The rapid development of humanoid robots and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, is creating new requirements for a less visible but essential part of electrification: coil winding. At CWIEME Shanghai 2026, suppliers of motors, magnetic materials and manufacturing equipment increasingly focused on these emerging applications alongside the established electric vehicle market.
Coil winding is the process of winding electrically conductive wire, usually copper, into precisely shaped coils. When electric current passes through these coils, it creates a magnetic field. In electric motors, the interaction between these magnetic fields produces the forces that make a motor rotate. Similar coil structures are used in transformers, generators and a wide range of other electrical components.
For robotics and eVTOL applications, the quality of these coils has a direct impact on motor efficiency, power density, heat generation, weight and reliability. These factors are particularly important in systems that depend on compact electric motors.
More motors per robot
Humanoid robots are a demanding application because a single machine can contain dozens of electric actuators. Motors are required in joints such as the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles, where developers are looking for high torque in a small and lightweight package.
This puts pressure on manufacturers to produce motor windings with increasingly tight tolerances. The way copper wire is positioned inside a motor influences how efficiently the available space is used and how much current the motor can handle without excessive heat generation.
Automation is therefore becoming more important in winding, assembly, insulation and inspection. Manufacturers are developing machines capable of producing increasingly complex winding patterns while maintaining consistency across large production volumes.
The growing importance of the sector was visible at CWIEME Shanghai. According to the organiser, more than 2,100 specialists from the humanoid robotics sector attended the 2026 edition.
Weight critical for eVTOL
The same technology is becoming important for eVTOL manufacturers. Electric aircraft require propulsion motors that combine high output with low weight, while also meeting strict requirements for efficiency and reliability.
Every kilogram matters in an aircraft. Motor designers are therefore looking for ways to increase the amount of usable power that can be generated from a given motor size and weight. More efficient winding techniques, improved insulation materials and advanced magnetic materials can contribute to that goal.
CWIEME reported attendance by more than 1,100 eVTOL specialists. Dedicated conference sessions also covered developments in eVTOL propulsion and electric drive technology.
Electrical manufacturing gains new markets
CWIEME Shanghai brought together more than 330 exhibitors across the motor and transformer supply chain, including suppliers of winding equipment, insulation and magnetic materials, motor components, electronics and electric drive technology.
Although electric vehicles remain one of the largest markets for these technologies, robotics and electric aviation are becoming increasingly visible applications. The exhibition attracted more than 4,400 EV motor professionals alongside the robotics and eVTOL visitors.
Nearly 40,000 professional visits were recorded during the three-day event, according to the organiser, with international buyers coming from more than 60 countries and regions.
For the robotics industry, the developments illustrate how advances in humanoids depend not only on AI and robot software, but also on improvements deep inside their hardware. Behind every electrically powered joint sits a motor, and inside many of those motors are carefully manufactured coils converting electrical energy into motion.
