Accenture and Schaeffler AG are collaborating on the advancement of industrial automation with physical AI and robotics. At Hannover Messe 2025, the companies will showcase how work in factories and warehouses can be optimized using simulation, AI, and data technologies from NVIDIA and Microsoft. The scenarios range from traditional human work to the collaboration between humans and robots to complete automation. Industrial automation systems, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), Schaeffler’s mobile manipulator-cobot EMMA, and general-purpose humanoid robots like Digit from Agility Robotics and Phoenix from Sanctuary AI are being used.
„As a leading motion technology company, Schaeffler relies on disruptive technologies such as physical AI, digital twins, and humanoid robots to enhance the operational excellence of our manufacturing facilities worldwide,“ says Andreas Schick, Chief Operating Officer of Schaeffler AG. „In collaboration with partners like Accenture, we regularly explore how disruptive technologies such as those from NVIDIA and Microsoft can make us even more agile and efficient. Together, we aim to shape the future of production.“
„Physical AI is redefining industrial automation,“ says Patrick Vollmer, Global Industry Group Lead for Industrials at Accenture. „It opens up new ways of controlling and training autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), adaptive manipulators, and humanoid robots. The collaboration with Schaeffler shows that companies can develop practical solutions together with strategic partners using newly developed technologies to help manufacturing companies address challenges such as flexibility,
productivity,
and skills shortages.“
At Hannover Messe,
the companies will present a proof-of-concept that illustrates the benefits of AI-supported simulations for
Schaeffler’s factories
and distribution centers at three levels:
1.
Planning ideal facilities: In NVIDIA Omniverse,
digital twins
of factories
and warehouses can be developed.
This allows faster commissioning of facilities since their optimal design is simulated in advance.
This includes virtual positioning of production lines
and picking stations for dynamic material flow
and seamless collaboration between humans
and robots.
Accenture supports Schaeffler here with expertise in the NVIDIA Omniverse platform.
The concept of virtual commissioning also allows Schaeffler to determine the optimal level of automation for a facility in advance.
The proof-of-concept includes different manifestations
and complexity levels of physical AI: ranging from primarily manual work to AMR support for transport tasks,
to adaptive manipulators like EMMA,
to humanoid robots in highly automated facilities.
An Accenture study reveals that half (49%)
of factory managers worldwide consider AMRs an important technology for future factories.
Slightly fewer (43%)
believe that humanoid robots will become an integral part
of assembly processes.
…
(Original text shortened due to length)