Skip to content
Get in touch
CSEN
ServicesFrom solution design to operation and service.
TechnologyHow a position filled by a humanoid is built.
About usWho we are and how we differ from a maker or an integrator.
Get in touch
CSEN

What humanoids cannot do today

1Today humanoids can perform selected operations autonomously, not a whole shift.

Industrial operation entirely without operator supervision is beyond today's technology.

Anyone who claims otherwise is talking either about a laboratory or about a very narrow task.

But supervision does not have to be at the machine. The operator sits in the control room and sees the whole fleet on one screen; nobody has to stand by the robot on the shop floor.

2A humanoid does not replace five employees and leave you needing nobody in their place.

It replaces five employees per position and adds a control room operator who looks after up to nine humanoids.

3The operator is your employee and is not part of the monthly fee.

We provide the training.

Supervision and intervention
Monitors the state of the fleet, deals with situations the robot cannot handle, and controls it remotely when needed.
Task planning
Assigns work to the robots according to what the operation needs at that moment.

1 : 9

operator team to humanoids

Monthly fee for a filled position

  • Humanoid rental
  • Service
  • Replacement robot in the event of a fault
  • Control app

On your side

  • One-off installation fee
  • Control room operator
  • Electricity

4When the robot drops out, the position stays unfilled.

It is obvious, but it is the thing an operation should think through in advance: for a position held by people today, you have another shift in reserve; for a robot, you have us.

The procedure is remote diagnostics from the control room, then a service intervention, and if the robot cannot go on working, we supply a replacement. The replacement robot is part of the monthly fee, you do not pay extra for it.

Specific response times belong in the contract, because they differ according to the configuration of the station and how specific the end effector is. We are not going to promise you an hour here that we would then have to explain.

5Not every position is for a humanoid, even if it would suit us commercially.

  • Highly specialised static operations with a short cycle time.

    There a single-purpose machine wins and will be cheaper.

  • Tasks requiring extreme precision.

    A humanoid is universal, not more precise than a purpose-built manipulator.

  • Extremely dusty, humid or outdoor environments without the corresponding certification of the platform.

  • Stations accessible only by stairs or over uneven terrain.

    A mobile base needs a step-free route.

  • Operations where there is nobody to act as control room operator.

Technical questions

Can the robot work without operator supervision?
No. Today's humanoids can perform selected operations autonomously, but not a whole shift in industrial operation. Supervision is part of the model, not a temporary crutch.
What happens during an internet outage?
Operation continues. Control is local, only telemetry and diagnostics go to the cloud; they are synchronised once the connection is restored.
Can the robot climb stairs?
No. We use a humanoid torso on a mobile base, which removes the risk of falling and simplifies certification, but at the cost of the robot needing a step-free route.
Can it be retrained for a different task?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons a humanoid makes sense where production is being rearranged. But reprogramming is not a matter of an afternoon; the scope depends on how much the new task differs and whether the existing end effector is sufficient.
What about precision and cycle time?
It depends on the platform and the end effector, which is why we do not want to reduce it to a single number. In general, for operations with a short cycle time and extreme precision a single-purpose machine is the better choice, and we will tell you so.
How many robots can one operator team look after?
A team of five, up to nine humanoids in round-the-clock operation. Above this threshold you need a second team; in the calculator this is reflected in the cost per position.
Who is liable for the safety of the station?
The CE of the humanoid is the responsibility of its manufacturer, the conformity of the whole station is handled together with you, and we prepare the technical documentation. The details are on the Safety page.

Does it still sound usable?

Then it makes sense to meet. We will go through your positions and tell you which of them fall into this category and which do not.

Get in touchSafety documentation