Hexagon Robotics and Austrian engineering firm Fill Maschinenbau have launched a joint pilot program deploying Hexagon's AEON humanoid robot at a client production site in Gurten, Austria-marking a concrete test of general-purpose humanoid technology in a live manufacturing environment. AEON will operate on one of Fill's client use cases in Gurten to demonstrate integration within real manufacturing workflows as a complement to Fill's existing automation solutions. The pilot focuses on machine tending, inspection, and operational support, aiming to validate how humanoids can enhance autonomy, improve efficiency, and expand workforce productivity in complex environments such as high-mix production and precision assembly.
Background
Hexagon launched AEON at its Hexagon LIVE Global event in June 2025. The system was designed to address real-world customer needs and labour shortages. A global labour gap has left an estimated 50 million positions unfilled across industries including manufacturing and logistics, according to Hexagon. A core element of AEON's development is its simulation-first approach: the robot trains extensively in virtual environments using NVIDIA Isaac Sim and NVIDIA Isaac Lab, acquiring navigation, locomotion, and manipulation capabilities before physical deployment to shorten training cycles. Hexagon's Robotics division partnered with NVIDIA, Microsoft, and maxon to bring AEON to market-AEON runs on NVIDIA accelerated computing and Omniverse, Microsoft Azure enables scalable development and on-demand training, and maxon's actuators drive the robot's locomotion.
The Fill pilot is one of several active deployments. Following laboratory tests, a first test deployment took place at BMW Group Plant Leipzig in December 2025, with a further test deployment planned from April 2026 and a full pilot phase starting in summer 2026. Hexagon Robotics and Schaeffler also announced an expansion of their strategic partnership after completing a joint pilot in 2025, with Schaeffler planning to deploy at least 1,000 Hexagon Robotics humanoids across its global production system by 2032.
Details
The Fill collaboration centres on integrating AEON's physical AI capabilities alongside existing automation infrastructure rather than replacing it. Fill's representative stated that "AEON's set of capabilities is unique, particularly its ability to operate in real industrial settings and integrate with existing systems," adding that the collaboration allows the company to test humanoid robotics "in a structured and practical way, with a clear focus on delivering value to customers." AEON is built to work alongside industrial teams, supporting tasks involving manipulation, inspection, and data capture through sensor fusion, spatial intelligence, and wheel-based locomotion.
Arnaud Robert, President of Hexagon Robotics, framed the Fill pilot within a broader industrialisation thesis. Robert called the collaboration "an important step in validating how humanoids can increase the level of autonomy of the manufacturing processes and deliver measurable value across diverse environments," including improving production-line efficiency and expanding workforce productivity in high-mix and precision assembly settings. AEON carries a high-resolution sensor suite that captures detailed spatial data uploaded to Hexagon Reality Cloud Studio via HxDR and integrates with NVIDIA Omniverse for real-time 3D modelling and digital twin collaboration.
During the Schaeffler pilot phase, AEON demonstrated high-precision manipulation capabilities by operating a multi-machine station to load, unload, and inspect parts in a real-world production environment. Fill Maschinenbau generated revenue of 205 million euros in 2025, according to the company. Hexagon employs approximately 24,800 people across 50 countries and reports net sales of approximately 5.4 billion euros.
Outlook
Building on the Schaeffler pilot, the two companies plan to move toward deployment across multiple sites, with additional applications such as automated part inspection targeted for rollout starting at the end of 2026. The Fill pilot is expected to provide both companies with insights into deployment, performance, and integration in real manufacturing settings. Results from Gurten and Leipzig are likely to inform how broadly the AEON platform is positioned across other industrial sectors-including aerospace and logistics-where Hexagon has identified prospective use cases.
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