Humanoid Buying Checklist

Pin down the job and the site

Write a one-page description of the work before you look at robots: the objects to be handled, their weights and sizes, the heights they sit at, how often each task repeats and how many hours a day it runs. Add the setting, including floor types, steps, door widths, lighting and the people who will be nearby. Send that page to every maker you consider and ask for a written answer on each point, with video of the robot doing something close to it. A humanoid that cannot meet the brief on paper will not meet it on your floor, and a written answer gives you something to hold the supplier to later if performance falls short.

Ask for the safety and conformity file

Ask each maker for the documents that show the robot can be put into service where you are. In Great Britain, the Office for Product Safety and Standards' guidance on the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 explains the UKCA and CE marking routes, the declaration of conformity and the checks importers and distributors must make. Request the declaration itself, the instructions in your language and a summary of the maker's risk assessment. ISO 12100:2010 sets out the general method of risk assessment and risk reduction used in machinery design, so ask which hazards the maker identified under it, and which ones it expects you to control on site through guarding, procedures or training.

Test the robot before you commit

Arrange to see the exact model and software version you would buy, handling your own objects, rather than a showroom routine. If travel is impractical, send samples and ask for an unedited recording with a clock visible on screen. Agree acceptance tests in the contract: a factory check before shipping and a site check after installation, each with pass criteria taken from your job description. Note what happens if the robot fails either test, including whether you can refuse delivery. Ask too how loud the robot is, how warm it runs and how long one charge lasts while doing your task, since a runtime quoted for walking may differ from one quoted for lifting.

Settle the paperwork before signing

Before signing, collect the answers in one folder: the quote with every included item listed, the delivery terms, the payment schedule, the warranty and when it starts, the software licence and any renewal fees, and the training offered to your staff. Check who owns the data the robot records and whether you can export it. Give your finance and legal teams time to review the supplier's standard terms, which may be written for the maker's home market and its law. Make sure your insurer knows the robot is coming. Finally, name the people on both sides who will manage installation, so questions do not stall in an inbox while the robot waits in a crate.

Sources and further reading

• Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008: guidance — Office for Product Safety and Standards, GOV.UK.
  UK guidance on UKCA and CE marking, declarations of conformity and the checks importers and distributors make.
• ISO 12100:2010 Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk reduction — International Organization for Standardization.
  The basic method makers use to find machine hazards and reduce risk, useful when reading a maker's safety file.

Common questions

How long does it take to buy a humanoid robot?

Allow time for briefing makers, demonstrations, internal approval, contract review, manufacturing and shipping, and site preparation. Lead times vary widely by maker and by whether a model is in stock, so ask for a delivery date in writing before you sign.

Can I buy one humanoid to test before ordering more?

Buying a single unit first is a sensible way to prove the task and train the team before a larger order. Ask whether the price and availability of later units can be fixed in advance, so a successful trial does not meet a longer queue.