Schaeffler trains Hexagon's humanoid robot AEON to work in factories
English translation from Unibot. Source published 2026-09-11.
The humanoid AEON from Hexagon Robotics has arrived at Germany's Schaeffler "Humanoid Gym". There, companies will train and test the robot on production tasks before releasing it onto the actual shop floor. This is all part of a larger plan to deploy at least 1,000 AEON units at Schaeffler sites in the coming years.
Industrial Equipment News reports: The initiative continues the strategic partnership that Schaeffler and Hexagon Robotics announced in April 2026. Schaeffler, a motion technology company, will also supply drive technology for AEON.
How does the “Humanoid Gym” work?
Humanoid Gym is a separate industrial environment built on a “train, test, implement” model. It gives companies a controlled environment to practice robot skills on typical tasks from Schaeffler plants - without stopping existing lines.
AEON will master tasks through imitation learning and repeated practice. The resulting robot behavior algorithms will then be further refined and tested in production scenarios before being released to the factory.
Human factor of implementation
The program also covers the human side of implementation. Schaeffler intends to increase its internal expertise - in the operation, training and integration of humanoids.
The robot here is not a ready-made device that can simply be installed without additional engineering. For industrial customers, this integration work is likely to be no less important than the robot behavior algorithm itself.
What is still unknown
The report does not name the first tasks for AEON, there are no performance results and it does not indicate how many robots will be used at the initial stage. The figure of one thousand units is the planned total volume for the coming years, and not a confirmed quantity for the current training program.
Six-month implementation window
Schaeffler and Hexagon expect that the on-site training will enable the implementation of AEON in several production scenarios within the next six months. These launches should form the basis for a wider rollout across Schaeffler's global sites.
Humanoid Gym serves as a practical intermediate between the development of tasks and their use in production. Its value will depend on reliability thresholds, cycle times and specific plant tasks that emerge from the verification program. None of this has been revealed yet.