AI and robotics firm Humanoid and industrial technology giant Siemens have completed a proof-of-concept demonstrating humanoid robots in active industrial logistics.
The trial saw Humanoid’s HMND 01 wheeled Alpha robot operate in real workflows at a Siemens facility, handling tasks under live operational conditions.
The companies said the deployment marks an early step toward using humanoid robots in factories and warehouses, and the start of a broader partnership to test and validate their real-world industrial use.
At CES 2025, Hyundai Motor Group announced plans to develop a scalable system capable of deploying up to 30,000 humanoid robots per year by 2028, aiming to automate repetitive tasks across its factories.
Humanoids enter logistics
The new proof of concept centered on a tote-to-conveyor destacking task within Siemens’ logistics operations, demonstrating how humanoid robots can handle repetitive industrial workflows.
Humanoid’s HMND 01 wheeled Alpha robot was tasked with autonomously removing totes from stacked storage, transporting them across the facility, and placing them onto a conveyor at a designated handover point for human workers. The process continued until each stack was fully cleared, reflecting a realistic logistics scenario.
HMND 01 Alpha is a 220-centimeter-tall humanoid robot built on a wheeled base, capable of reaching speeds of up to 4.47 miles per hour. Designed for industrial handling tasks, it can carry bimanual payloads of up to 33 pounds and lift heavier items when they remain close to its body.
The robot offers a vertical reach from floor level to two meters and can access shelf depths of up to 60 centimeters, enabling it to retrieve items from ground-level bins as well as elevated storage.
Alpha features 29 active degrees of freedom, excluding end-effectors, and relies on AI-driven end-to-end reasoning for motion and task execution. Depending on task requirements, operators can fit the robot with either a 12-degree-of-freedom five-fingered hand or a one-degree-of-freedom parallel gripper.
A sensor-rich head equipped with 360-degree RGB cameras and dual depth sensors enables real-time perception in cluttered industrial environments.
“This joint POC with Siemens showed clear potential for practical deployment of humanoid robots. We see them move steadily toward the real world, and partnerships like this one help accelerate that transition,” said Artem Sokolov, founder and CEO of Humanoid, in a statement.
Robots prove readiness
The project was carried out in two distinct phases. The initial phase focused on in-house development and testing, during which the Humanoid team created a physical twin of the work environment. This setup enabled rapid iteration, system optimization, and validation of core capabilities before deployment in a live setting.
The second phase involved a two-week on-site trial at the Siemens Electronics Factory, where the robot operated within an active production environment. Performance and reliability were evaluated under autonomous conditions, with clearly defined targets.
The robot achieved a throughput of 60 tote moves per hour, handled two different tote sizes, sustained autonomous operation for more than 30 minutes, and maintained uptime for more than 8 hours. Overall and autonomous pick-and-place success rates exceeded 90 percent, meeting all defined benchmarks and underscoring the feasibility of humanoid robots in real-world industrial logistics.
The companies say their partners may also move toward a wider rollout, deploying larger numbers of humanoid robots across Siemens’ facilities, depending on the robots’ demonstrated capabilities.
We’re tackling production automation, discovering new opportunities for Siemens, and are eager to advance this promising technology across our factory network to deliver customer value, said Stephan Schlauss, Global Head of Manufacturing Motion Control, Siemens AG, in a statement.
