“Our innovative actuator platform is the technology backbone for the next generation of humanoid robots,” said Dr. Jochen Schröder, chief operating officer of Schaeffler. “In other words, we are creating the foundation for making humanoid robotics fit for widespread use.” “We have developed a humanoid specifically for the industrial market, leveraging our core expertise in sensor fusion, spatial intelligence, and physical AI,” stated Arnaud Robert, president of Hexagon Robotics. “We are delighted to see our humanoid AEON move into real-world production. Working with Schaeffler allows us to deliver demonstrable business value across various factory environments and scale our operations.”
Last year, Schaeffler completed a pilot program with Hexagon’s robots. During the pilot phase, AEON used its sensor suite and wheel-based locomotion to demonstrate high-precision manipulation capabilities in operating a multi-machine station to load, unload, and inspect parts in an actual manufacturing operation.
Hexagon moves from pilot to deployment Schaeffler also signed a memorandum of understanding with VinDynamics, another humanoid developer. The companies established a strategic partnership focused on joint research and development, where Schaeffler will supply the key components to VinDynamics for the production of humanoid robots. These will include actuator systems and related motion technology components.
VinDynamics said it will conduct technical assessments and optimization of its control software to ensure compatibility with Schaeffler actuators.
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