Humanoid Robots in Industry: Why Tomorrow's Robots Also Need Lifting Aids
In short: Human-sized humanoid robots can usually only lift 15 to 30 kg continuously. For heavy components of up to 1,200 kg, they therefore need the same lifting aids as humans. Zeilhofer Handhabungstechnik sees manipulators and lift axes as infrastructure that humans and robots will use together in future: the robot steers, the lifting aid carries.
Why is everyone talking about humanoid robots?
In 2026, humanoid robots are the technology topic of the industry. In June 2026, BMW announced it would use Figure 03 in Spartanburg for sequencing tasks. Hyundai is testing the electric Atlas from Boston Dynamics and plans to deploy it in its US plant in Georgia from 2028. Renault plans to use 350 robots from the manufacturer Wandercraft as a first step from 2027.
The drivers are well known: the shortage of skilled workers, physically demanding tasks and the wish to automate existing workplaces without major conversion. The expectation behind this is often that humanoid robots will take over tomorrow's work and relieve employees. One detail regularly gets lost: how much a humanoid robot can actually lift.
How much can a humanoid robot lift?
Human-sized industrial humanoids usually lift 15 to 30 kg continuously (as of October 2026). The top value comes from the electric Atlas by Boston Dynamics: according to the official data sheet, it lifts 50 kg briefly, but only 30 kg continuously. Most other models are well below that.
Agility Digit: approx. 16 kg, used for transporting boxes in logistics
Tesla Optimus: approx. 20 kg, so far mainly in Tesla's own plants
Figure 02 and 03: approx. 20 to 25 kg
NEURA Robotics 4NE-1: 20 kg arm payload, up to 100 kg only in leg-supported configurations
Boston Dynamics Atlas: 50 kg briefly, 30 kg continuously
Wandercraft Calvin-40: up to 40 kg according to the manufacturer
Unitree G1: arm payload approx. 2 to 3 kg, depending on version and posture
The difference between peak load and continuous load is important. The peak value applies to a short lift while standing. In production, what counts is what the robot can move safely over a whole shift, including while walking. Battery life also drops under load.
Why does it stop at around 30 kg?
A humanoid robot has the same physical limits as a human. It stands on two legs, every load shifts its centre of gravity forward, and it has to balance it with its own body. The heavier the component, the stronger the motors and gearboxes in arms, hips and knees have to be, and the heavier the robot itself becomes.
Own weight: An Atlas weighs around 90 kg in order to lift 50 kg briefly.
Balance: A load in front of the body creates a tipping moment that has to be compensated with every step.
Energy: Heavy loads noticeably shorten battery life.
Safety: If a robot falls with 30 kg in its arms, both robot and component fall.
Are there humanoid robots that lift more?
Yes, but they rather show how high the hurdle is. In autumn 2026, the Beijing start-up NeodraDynamics presented the humanoid Neo1. According to the manufacturer, it lifts 500 kg with both arms. To do so, it is around 4 metres tall, weighs 1.2 tonnes, works with hydraulics and stands fixed in place. The figures come solely from the manufacturer and have not been independently verified.
A humanoid that lifts 500 kg is therefore a stationary heavy-duty machine with a human silhouette. It does not fit into a normal assembly workplace. For everyday manufacturing, the rule still applies: human-sized humanoid robots move light to medium loads.
The robot has the same problem as the human
In Germany there is no fixed legal limit for humans, but there are clear rules on risk assessment for lifting and carrying. What is reasonable is explained in our article How many kg may you lift?. For heavy or frequently lifted loads, companies therefore use lifting aids.
This is exactly where the limit of today's humanoids lies. This means: a humanoid robot can replace or relieve an operator in many tasks, but it does not solve the problem of heavy loads. It only shifts it from the human to the machine, which runs into the same limit.
Which loads remain in the factory?
In many plants, the critical components weigh far more than 30 kg. Typical examples from Zeilhofer Handhabungstechnik projects:
Cast and forged parts: engine blocks, housings and blanks, often hot and heavy
Rolls and rollers: paper, film and metal rolls weighing several hundred kilograms
Sheet metal and plates: loading and unloading laser cutting and bending machines
Glass and windows: large, sensitive panes and window frames
Motors and gearboxes: units of up to 1,000 kg in assembly
For these loads, the lifting aid remains indispensable, regardless of whether a human or a robot is at the control handle.
How do humanoid robots and lifting aids work together?
The solution lies in the division of labour: the humanoid robot steers, the lifting aid carries. It guides a manipulator or a lift axis just as an operator does today. The component floats almost weightlessly, and the robot only has to position and join it. An arm payload of a few kilograms is then enough, and even a small humanoid with 2 to 3 kg arm payload can guide a component weighing several hundred kilograms this way.
Articulated jib manipulator and cable manipulator
The articulated jib manipulator from Zeilhofer lifts up to 800 kg and guides the load rigidly, even off-centre. The cable manipulator is suitable for lighter loads of up to 150 kg that are lifted vertically.
ZH90 lift axis and ZH90 Flex-Arm
The ZH90 lift axis lifts up to 1,200 kg in an electropneumatic or electric version and can be mounted on the ceiling or floor. The ZH90 Flex-Arm moves loads of up to 200 kg.
Hebelift ZH
The Hebelift ZH can be moved by hand and works with Zeilhofer's 48 V battery technology. It lifts up to 100 kg and needs neither compressed air nor a power socket, so it works wherever a mobile robot works too.
