COMPANIES · ROBOTICS & PHYSICAL AI
Harmonic Drive Systems
A Japanese maker of precision speed reducers and mechatronics products. Its HarmonicDrive strain wave gearing sits inside the joints of robot arms, collaborative robots and semiconductor equipment, letting a small fast motor produce slow, very precise, backlash-free motion.
A Japanese maker of precision speed reducers and mechatronics products. Its HarmonicDrive strain wave gearing sits inside the joints of robot arms, collaborative robots and semiconductor equipment, letting a small fast motor produce slow, very precise, backlash-free motion.
Almost every humanoid robot design needs compact, high-ratio, zero-backlash gearing at the joints, and Harmonic Drive has been building exactly that component for decades. It is a components business, not an AI business: its gears work the same whether or not a neural network is deciding where the arm should go.
Robot makers, machine-tool builders and semiconductor equipment manufacturers buy its reducers, gearheads, actuators and servo systems.
Japan
Robotics, autonomous systems and physical AI. Companies bringing AI into the physical world: self-driving cars, humanoid robots, drones and factory automation. This is often called "physical AI." Open the robotics lens.
Connections (2)
Every connection below is tied to a readable source, date, classification and statement of its limits. A company source establishes what that company stated; it does not necessarily provide independent confirmation.
Comparisons (2)
Source: 2026-06-08 · reviewed 2026-09-24
Evidence: Analytical comparison · Product/market overlap
Limits: The cited Nidec page does not name Harmonic Drive Systems. This row records overlap in strain wave gear reducers only; it does not establish relative market share, pricing, precision or that any customer has switched supplier.
Highly Developed Humanoid Robots - Nidec Drive Technology America ↗Source: Source undated · reviewed 2026-09-24
Evidence: Analytical comparison · Product/market overlap
Limits: The cited page carries no publication date and does not name Harmonic Drive Systems. The 60 percent figure is Nabtesco's own estimate. The two companies lead different segments, Nabtesco in larger joints and Harmonic Drive in smaller ones, so the overlap is partial rather than head-to-head.
Precision Reduction Gears | Our business | Nabtesco Corporation ↗Harmonic Drive Systems Inc. (TYO:6324) Stock Price & Overview ↗
Reviewed
Inclusion in this database is not an endorsement of a company or its securities. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and none of it is individualized investment advice. See the disclosures. Data: AI Map v3.22, released .