Current robots suffer from heavy weight, high power consumption, noise, and poor safety for human interaction, due to limitations in gearbox technology, hindering the agility of humanoids and cobots in shared spaces. AILOS Robotics addresses this with its patented R2poweR gearbox, blending quasi-direct-drive backdrivability and smoothness with superior torque density to deliver lighter, quieter, more efficient, and safer actuators.
The company raised €3.5 million in seed funding led by QBIC and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from Wallonie Entreprendre and finance&invest.brussels, to industrialise and test R2poweR for humanoid robots, cobots, exoskeletons, and prosthetics.
Creating lighter, quieter, more efficient robots
Founded in 2025 by Pablo López García and Stein Crispel as a spin-off from Vrije Universiteit Brussel’s (VUB) BruBotics research group, AILOS Robotics builds advanced robotic actuators using its patented R2poweR gearbox.
In a conversation with TFN, Pablo shares, “The main motivation for launching AILOS was the realisation from personal experience that a fundamentally different type of gearbox was needed to enable the broader adoption of collaborative robotics.”
Speaking specifically, R2poweR is a Wolfram-based, high-ratio gearbox at the MVP stage, offering low backdrive torque for human-friendly motion, extreme torque density for loaded joints, reduced weight/noise/energy use, and scalability for high-volume production.
Pablo notes, “Modern robots demand a new category of actuation. We combine quasi-direct-drive-like backdrivability with the high torque density of advanced gearing, finally removing one of the main barriers to agile, lightweight, and safe robots that can operate alongside humans. We combine quasi-direct drive-like backdrivability with the high torque density of advanced gearing, finally removing one of the main barriers to agile, lightweight, and safe robots that can operate alongside humans”
Its features include combining quasi-direct drive agility with advanced gearing power in a compact, affordable package, unlike traditional high-ratio gears (stiff, non-backdrivable) or direct drives (low torque, bulky motors). Pablo elaborates, “R2poweR delivers unmatched torque-dense and efficient actuation, enabling robots that are lighter, safer, more affordable, and more energy-efficient”
Competitors like Boston Dynamics or Agility Robotics lack R2poweR’s density, while Harmonic Drive and Nabtesco miss its backdrivability; no direct match exists for this hybrid profile.
What about diversity?
When we asked about diversity, Pablo shares, “all 3 founders are male, 2 Belgians + 1 Spaniard, aged 31 – 53 – and 69 years.” Pablo didn’t share any details on the broader team composition.
What’s next?
AILOS plans to transition from lab prototypes to factory production, launching pilot projects with robot manufacturers and scaling supply chains via industrial partners. Pablo concludes, “AILOS’ near-term priority is to execute customer pilots that will validate the technology and enable full product industrialisation, targeting SOP in early 2028.”
“AILOS addresses one of the biggest bottlenecks in humanoid and collaborative robotics. Europe needs strong hardware manufacturers, and this team has the technology, IP position, and industrial vision to deliver. We are happy to support the founding team in bringing years of academic research to the market,” says Cédric Van Nevel, Partner at QBIC.
Anne Umbach, Investment Manager at HTGF, adds, “AILOS has the potential to become a new European tech champion – despite the challenge of entering the market as a component supplier within an established value chain. Their hardware-level innovation unlocks a unique combination of mechanical parameters, addressing key challenges faced by robot manufacturers in the future markets of cobots and humanoid systems.”
