The German automotive hardware maker Schaeffler will deploy thousands of humanoid robots on its factory floors beginning in late 2026 through a deal with the British AI and robotics company Humanoid.
Humanoid makes both wheeled and bipedal versions of its humanoid-style robots, both of which look like a human from the waist up and feature a head with two grasping arms. The announcement did not specific which model robots would be involved in the contract.
In addition to integrating humanoid robots directly into its live manufacturing operations, Schaeffler will also become the preferred supplier of actuators for Humanoid’s robots. Under that five-year supply agreement, Schaeffler will cover more than 50% of the company’s demand for joint actuators for its wheeled-based platforms through 2031, a arrangement that is expected to translate into the supply of “a seven-digit number of actuators,” which indicates between one and nine million units.
The initial deployment phase, running from December 2026 through June 2027, will take place across two Schaeffler sites in Germany. In Herzogenaurach, the focus will remain on advancing box handling use case within a live production environment. And in Schweinfurt, operations will begin with a three-month capability demonstration and integration testing period, followed by a three-month on-site phase dedicated to validating stable, continuous operation approaching full production scale.
The agreement is structured around a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. Under this model, Humanoid provides the robotic systems together with the related services required for end-to-end deployment and operation, including connection to the fleet management software, maintenance, 24/7 technical support, updates, and ongoing performance management.
