A humanoid robot has completed a live trial inside an automotive production facility, offering a clearer picture of how such systems may function in real-world factory operations.
The test focused on logistics work, where consistency and integration with existing systems matter more than controlled demonstrations.
Humanoid, a UK-based robotics company, carried out the project with SAP and automotive supplier Martur Fompak.
The team placed its HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled robot inside an active production setting to evaluate practical use, not just technical capability.
Real logistics tasks
The trial centered on a standard warehouse picking workflow.
The robot received task instructions from company software and executed them without human intervention.
It navigated to assigned pallet locations, picked up KLT boxes, and delivered them to a trolley.
The system repeated the cycle as part of a live order fulfillment process.
Engineers designed the setup to reflect actual factory conditions.
The robot worked within existing workflows instead of relying on isolated test environments.
This approach helped assess how easily it could integrate into daily operations.
Humanoid used its KinetIQ AI platform to manage the robot’s behavior.
The system supports coordinated operation across multiple robots and allows tasks to shift based on production demand.
Software-driven control
A key part of the trial involved connecting the robot to enterprise software used at the facility.
Humanoid linked its system with SAP’s platform through the Joule agent layer.
This allowed the warehouse system to send tasks directly to the robot over the internet.
The robot carried out those instructions without a custom-built local controller.
The integration also brought the robot into the factory’s core IT systems.
It worked alongside tools that manage inventory, orders, and logistics flows.
“Embodied Joule represents a fundamental shift in how robots understand and respond to business needs,” said Dr. Lukasz Ostrowski, Head of Embodied AI & Robotics at SAP SE.
“This proof of concept in the manufacturing industry allows us to demonstrate how humanoid robots can act as extensions of an organization’s operations,” he added, pointing to their ability to integrate with existing workflows.
The project ran from January to February 2026 and followed a phased rollout.
Teams conducted testing, prepared the site, and then deployed the system inside the facility.
During the trial, the robot handled three types of totes and managed loads of up to 17.6 pounds using its dual arms.
The companies reported consistent performance under real operating conditions.
“This proof of concept shows what matters: humanoid robots operating inside real production environments, connected to enterprise systems and measured against operational standards,” said Artem Sokolov, Founder and CEO of Humanoid.
“That’s the bridge between experimentation and deployment,” he added, as the company prepares for further testing in live production.
The partners now plan to move into the next phase of validation.
They will assess broader deployment opportunities and explore more complex use cases across production environments.
Originally written by: Aamir Khollam
Source: Interesting Engineering
Published on: 30 March 2026
Link to original article: Humanoid robot HMND 01 completes logistics tasks in real automotive factory test
