Singapore Opens New AI-Humanoid Robotics Lab to Advance Next-Gen Actuators

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Schaeffler have launched a new corporate laboratory to accelerate AI-enabled humanoid robotics for manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. The 900-sq-m Schaeffler-NTU Intelligent Mechatronics Hub marks the third phase of a long-running partnership between the university and the German technology firm.

The Schaeffler Humanoid demonstrator on display at the Hannover Fair 2025 in Germany. The demonstrator provides a glimpse into Schaeffler’s key components and sub-systems that enable motion in humanoid robots.

PHOTO: SCHAEFFLER

Backed by Singapore’s National Research Foundation under a S$70 million (about US$52 million) funding framework running through 2029, the lab will focus on one of the biggest bottlenecks in humanoid development: actuators. These robotic equivalents of human joints must become smaller, lighter, more energy-efficient, and far more cost-effective if humanoids are to scale into real operations.

Schaeffler CTO Uwe Wagner said the new facility will accelerate breakthroughs in actuator design while boosting Singapore’s robotics capabilities and strengthening talent pipelines.