Physical AI moves closer to factory floors as companies test humanoid robots

British company Humanoid has partnered with German supplier Schaeffler to deploy 1,000 to 2,000 robots across its global factories by 2032. The first deployment is set for December 2026 to June 2027 at two sites in Germany, focusing on tasks like box handling. Humanoid will assist in integrating these robots into Schaeffler's existing production lines, building on a previous partnership announced in January. Schaeffler will also become Humanoid's preferred supplier for actuators through 2031, covering over half of Humanoid's demand for its wheeled humanoid platforms.