Schaeffler, a motion technology company, has received the prestigious Hermes Award for its highly integrated actuator platform designed specifically for humanoid robots. The award was presented during the opening ceremony of Hannover Messe on April 19 by Dorothee Bar, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space, in the presence of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. An independent jury chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, selected Schaeffler from three nominated companies, recognizing the platform's high level of innovation and significant benefits for industry.
The actuator platform addresses a critical cost factor in humanoid robotics: actuators account for approximately 50 percent of a humanoid's total cost. By developing a scalable, modular actuator platform, Schaeffler aims to make humanoid robots competitive for large-scale industrial use. The company plans to begin series production of components as early as this year, leveraging its decades of experience as an automotive and industrial supplier. Georg F. W. Schaeffler, family shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG, stated, 'With our highly integrated actuator platform, we are setting new benchmarks in this growth area by combining our decades-long technology expertise with our excellent track record in industrialization.'
The actuator platform includes rotary actuators that deliver precise and powerful rotational movements in key joints like shoulders, elbows, and knees, enabling natural movement sequences. It is based on highly efficient electric motors with integrated power electronics and high-precision encoders, and can be configured flexibly with two-stage planetary or strain wave gears. An innovative architecture integrates the bearing into the rotor, reducing installation footprint by around 20 percent and weight by up to 500 grams, resulting in a design that is up to 10 mm more compact than other solutions while delivering high continuous torque.
Schaeffler relies on its 12 core manufacturing technologies, including highly automated winding technology for coils and chipless metal forming for roller bearing rings a mere 1 mm thick, to enable fast and flexible production ramp-up. Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, commented, 'There’s barely any other technology at Schaeffler that illustrates more effectively the immense potential behind this concept than actuator technology, which enables energy to be converted into mechanical motion. And especially when combined with the capabilities of AI, it is evident that this is a key technology for facilitating the breakthrough of humanoid robots.'
The actuator platform, along with other innovative key components for humanoid robots and industrial solutions for intralogistics, will be on display at Booth E60 in Hall 13 from April 20 to 24. More information about Schaeffler’s participation in Hannover Messe 2026 can be found at Schaeffler at the Hannover Messe 2026.
