Humanoid, Schaeffler announce strategic technology partnership

UK-based AI and robotics Humanoid and motion technology company Schaeffler announced a strategic technology partnership that will bring hundreds of Humanoid’s robots into Schaeffler’s production facilities over the next five years.

Beyond deployment, the companies said that the partnership covers actuator supply, data collection, skill development and other critical areas.

Humanoid and Schaeffler completed a successful proof-of-concept for bin picking with a pre-alpha humanoid robot in late October 2025.

Deployments to begin within next 24 months

The companies said that the initial deployments are scheduled to begin with beta-stage robots in 2026-2027. This phase will focus on validating technical integration, operational performance and compliance with Schaeffler’s system, safety, IT and security requirements.

Humanoid and Schaeffler said they will measure success across key metrics, including:

• Performance
• Efficiency
• Availability
• Reliability
• Serviceability
• Ease of integration.

Following validation, Humanoid plans to offer its humanoid robots under Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) models for the gamma phase, with both RaaS and CapEx options available for later stages.

“Real-world integration is the ultimate test for humanoid robots,” said Artem Sokolov, founder of Humanoid. “Moving from pilots to large-scale deployment requires close alignment on systems, data, safety and operations with our partners. Our collaboration with Schaeffler allows us to validate and scale humanoid deployment with clear requirements, measurable outcomes and long-term plans. Together, we are laying the groundwork for humanoid robots to become a practical and reliable part of industrial environments within just a few years.”

Under the new agreement, the companies will also strengthen cooperation on the supply and integration of actuator components for Humanoid’s robotic platforms. They will explore the joint development of next-generation actuators, based on technical requirements and design specifications. As part of the partnership, Schaeffler will become Humanoid’s preferred supplier for joint actuators used in the wheeled platform.

“As a motion technology company, we want to play a key role in the growing humanoid robotics market,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG. “To do so, we are relying on our decades-long manufacturing excellence and industrialization expertise. With Humanoid, we are gaining an attractive partner in Europe that will enable us to drive forward joint innovations in the field of humanoid robotics.”

As part of the collaboration, the companies will also work together on data collection and skill development for humanoid robots. This includes gathering robot-specific and use-case-driven data through teleoperation, synthetic data generation and peripheral data. Humanoid and Schaeffler said that the collected information will be used to train AI models and continuously improve robot performance, with skills tailored to Schaeffler’s operational needs.