Gasgoo Munich- "The rapid rise of the humanoid robot industry is driving sustained demand for Bosch components and system solutions." That was the message from Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, speaking at the recent Bosch Connected World (BCW) conference in Berlin.
The industrial giant made its position clear: it is not positioning itself as a manufacturer of complete humanoid robots. Instead, acting as a technology supplier and partner, Bosch aims to provide the leading "intelligent brain" and "nervous system" technologies for modern automation and robotics, accelerating its expansion in the field.
Hartung noted that core technologies like precision sensors, software, and efficient electric drives do more than just support autonomous driving—they form the essential foundation of modern robotics.
Bosch estimates it has the potential to unlock billions of euros in business within the robotics sector. By deeply integrating mature technologies from its various divisions with cutting-edge innovation, the company is pushing for large-scale industrial application of robotics—and gradually expanding into the realm of humanoid robots.
Focusing on the "Intelligent Brain" and "Nervous System," Bosch Stakes Out Core Technologies
The core vehicle for Bosch's accelerated push into robotics is its open ctrlX AUTOMATION platform. This platform is designed to make robotics technology more modular, faster to integrate, and easier to deploy.
According to Tanja Rueckert, a member of the Bosch board of management and chief digital officer, the company has already used this platform to help clients combine driverless transport systems with high-precision robotic arms. This allows them to reliably take over various tasks within existing production workflows.
Currently, Bosch Rexroth is advancing related projects with multiple clients in the sector. The platform fundamentally restructures the logic for implementing robotics, eliminating the need for lengthy integration cycles and high development costs.
The "nervous system" of these robots is built around Bosch's market-leading MEMS sensors. These miniature sensors are critical for precise physical interaction, determining whether a robotic arm can adjust its grip strength to handle a heavy object or gently pick up something fragile.
Image source: Bosch
Hartung used a striking comparison to illustrate the potential sensor demand in the robotics market: "The human body has 4 million tactile sensors. To build a robot with that same number of sensors, the world's total sensor output over four years would only be enough to produce 12,500 units."
Data from market research and strategic consulting firm Yole Group projects that the MEMS sensor market will exceed $19.2 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 4%.
Beyond robot "intelligence," Bosch holds a core advantage in the key components that provide robots with their physical capabilities.
Bosch Rexroth offers a complete portfolio of key components for modern robotics and factory automation, including high-precision motors and high-performance servo drives. The company also supplies complex components and subsystems that deliver the necessary power, speed, and precision. Furthermore, Bosch supports the manufacturing of robots with factory equipment, such as Rexroth conveyor systems.
Leveraging cross-domain automation expertise that spans automotive, manufacturing, and home scenarios, Bosch is turning this unique strength into a core competitive edge for expanding into the automation and robotics markets.
Betting on AI and Data, Bosch Diversifies Its Push
Beyond hardware and platforms, Bosch is accelerating its use of artificial intelligence and data capabilities as another critical pillar of its robotics strategy.
"Fusing cutting-edge electronics, mechanics, and artificial intelligence promises major technological breakthroughs in automation and robotics," said Rueckert. "AI allows robots to perceive their environment, understand workflows, and continuously learn through hands-on operation."
Bosch has deeply integrated AI into its corporate strategy, accelerating deployment from two directions: first, by deploying cloud-based AI models directly into physical products to enable equipment automation; and second, by applying AI comprehensively across its own production network to optimize workflows, conduct predictive maintenance, and perform optical defect detection.
The key resource powering these AI systems is the massive amount of data accumulated across Bosch's global network of more than 230 factories.
"Our core competitiveness lies not just in hardware, but in the data derived from our global production network," Rueckert noted. "That data is the key to developing the intelligent automation solutions of the future."
Image source: Bosch
To accelerate technological development in automation and robotics, Bosch is pursuing a model that combines targeted internal innovation with open ecosystem collaboration.
Bosch has established Robert Bosch Robotics GmbH, a unit dedicated to the research and commercialization of new robotics solutions.
Meanwhile, Bosch is driving large-scale technology deployment by deepening strategic partnerships. For instance, it is working with Neura Robotics to jointly develop cognitive robotics capabilities. Bosch has become a key partner for numerous leading robotics startups globally, including British humanoid robot companies and several partners in China and the U.S., helping these firms transform technical prototypes into mass-produced products.
