Here Come the Humanoids

Schaeffler relies on simulation to fulfill a specific vision for motion technology in automotive and industrial settings.

David Kehr sees Schaeffler as a facilitator of motion. As the president of the company’s Humanoid Robotics division, he’s looking to simulation and physical artificial intelligence (AI) — the integration of AI into autonomous systems — to help bring his vision to life.

“We will bring humanoids into our plants,” he says. “We will build assembly lines, develop and industrialize components for them, test equipment for humanoid original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and we will also participate in the humanoid aftermarket as well with our aftermarket division.”

Schaeffler’s core focus is to develop scalable, reliable components and systems that can be seamlessly integrated into robotics applications, including humanoid robots. This mission aligns with the supplier’s broader commitment to foster innovation and support industries in tackling production system complexities.

Rather than displace human workers, the ultimate goal of this technology is to ensure that robots not only perform repetitive or hazardous tasks but harmonize with human workers and existing infrastructure.

“We’re a motion technology company. We facilitate motion, and humanoids in physical AI are all about motion,” says Kehr. “The future of humanoids depends on production readiness, uptime, and serviceability as physical AI progresses. Schaeffler’s expertise in scalable automotive manufacturing, special machinery, and life cycle services addresses the hardest barriers to adoption, positioning us well in the humanoid and physical AI spheres.”

To this end, the integration of simulation, AI, and humanoid technology is pivotal to Schaeffler’s success.

From the outset, however, Kehr admits there was a bit of a learning curve for everyone involved.

“We have to learn along with our OEM partners (who) are also learning because this is not an established field of production,” he says. “We're all learning, we’re taking our expertise that we've established in automotive, and we're applying it where we can on the humanoid side.”

Humanoid robotics development presents a range of technical and operational challenges, particularly in the adaptation of these advanced systems to demanding industrial environments. Some conditions are non-negotiable — navigated, in part, with tools and solvers from Ansys, part of Synopsys.

Specifically:

• Robots require some additional space. They need connection to power sources and must work seamlessly with other equipment to comply with safety regulations and standards. Advanced simulation platforms help Schaeffler design robotics systems that work within the constraints of a given manufacturing setup, which reduces downtime and mitigates common integration bottlenecks.
• Robots must perform complex, repetitive tasks with great efficiency. Simulation-led development results in high-torque actuators (devices that control robotic motion) optimized for power consumption that maximize operational efficiency. It also enables lightweighting and performance improvement through innovative material choices and refined designs.
• Robots are expected to operate reliably across thousands of cycles. This necessitates engineering precision to ensure the longevity of parts, like bearings and gearboxes. Using simulation, it’s possible to model stress points and optimize the structural integrity of components before they are built to reduce prototyping and associated costs.
• In the future, the number of robots sharing workspaces with humans will dramatically increase. As such, safety will remain a top priority. Simulation facilitates the integration of sensors and feedback systems into actuators, enhancing control and responsiveness, and ensuring robots can operate effectively while mitigating risks to human coworkers.

In anticipation, Schaeffler has started pilot programs with several OEMs in various countries that are bringing humanoids into their plants for basic testing around machine tending.

“Our vision is to have generalist humanoids that go beyond servicing just one portion of a machine and have them successfully manage more complex system aspects,” Kehr said. “Within the next couple of years, we envision that our humanoids will also be operating, maintaining, or controlling certain core parts of machinery. Physical AI will be part of our DNA in the future.”

Interested in accelerating your industrial robotics design and deployment objectives? Ansys has robotics simulation workflows that can help.