As the market for humanoid robots is accelerating and reshaping industrial ethos, Accenture announced its collaboration with Schaeffler AG. Under this collaboration, industrial humanoid robots will be developed using data and AI technologies from Microsoft and Nvidia. About this deal, the global industry group lead of Accenture stated, 

“Physical AI is reinventing industrial automation as it offers efficient ways to train and control entire fleets of AMRs, mobile adaptive manipulators and general-purpose humanoid robots,” 

The chief operating officer of Schaeffler, Andreas Schick, remarked 

“This is how we want to jointly shape the production of the future,”

Proof-of-Concept 

The two collaborating companies have developed a proof-of-concept to reach a consensus on the working of AI-generated simulations and how they will operate in Schaeffler’s factories and distribution centers. 

The three focused areas are 

Virtual Factory Planning: To optimize automation tools, Accenture’s digital twin technology will be used on Nvidia’s Omniverse platform. It will allow Schaeffler to simulate and test factory layout testers before going into production

Humanoid Robot Testing: To test the operation and application of humanoid robots in digital twins, the two companies will be using Nvidia Omniverse Blueprint’s Mega. It will simulate robot fleets in industrial digital twins 

Live Robotics Operations: For imitation learning and translating human movements into actions, the companies will be using Nvidia’s Metropolis vision AI

Hannover Messe 2025 

The collaboration was announced at Hannover Messe 2025, one of the world’s largest trade shows for industrial technology, taking place in Germany from 31 March to 4 April. The event includes an opening ceremony, interactive sessions, and product displays. Robotic companies from across the globe showcased their robots and simulated work scenarios, including human-centric workflows. The display products include autonomous mobile robots, humanoid robots, and mobile manipulator cobot EMMA. The prominent humanoid robot companies participating are Agility Robotics’ Digital and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix. 

Vision for Industrial Robots 

The two collaborating companies envision addressing the growing need for factory managers to harness tools for automating factories. The head of digital twins at Nvidia, Mike Geyer, said, 

“Tomorrow’s factories require complex collaboration between humans, industrial automation systems and multi-robot fleets. By using Mega and Nvidia Omniverse to simulate and test various types of robots at scale, Accenture and Schaeffler are reinventing their industrial operations with physical AI.”

In 2023, Schaeffler Group merged with Vitesco. The combined entity generated a revenue of around €25 billion in one year. It has more than 100 production sites all around the world. 

Accenture is a leading US company, making its name in a sustainable force for change. The company was placed on the CDP Climate Change List for its climate-friendly initiatives.