Neura and E.ON partner to explore humanoids for power grids
Neura Robotics, E.ON and German energy company enviaM have announced a partnership to develop robots for electricity network operations, with initial field trials planned for 2027, according to Robotics and Automation News. Neura’s 4NE1 humanoid is one potential platform for the work, which will target infrastructure inspection, monitoring and support for workers carrying out physically demanding, repetitive or potentially hazardous tasks. Mitnetz Strom, an enviaM subsidiary and electricity distribution network operator, will serve as the pilot partner.
The humanoid application centers on facilities already built for people. Neura describes 4NE1 as designed to navigate stairs, doors and control cabinets, potentially allowing it to perform inspection and maintenance support without extensive changes to existing infrastructure. That makes access within existing facilities a practical focus of the proposed application, rather than a demonstrated operational capability. “Humanoid robots can provide targeted support, particularly for physically demanding tasks or those with specific safety requirements,” said enviaM Group CEO Stephan Lowis. The partners plan to identify suitable applications and develop the required robotic skills before operational testing.
Training will take place at TUM RoboGym powered by Neura, a 2,300 square meter facility opened at Munich Airport in October 2026 in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich. Energy specialists will demonstrate tasks through motion capture, sensor equipped suits and teleoperation; robots will then practice them to generate further training data. The planned training process uses Neura’s Neuron AI multimodal foundation model, combining vision, touch, audio, language and robot state information. Its Neuraverse platform is intended to connect training with field applications and support refinement and potential reuse of skills across compatible systems. Mitnetz Strom expects its first practical experience with the technology during 2027.
Source: Robotics & Automation News