Fixtures and grippers as the interface
The actual interface to the component is the fixture. Zeilhofer builds grippers and fixtures individually for every component geometry, also as robot grippers. Whether a human or a robot guides the system makes no difference to the fixture.
Joystick or interface: how does a robot control a lift axis?
Today, a humanoid robot operates a lifting aid just like a human: via handle, push buttons or joystick. This works without modifying the system.
In the long term, it can also be done digitally. Electropneumatic and electric systems from Zeilhofer can be connected to a PLC. A robot could then control the lift axis directly via the control system instead of pulling the handle. More on this on our page on controls.
The cobot world already shows that this principle works: with crane-like lifting support, standard cobots lift up to 45 kg, far more than their own payload. The robot provides precision, the lifting technology provides the force.
Humanoid robot, industrial robot, cobot or manipulator: what fits when?
Industrial robot: very high volumes, identical components, short cycle times; needs programming and usually a safety fence.
Cobot: light loads of up to around 30 kg directly next to humans; programmed like an industrial robot.
Humanoid robot: changing tasks in existing workplaces designed for humans; payload usually 15 to 30 kg.
Manipulator or lift axis: heavy loads of up to 1,200 kg, without programming, guided by a human or robot.
A detailed classification of robot, cobot, exoskeleton and handling technology can be found in the guide Automation without robots and in the comparison Manipulator or cobot. When a manipulator, crane or robot is suitable is shown in our comparison Manipulator, crane or robot.
What does the 2027 Machinery Regulation change for AI robots?
From 20 January 2027, the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies. For the first time, it explicitly covers machines with self-evolving behaviour, i.e. AI-based controls, and sets stricter requirements for safety and documentation. Anyone who has humanoid robots work with heavy loads has to clarify these questions early.
A proven, CE-compliant lifting aid reduces the risk: the heavy load hangs on a tested system, not on the arm of a learning system. What the new regulation means for ergonomics in your production can be read in our article on the EU Machinery Regulation 2027. More detailed information is provided in our whitepaper Hebehilfen 2027 (German).
One station for humans and robots: investment security
Lifting aids from Zeilhofer are designed for 15 to 20 years of economic operation. That is longer than any generation of humanoid robots foreseeable today. Investing in manipulators and lift axes now creates workplaces where humans can work today and robots tomorrow.
The Fraunhofer IPA study on humanoid robots supports this planning: only 6% of the experts surveyed expected humanoids in industrial applications within two years, while 74% consider use within 3 to 10 years realistic. What a lifting aid costs today is shown in our guide What does a manipulator cost?.
Conclusion: the humanoid replaces the operator, not the manipulator
Humanoid robots will take over many tasks in production. Heavy loads will not be among them for the foreseeable future, because at human size their continuous payload is 15 to 30 kg. For anything above that, manipulators, lift axes and lifting devices remain the basis. The question is therefore not whether robots will replace lifting aids, but how lifting aids are designed so that humans and robots can use them together.
Are you planning a workplace for heavy components and want to make it future-proof? Zeilhofer Handhabungstechnik answers enquiries within 24 hours on working days.
FAQ: humanoid robots and heavy loads
How much can a humanoid robot lift?
Human-sized industrial humanoid robots usually lift 15 to 30 kg continuously. The top value is held by the electric Atlas from Boston Dynamics with 50 kg briefly and 30 kg continuously. Tesla Optimus manages around 20 kg, Figure 20 to 25 kg and Agility Digit about 16 kg (as of October 2026).
Which humanoid robot has the highest payload?
Among human-sized humanoids, the electric Atlas from Boston Dynamics has the highest payload with 50 kg briefly and 30 kg continuously. The 4 metre tall hydraulic Neo1 from NeodraDynamics is said by the manufacturer to lift 500 kg, but weighs 1.2 tonnes and is stationary; the figures have not been independently verified.
Why can't humanoid robots lift heavy loads?
Humanoid robots stand on two legs and have to balance every load with their own body. More payload requires stronger motors and more own weight, shortens battery life and increases the risk of falling. That is why the continuous payload at human size is around 15 to 30 kg.
Can a robot operate a manipulator?
Yes. A humanoid robot can guide a manipulator or lift axis via handle, push buttons or joystick, just like an operator. The lifting aid carries the weight, the robot only positions. Electropneumatic and electric systems from Zeilhofer can also be connected to a PLC.
Will humanoid robots replace lifting aids?
No. Humanoid robots can relieve operators in many tasks, but fail at the same heavy loads. For components over 30 kg, manipulators, lift axes and lifting devices remain necessary, such as the ZH90 lift axis from Zeilhofer with a payload of up to 1,200 kg.
When will humanoid robots be used in industry?
The first pilot projects are already running, for example at BMW, Hyundai and in logistics. In a Fraunhofer IPA study, only 6% of the experts surveyed expected industrial applications within two years, while 74% consider use within 3 to 10 years realistic.
What does the 2027 Machinery Regulation change for AI robots?
From 20 January 2027, the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies. For the first time, it covers machines with self-evolving behaviour, i.e. AI-based controls, and sets stricter requirements for safety and documentation.
Is a humanoid robot worthwhile for heavy components?
Not on its own for heavy components, because it cannot carry the load itself. The combination makes sense: a lifting aid carries the weight, a human or robot guides it. Lifting aids from Zeilhofer are designed for 15 to 20 years of economic operation and therefore remain usable when robots are introduced later.