Notably, the Bosch China Robotics Center (BROC), established earlier this year, has become a key platform for Bosch's robotics ecosystem in China. It coordinates collaboration with local partners and drives innovation in embodied intelligence as well as the commercial application of robotics solutions.
Additionally, Bosch is exploring ways to convert human experience into machine-readable data. The company is currently using specialized data-capture suits to record complex motion trajectories for robot training, applying this expertise in its collaboration with Neura Robotics to accelerate the development of cognitive robots.
From a broader perspective, Bosch's accelerated push into robotics aligns with its overall technological direction. The "Bosch Tech Compass" survey, which covered over 11,000 respondents across seven countries, found that a majority believe AI will be the most influential technology with the most positive outlook for the future. Moreover, 70% of respondents consider the technology crucial for future development.
Overall, Bosch's robotics strategy follows a clear acceleration path: rather than seeking visibility as a consumer robot brand, it aims to build and expand its competitiveness in critical areas like the "intelligent brain" and "nervous system." By integrating core technologies such as sensors, software, and electric drives with open automation platforms and AI capabilities, Bosch is positioning itself to secure a pivotal role in the rapidly evolving humanoid robot market.
Not Just Bosch: Auto Suppliers Flock to Robotics
Bosch's moves are not an isolated event. Zooming out reveals a clearer industry trend: over the past two years, automotive suppliers from both China and abroad have been converging on the robotics sector.
On the international front, names like Schaeffler, Valeo, and Aptiv are appearing frequently in robotics-related developments. In China, Joyson Electronics has upgraded its strategic positioning to "Automotive + Robotics Tier 1," while Tuopu Group has established an independent robotics actuator division. Companies like Chaoda Mould, Shuanglin, and Xinquan have also identified robotics as a new strategic growth direction.
Schaeffler, for example, has set an ambitious goal: by 2035, it plans to deploy thousands of humanoid robots across its global factories and expects new non-automotive businesses—including robotics—to contribute 10% of total group revenue. To that end, Schaeffler established an embodied intelligence robotics company in China earlier this year, focusing on core components and key subsystems, while also forming partnerships with Leju Robotics and ROKAE.
Image source: Schaeffler
Valeo has also identified robotics as a future growth engine, targeting a non-automotive revenue share of around 10%. Gu Jianmin, CTO of Valeo China, articulated a widely held industry consensus: "Autonomous driving and robotics share the same roots. The core perception, planning, and control technologies are directly transferable, presenting a massive opportunity." Acting on this logic, Valeo is migrating its capabilities in vehicle sensors, actuators, and thermal management systems into the robotics space.
It is not just component suppliers; chipmakers are making their own assessments as well.
Anshuman Saxena, vice president at Qualcomm Technologies and general manager of the ADAS and robotics business, noted in a recent interview that while robots and cars share commonalities, there are also significant differences.
Specifically, looking at how various forms of embodied intelligence interact with the physical world today, the automobile is undoubtedly one of the most typical use cases. With the introduction of Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models, driver assistance technology has been deployed extensively in vehicles. One could say the technical path for building a car with driver assistance is highly similar to the construction logic in robotics. A range of core assets accumulated over time—including how to deploy VLA and Large Language Models, how to train models, how to handle data collection and annotation, and the AI flywheel—retain significant value in the robotics domain.
However, he emphasized that this does not mean companies involved in driver assistance can naturally cross over into robotics. The specific application scenarios differ significantly: robots have far more degrees of freedom than cars, and their operating environments are much more complex. Consequently, while the commonalities are real, bridging the gap from automotive embodied intelligence to full robotic applications requires overcoming massive technical challenges and performing substantial groundwork.
Despite the challenges, automotive suppliers are not standing still. In terms of deployment scenarios, these companies have unanimously chosen industrial manufacturing as their starting point. Unlike traditional industrial robots, they are targeting segments that demand higher flexibility, complex decision-making, and the handling of non-standard parts.
A deeper reason lies in a resource these companies possess that is hard to replicate: their own global network of factories. These factories serve not just as application scenarios, but as data sources. Variables found in real production environments—changes in lighting, equipment vibration, and material tolerances—are difficult for simulation systems to perfectly mimic, yet this data is precisely what is most valuable for training embodied intelligence models.
Viewed from this perspective, the collective rush of automotive suppliers into robotics is both a pursuit of new growth curves and a strategic move based on leveraging their unique assets.
