Schaeffler, a motion technology company, has been awarded 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 among three nominated companies, recognizing the platform's high level of innovation and significant benefits for industry.
The actuator platform addresses a critical challenge in humanoid robotics: cost. Actuators account for approximately 50 percent of the total cost of humanoids, making them a pivotal factor in achieving competitiveness. Schaeffler's platform integrates innovative technologies, efficient production processes, and extensive modularity to deliver high performance while reducing size and weight. By integrating the bearing into the rotor, the design reduces installation footprint by about 20 percent and weight by up to 500 grams, resulting in a more compact solution that is up to 10 mm thinner than other options while maintaining high continuous torque.
Schaeffler is set to begin series production of components as early as this year, leveraging its 12 core manufacturing technologies, including highly automated winding technology for coils and chipless metal forming for roller bearing rings just 1 mm thick. The platform includes rotary actuators that enable precise and powerful rotational movements in key joints like shoulders, elbows, and knees, facilitating natural movement sequences. It is based on highly efficient electric motors with integrated power electronics and high-precision encoders, and can be configured with two-stage planetary or strain wave gears as per customer requirements.
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.” Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, added: “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.”
The award underscores Schaeffler's role as a key component supplier in the humanoid robotics segment. The company will display the actuator platform along with other innovative components at Booth E60 in Hall 13 during Hannover Messe from April 20 to 24. More information is available at Schaeffler at the Hannover Messe 2026.
