Humanoid signs deal to deploy wheeled robots to Schaeffler factories in Germany

May 13 (Reuters) - British startup Humanoid said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement with Schaeffler SHA0n.DE to deploy thousands of wheeled humanoid robots across the German machine and car parts maker's global manufacturing facilities.

The deal, coming around two years after Humanoid's founding, highlights how artificial intelligence-powered robots are moving beyond lab demonstrations and pilot programs to commercial contracts on factory floors.

Here are some details:

• The first systems will go live at two Schaeffler sites in Germany before the end of 2026, marking the start of an initial deployment phase running through June 2027.

• At Schaeffler's Herzogenaurach facility, the focus will be on box handling in a live production environment. In Schweinfurt, the systems will be tested together before a full-scale validation phase.

• Thousands of wheeled humanoid robots are targeted for deployment by 2032.

• The agreement is structured around a robot-as-a-service model, with Humanoid providing fleet management, software, maintenance, technical support and performance management alongside the robotic systems.

• Humanoid will also buy actuators from Schaeffler, covering more than half its joint actuator demand for wheel-based actuators through 2031. The five-year partnership is expected to translate into millions of actuators, the company said.

• The agreement builds on a partnership the two companies announced in January after a series of proof-of-concept trials.

• Humanoid was founded in 2024 and unveiled its first industrial robot, the wheeled HMND 01 Alpha, in September 2025.

• In April, Siemens SIEGn.DE and Humanoid partnered to deploy the NVIDIA-powered NVDA.O HMND 01 humanoid robot for logistics at Siemens' Erlangen factory.

• Though humanoid robotics accounted for less than 1% of Schaeffler’s total sales in 2025, the company is betting on growth in the sector to support its shares and offset automotive sector volatility.

• In November 2025, Schaeffler partnered with Neura Robotics to jointly develop and supply key components for humanoids.