Schaeffler, NEURA Robotics partner to jointly develop and supply components for humanoids

Motion technology company Schaeffler and cognitive robotics company NEURA Robotics announced a partnership that will develop and supply key components - such as innovative actuators - for humanoid robots.

Moreover, Schaeffler will deploy humanoids from NEURA in its global production network and integrate a mid-four-digit number of humanoids into its production by 2035. In doing so, Schaeffler said it is also collaborating with other humanoid manufacturers.

Partnership showcases growth of humanoid market

Through the partnership, NEURA Robotics is securing a significant portion of its requirement for compact, lightweight actuators for continuous duty operation. Both companies said they generate real application data that is essential for training humanoid robots. This data will be incorporated into the Neuraverse, a global cognitive ecosystem that connects physical AI and enables it to learn faster so as to continuously optimize the capabilities of robots.

“Humanoid robotics is an important growth segment for Schaeffler, and NEURA is one of the most innovative companies in Europe,” said Andreas Schick, COO of Schaeffler AG. “The collaboration underscores our position as a preferred technology partner in this field. Schaeffler will bring decades of product and industrialization expertise to the partnership. By combining our expertise strategically, we are not only strengthening our own competitiveness, but as pioneers in technology, we are also setting benchmarks for Germany as a business location.”

The companies said that a key component of the partnership is the joint capture and use of production data as the basis for developing the industrial robotics skills that will be needed in future production environments. Cutting-edge systems enable motion and interaction data in the production environment that can then be generated and used for training AI models. This means that humanoid robots can be systematically trained to do specific tasks and continually refined and improved. Through this collaboration, new skills based on real application data are being developed for Schaeffler while the Neuraverse database is being expanded.

“With Schaeffler, one of Germany’s largest and most experienced industrial players is underscoring that you cannot wait for new technologies but must actively advance them,” said David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics. “This is how the German automotive industry once became a world market leader hand in hand with the automation sector. Together, we are committed to driving the industrialization of humanoids forward and creating, above all, what makes them deployable on an industrial scale: a global ecosystem for physical AI, built on an independent European data foundation.”

In the partnership, Schaeffler will also contribute to the development of planetary gear actuators. These actuators are used in humanoid joints that perform precise rotational movements, such as shoulders, elbows, knees or wrists. Despite their compact, lightweight construction, they need to be designed for maximum torque in continuous-duty operation. Schaeffler’s actuator range for humanoids offers torque ratings of up to Nm 250, which would allow NEURA’s 3^rd-generation 4NE1 humanoid to carry heavy loads.