Motion Technology Company Schaeffler has received the globally renowned Hermes Award for its highly integrated actuator platform for humanoids. The award was presented during the official opening ceremony for 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 the winner from among three nominated companies. The accolade recognizes outstanding products with a high level of innovation and significant benefits for industry, with this year's focus on the integration of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence.
Schaeffler's award-winning actuator platform integrates innovative technologies, efficient production processes, and extensive modularity, specifically designed for the joints of humanoid robots. As actuators account for around 50 percent of the total costs of humanoids, they are a pivotal factor in making them competitive. Schaeffler will therefore be instrumental in readying humanoid robots for large-scale industrial use. The company is set to begin series production of components as early as this year, building on its decades of experience as an automotive and industrial supplier to offer innovative, cost-effective solutions with excellent reliability and scalability.
Georg F. W. Schaeffler, family shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG, said: 'We are very delighted to receive the prestigious Hermes Award and would like to thank the jury most sincerely. For 80 years, our company has been the embodiment of innovative strength and pioneering spirit, qualities that we apply consistently in both our core business and growth segments like humanoid robotics. 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: 'Receiving the renowned Hermes Award is primarily an accolade for our engineers and product developers, but we also see in it an acknowledgement of the concept of the Motion Technology Company.'
Schaeffler's actuator platform includes rotary actuators that deliver precise and powerful rotational movements in key joints like shoulders, elbows and knees, enabling natural movement sequences. The platform is based on highly efficient electric motors with integrated power electronics along with high-precision encoders and can be configured flexibly with two-stage planetary or strain wave gears, depending on customer requirements. Thanks to an innovative architecture where the bearing is integrated into the rotor, the installation footprint is reduced by around 20 percent and the weight by up to 500 grams. This results in a design that is up to 10 mm more compact than other solutions while delivering high continuous torque. The close integration of development, production and supply chain enables a fast and flexible production ramp-up, relying on Schaeffler's 12 core manufacturing technologies, including highly automated winding technology for coils and chipless metal forming for roller bearing rings a mere 1 mm thick.
The actuator platform, as well as 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 is available at Schaeffler at the Hannover Messe 2026.
