SICK and Idealworks are making the factory of the future a reality today, showcasing for the first time how humanoid and AGV robots can be seamlessly orchestrated through production-ready simulation.
+++ Joint demonstration highlights Idealworks Orchestration System powered by Mega, an NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint, enabling risk-reduced, scalable industrial automation +++ SICK and Idealworks are making the factory of the future a reality today, showcasing for the first time how humanoid and AGV robots can be seamlessly orchestrated through production-ready simulation +++
Munich/San Jose, March 16, 2026. At NVIDIA GTC 2026, SICK and Idealworks are presenting a joint demonstration illustrating how manufacturers can design, validate, and scale automation using digital twins powered by Mega, intelligent orchestration, and the Idealworks OS (Idealworks Orchestration System). The experience illustrates how real operations, simulation, and orchestration converge to optimize factory workflows before deployment.
In SICK’s highly automated factory in Freiburg, Germany, heterogeneous robots – including traditional automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and a humanoid mobile platform – operate collaboratively in a shared space orchestrated by Idealworks OS. Humanoid robot behavior is evaluated within the Mega Omniverse Blueprint, a reference workflow to simulate robotic fleets within industrial environments that seamlessly connects to the open NVIDIA Isaac Sim simulation framework, using SICK microScan3 sensor data to ensure virtual actions mirror real-world operations. Manufacturers can test navigation, interaction, and material-handling workflows, determine optimal fleet sizes, and evaluate operational performance; easily moving between risk-free, OpenUSD-based simulation environments.
Idealworks OS serves as the coordination layer, unifying different robot types and providing a single pane of glass view of system performance. SICK produces 1.5 million sensors annually in over 500,000 variants without manual changeover. By combining simulation with real factory data, SICK is scaling even further, while optimizing efficiency and reducing deployment risks. The platform also enables expansion across multiple plants, streamlining automation design, virtual commissioning, and scenario validation.
At a macro level, Mega powers Idealworks’ high-fidelity digital twins by supporting concurrent multi-robot workflows at scale. Idealworks OS adds intelligence, connecting heterogeneous fleets and delivering visibility into system performance and operational outcomes. This represents the world’s first integration of fleet management with Mega. SICK’s dual role as technology provider and beneficiary further underscores the value of this approach: sensors enhance simulation fidelity, and the automated factory drives next-generation sensor production – a compelling closed-loop model for intelligent industrial systems.
Dr. Christian Imgrund, Vice President Manufacturing Operations – Photoelectric Sensors & Fibers at SICK, said: "At SICK, we rely on state-of-the-art technologies to continuously improve product quality and process efficiency. With the Idealworks OS at the core of our digital twin, combined with our sensor ecosystem and NVIDIA Mega, we are setting a new benchmark for how intelligent factories can be simulated, optimized, and operated before they go live."
Simulation-driven orchestration is transforming industrial automation. By combining Idealworks OS powered by Mega with SICK’s sensor technology, manufacturers can de-risk automation projects, optimize operational performance, and scale deployments across multiple production sites. This collaboration demonstrates how digital twins – fully connected to the Idealworks OS and emulating real robot performance – can scale seamlessly from a single robot in Isaac Sim to heterogeneous fleets within the same virtual environment in Mega, evolving from concept to practical, measurable industrial applications and enabling more flexible, efficient, and resilient factory operations.
SICK is also a member of the NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, conducts impartial assessments and operates the Halos Certified Program to ensure products and systems meet rigorous standards for trusted physical AI deployments.
Learn more at NVIDIA GTC 2026 by attending the Lighting Talk with Idealworks CTO Jimmy Nassif, “Beyond the Workcell: Scaling Robotics Workflows Across the Factory Floor [S81611],” on Wednesday, March 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Visit the Idealworks booth 1639 in the Industrial AI Pavilion to experience the demonstration first-hand and discover how simulation-driven orchestration is shaping the factories of the future.
Contact Idealworks
Sarah Kuehn
Team Lead Communications
communications@idealworks.com
About Idealworks
Idealworks transforms industrial operations into efficient, fully automated environments where logistics, robotics, software, and people work seamlessly together. Founded in 2020 as a BMW Group subsidiary, the company helps businesses optimize and automate workflows across warehouses, production facilities, and logistics operations. At the core of its offering is the Idealworks Orchestration System (Idealworks OS), the control layer that integrates simulation technology and connects heterogeneous robots for different applications, peripheral devices, and IT systems through a single operational logic. Headquartered in Munich, Idealworks collaborates closely with partners and customers worldwide to advance the next generation of industrial automation. Learn more at idealworks.com.