Synapticon and Reynolds & Moore enter into partnership
The partnership combines Reynolds & Moore's functional safety consulting with Synapticon's integrated drive and safety platform to support developers of humanoid robots from prototype to certified deployment.
Schönaich / Dallas, October 1, 2026 – Synapticon GmbH, a developer of integrated drive technology and functional safety for robotics, and Reynolds & Moore, a consulting firm specializing in functional safety engineering, have entered into a partnership. Together, they support developers of humanoid and mobile robots on their path to certification.
Humanoid robots are leaving the laboratories, and with them, the crucial question shifts. It's no longer about whether a robot can walk, but whether it's allowed to work near people. The safety concepts the industry adopted from industrial robotics were developed for machines behind safety barriers. If you cut off the power to a robot arm, it stops. If you cut it to a humanoid, it falls. To close this gap, both are needed: a system-level safety architecture and the appropriate hardware. This is precisely where the two companies complement each other.
TWO PARTNERS, ONE PATH TO CERTIFICATION
Reynolds & Moore contributes expertise and consulting capacity in functional safety engineering in North America and Europe, from risk assessment and safety architecture design to validation and certification readiness. Synapticon provides the components and underlying system knowledge: the SOMANET™ servo drive families, ACTILINK actuators for robot joints, and the POSITRON Safety AI platform, which covers multi-axis safe motion, safe human detection, and operational AI monitoring. The platform is developed in accordance with IEC 61508, ISO 13849, IEC 61800-5-2, ISO/IEC TS 22440, IEC 62998, and IEC 61496.
Together, the two companies cover the entire spectrum of making humanoid robots safe: from concept and risk assessment to implementation, integration, and certification. Reynolds & Moore supports the safety engineering and the path to a certified system, while Synapticon provides the drive technology and safety architecture upon which this path is built.
COMMENTS ON THE PARTNERSHIP
“Safety in humanoid robots isn’t a feature you add at the end; it’s an architectural decision made right at the beginning,” says Dr. Florian Weißhardt, Head of Synapticon Intelligence . “Most teams we talk to focus on getting a prototype working. As soon as they think about deployment, they realize that the standards they need weren’t written for bipedal machines. Reynolds & Moore understands this territory, and together we can guide teams through it instead of making them figure it out the hard way.”
“We’re seeing more and more humanoid programs reach the same point,” says Nicole Sophie Christiansen, Chief Commercial Officer at Reynolds & Moore . “The robot works, the demo is convincing, and then the team has to answer how the system can work safely alongside humans and ultimately be certified. At this stage, the architecture is largely fixed, and safety becomes an expensive add-on. Where functional safety is already built into the drives and the motion platform, this conversation looks very different, and the path to deployment is significantly shorter. That’s why we wanted Synapticon in our R&M Safety Partner Ecosystem.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the goal of the partnership between Synapticon and Reynolds & Moore?
The two companies support developers of humanoid and mobile robots on their path to certification. Together, they cover the entire spectrum: from concept and risk assessment to implementation and integration, all the way to certification.
What do each of the two partners contribute?
Reynolds & Moore contributes functional safety engineering and consulting in North America and Europe, from risk assessment and safety architecture to validation and certification readiness. Synapticon provides the drive technology and safety architecture: SOMANET™ servo drives, ACTILINK actuators, and the POSITRON Safety AI platform.
Why are traditional safety concepts insufficient for humanoid robots?
The safety concepts for industrial robotics were developed for machines behind safety fences. If you cut off the power to a robotic arm, it stops. A humanoid robot, on the other hand, falls when its power is cut. Therefore, a system-level safety architecture and hardware designed for this purpose are essential.
ABOUT REYNOLDS & MOORE
Reynolds & Moore is a functional safety engineering company that bridges the gap between groundbreaking innovation and uncompromising safety. It specializes in novel solutions in robotics, automation, and AI, across industries and wherever innovation outpaces existing safety standards and new safety cases need to be developed. Reynolds & Moore supports companies throughout the entire safety lifecycle, from risk assessment and safety architecture design to validation and certification readiness. For more information, visit www.reynolds-moore.com .
ABOUT SYNAPTICON
Synapticon develops and manufactures integrated motion control hardware and software for robotics and industrial automation, with a clear focus on humanoid robotics and embodied AI. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Schönaich, Germany, with offices in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Belgrade, the company understands the entire system architecture of a robot and combines actuators, electronics, and functional safety in a way that no one else offers. Its product portfolio includes the SOMANET™ servo drive families, ACTILINK actuators for robot joints, and the POSITRON Safety AI platform. Further information is available at www.synapticon.com .
Media contact Synapticon
Jan Kaiser, Head of Marketing
Synapticon GmbH
Email: jkaiser@synapticon.com
Telephone: +49 171 89 44 085
