A humanoid robot may be suitable for a clearly defined production task if its operating limits, safety measures and the work employees will still need to do can be assessed for the specific site. In areas where hazards are consistent, businesses should also consider a guarded industrial robot cell or changing the process. Remote operation can create distance, but it does not replace a risk assessment under section 3 of the German Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance.
You need to assess the hazards posed by the complete system, including its tool and workpiece, and decide how access, faults and emergencies will be managed. The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health describes separating moving hazardous areas as one possible safety measure.
For material transport, machine loading or workpiece handling, you’ll want to compare the relief robotics can provide with the manual tasks that remain. The BMW Group’s pilot involving the insertion of sheet-metal parts illustrates one specific application; it does not show that the system is suitable for hazardous environments in general.
You may want to trial a single task, but you’ll need to define operating modes, training, maintenance and human intervention. A manufacturer’s claims about remote operation or mobility do not replace this planning.
First, check whether the process itself can be made less hazardous. Then compare a humanoid system, a guarded robot cell and, where appropriate, remote operation for the task that remains. Remote operation can also be an operating mode for a robotic solution.
| Consideration | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Safety limits and remaining tasks | Hazards and safety measures for the complete system during normal operation and foreseeable faults; tasks employees will still need to carry out. | If heat, hazardous substances or moving workpieces are part of the process, I want to know when people need to intervene and how they will be protected. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Operation and faults | Responsibilities for operation and restart, and what to do if communication or a sensor fails. | A stoppage must not leave me facing an unclear fault-finding process. I need clear responsibilities and trained employees. This is the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Reducing physical strain | The workpiece, gripper and movement sequence for the specific application; any manual tasks that remain. | When handling heavy parts repeatedly, I want to know exactly which physically demanding tasks will be eliminated. Around 20% of consumers put this benefit first. |
| Existing workspace | Space, routes and access; whether physical separation or a process change would reduce exposure more directly. | If the task needs to take place in an existing production environment, I want to weigh the alterations required against the need for safe movement. Integrating the system into the workspace is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
The BMW Group describes a pilot involving the insertion of sheet-metal parts for a welding process in Spartanburg. This does not mean the same system is suitable for heat, hazardous substances or fault resolution at another site.
Check the limits of the model you plan to use, including its gripper and workpiece, against your process. Include cleaning, maintenance and restarting in your assessment.
Under section 3 of the German Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance, CE marking does not remove the requirement to carry out a risk assessment. Foreseeable operating faults and the hazards involved in resolving them must also be considered.
Define safety measures, access and the tasks that will remain early enough for them to be factored into the system selection.
If safety devices and training are only planned after you have selected the system, modifications may be needed and operations could start later than expected.
A general payload rating does not tell you how the system will handle a workpiece with the intended gripper, centre of gravity and movement path. Nor does it demonstrate how people in the robot’s operating area will be protected.
Ask for evidence that the system can handle your specific task. If the process is stable, consider a segregated robot cell as well.
Video or other sensor data may make employees identifiable. Depending on the system’s function, co-determination rights under section 87 of the German Works Constitution Act may also apply to technical equipment used to monitor behaviour or performance.
Before a pilot, clarify the types of data collected, the purpose, access rights and retention periods, as well as which relevant parties need to be involved.
NEURA Robotics presents its 4NE1 humanoid robot for industrial workflows and other applications.
Figure AI develops humanoid systems. The BMW Group describes a pilot with Figure 02, inserting sheet-metal parts for a welding process at its Spartanburg plant in the US.
Apptronik announced a pilot programme with Mercedes-Benz for Apollo, exploring potential applications in manufacturing logistics.
No. Under section 3 of the German Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance, CE marking does not replace a risk assessment for the intended use. This must take into account work equipment, the working environment and work materials, as well as foreseeable faults and how they will be resolved.
Yes. Section 12 of the German Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance requires sufficient and appropriate information, based on the risk assessment, to be provided before first use in a form and language employees can understand. For access to particularly hazardous work areas, section 9 of the German Occupational Safety and Health Act also requires appropriate instructions in advance.
You cannot determine that from its design alone. The safety measures needed depend on the specific system, its operating area and the workflow. The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health identifies physical barriers as one possible measure for areas with moving hazards.
They need to be considered if the system processes employees’ personal data or uses technical equipment intended to monitor behaviour or performance. Whether the General Data Protection Regulation and co-determination rights under section 87 of the German Works Constitution Act apply in a specific case depends on the data collected, the system’s functions and how it will be used.