Accenture and Schaeffler Revolutionize Industrial Automation with AI and Robotics

The collaboration aims to reinvent the future of industrial automation by exploring different work scenarios, including human-centric interactions, human-robot collaboration, and complete automation. The showcase included demonstrations of various automation systems, such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), Schaeffler’s mobile manipulator cobot EMMA, and general-purpose humanoid robots like Agility Robotics’ Digit and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix.

Andreas Schick, Chief Operating Officer at Schaeffler AG, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating, “As a leading motion technology company, Schaeffler leverages disruptive innovations such as physical AI, digital twins, and humanoid robots to enhance operational excellence across our global manufacturing network.” He noted that the collaboration with Accenture is aimed at shaping the production landscape of the future.

Patrick Vollmer, Global Industry Group Lead at Accenture, echoed this sentiment, highlighting that physical AI is transforming industrial automation. “Our collaboration with Schaeffler, Microsoft, and NVIDIA demonstrates how clients and partners can co-innovate to address flexibility, productivity, and workforce challenges,” he stated.

Accenture and Schaeffler introduced a proof-of-concept (PoC) that illustrates the benefits of AI-powered simulations in enhancing operational efficacy across Schaeffler's factories and distribution centers. The PoC focuses on three key areas:

Accenture leverages its capability to create digital twins using the NVIDIA Omniverse platform. This allows Schaeffler to simulate optimal layouts for their facilities, reducing commissioning times and enhancing collaboration between humans and robots. The PoC illustrates various automation scenarios, including manual labor, AMRs, and humanoid robots in highly automated environments. According to recent research by Accenture, nearly half (49%) of factory managers expect AMRs to play a crucial role in future manufacturing facilities, while 43% predict humanoid robots will be standard in assembly processes.

The partnership is also testing Mega, an NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint, to pilot robot fleets, including humanoid robots, within digital twins of Schaeffler's facilities. The PoC features the Agility Robotics’ Digit executing material handling tasks and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix learning from simulations. This learning process utilizes vision AI applications like NVIDIA Metropolis, which captures human and robot movements to enhance simulation accuracy.

In collaboration with Avanade, Accenture is using simulated data from Omniverse to improve the physical performance of robots in Schaeffler's warehouses and production floors. By integrating this data into Microsoft Fabric, a unified, AI-powered data platform, site managers can monitor key performance indicators and address operational challenges proactively. Notably, a solution designed for Schaeffler's Schweinfurt site utilizes generative AI to facilitate natural language queries, enabling staff to gain insights and resolve issues more efficiently.

The showcase at Hannover Messe underscores a significant shift towards automation that combines human expertise with robotic efficiency. Mike Geyer, head of digital twins at NVIDIA, remarked, “Tomorrow’s factories require complex collaboration between humans, industrial automation systems, and multi-robot fleets.” He believes that the innovative use of Mega and NVIDIA Omniverse will allow Accenture and Schaeffler to redefine their industrial operations.

As both companies continue to push the boundaries of technology, their collaboration represents a promising future for industrial automation, showcasing the potential of AI and robotics to drive efficiency, flexibility, and productivity in manufacturing.

This partnership marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of industrial automation, setting a precedent for future collaborations in the field of robotics and AI. The results of these efforts will not only benefit Schaeffler but could also serve as a model for other industries looking to harness the power of digital innovation.