Schaeffler, Wandelbots Partner to Scale Physical AI in Factories

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany -- Automotive parts maker Schaeffler is partnering with Wandelbots, which specializes in robotics software, to create a physical AI system which could help applications for robots be tested and then transferred between plants without having to be reworked for each individual plant.

Wandelbots NOVA will serve as the common platform which will be implemented across Schaeffler's global manufacturing network. Financial details and a timeline for the implementation of the initiative have not been revealed in a release published in late october.

NOVA acts as an interface which helps link different robotic systems by creating a common software environment for the creation of applications independent of the robotic hardware.

Nvidia's Omniverse and Isaac Sim platforms will be used by the partners to simulate the manufacturing processes, test robot movement and applications before they are implemented in the real world.

In addition, Schaeffler is also planning to build a robot skill library enabling the transfer of applications from one factory to another. The firms claim that the system would cut down automation costs by as much as 40% throughout the lifespan of a system. This estimate has not been confirmed independently.
In October, Schaeffler opened a factory in China where six humanoids assemble components for other robots. The facility also uses digital twins and robot training systems to test applications intended for other Schaeffler plants.

The Schaeffler-Wandelbots collaboration follows from previous collaboration that involved a robotic packaging cell. Wandelbots claims that simulation saved two weeks of development time for each application through problem identification prior to physical deployment.

Even though the system is expected to be used for both industrial and humanoid robots, there has been no mention of any such applications as part of the collaboration.

Schaeffler has not provided any information regarding the number of factories that will use the NOVA system, the timing of its wider deployment, or whether cost savings have been realized.