Humanoid to deploy 1,000-2,000 robots at Schaeffler by 2032

British robotics company Humanoid will supply between 1,000 and 2,000 humanoid robots to Schaeffler’s manufacturing and warehouse sites worldwide by 2032. Initial pilot deployments for box handling are scheduled at two German locations, Herzogenaurach and Schweinfurt, between December 2026 and June 2027. The companies have not disclosed the contract value. Humanoid will assist with integrating the robots into Schaeffler’s existing production lines as part of the rollout.

Artem Sokolov, Humanoid’s chief executive, described the first phase as covering box handling in Herzogenaurach and near-full-scale factory testing in Schweinfurt. Under a supply agreement, Schaeffler will be Humanoid’s preferred supplier for joint actuators through 2031. The contract is expected to meet more than half of Humanoid’s demand for its wheeled humanoid platforms and to cover at least 1 million actuators over the period.

The deployments will focus on physical tasks that mirror current human work in production and warehouse settings, including moving boxes and handling materials. Humanoid’s platforms will be integrated into existing lines to perform repetitive logistics duties while Schaeffler evaluates performance in live production conditions.

Other companies are collecting human motion data to train robots for similar tasks. Workers are recorded with cameras on the head and hands while performing service and logistics jobs. Engineers convert those recordings into machine-readable data, add demonstrations captured with additional cameras, VR headsets and motion-tracking gloves, and extract details such as joint angles and force applied during tasks.

Tested systems include wheeled robots with human-like hands moving cups under remote guidance and humanoids that opened a box, placed a computer mouse inside, closed the box and put it on a conveyor belt. One developer working in the field targets industrial rollouts around 2028 and is prioritizing hand dexterity for factory and service tasks.

Automakers and electronics manufacturers have announced plans for humanoids and task-specific robots in factories. One automaker plans to introduce externally built humanoids at multiple plants beginning in 2028. A major electronics firm has set a target of converting manufacturing sites to AI-driven factories by 2030 and has included humanoids in that plan.

Labour groups have raised concerns about the use of worker data and the impact of robot deployment on jobs and skill pipelines. Kim Seok, policy director at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, warned, “Employers and the government should engage with workers over AI adoption.” Unions say automation could affect employment and the supply of skilled labor.

Hospitality tests illustrate operational limits and timelines. A hotel involved in training reported that current humanoids require several hours to clean a guest room that a human staffer can finish in about 40 minutes, and the property expects robots to handle some cleaning and support tasks by 2029. One hotel worker involved in training estimated humanoids might eventually take over about 30% to 40% of back-of-house event preparation work, while tasks requiring direct human interaction are likely to remain with people.