Shipping and First Setup

Battery rules shape how it travels

Lithium batteries are regulated as dangerous goods in transport, which affects how quickly and by which route a humanoid can reach you. In the United States, 49 CFR 173.185 requires each lithium cell or battery to be of a type proven to meet the tests in Part III, sub-section 38.3 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, and it requires manufacturers and distributors to make a test summary available. Ask the maker for that summary and for the shipping classification it uses, and check whether spare batteries travel separately. The same section restricts how damaged or defective packs may be moved, so agree in advance who collects and replaces a pack harmed in transit.

Receiving and unpacking a heavy robot

Plan the delivery like any heavy machine: confirm the crate's size and weight, the vehicle type, whether a tail lift is needed and the route from the kerb to the room where the robot will live. ISO 11228-1:2021 sets recommended limits for lifting, lowering and carrying by hand, which is a reminder to use trolleys, hoists or a planned team lift rather than asking two people to wrestle a humanoid out of its foam. Inspect the crate before signing for it, photograph any damage and note it on the delivery record. Unpack in the order the maker's instructions give, and keep the crate and inserts, since you may need them to send the robot back for repair.

Commissioning and the first power-on

Read the commissioning section of the instructions before the robot leaves its crate, and have the maker's engineer present or on a video call for the first power-on. Remove transport locks, check every joint moves freely and charge the battery fully before calibration. If the maker recommends a support frame or harness for the first stand-up, ask whether one is supplied or must be bought. Test the emergency stop and any remote stop before the robot takes a step, and mark out a clear area around it. Update the firmware only to the version the maker specifies for your acceptance tests, so the results match the baseline you agreed in the contract.

Handing over to your team

Before the engineer leaves, run the site acceptance test you agreed and record the results with the robot's serial number, software version and settings. Set up user accounts with named owners rather than a shared login, and put the robot on a network segment your IT team controls. Train at least two people to start, stop, charge and recover the robot, so one absence does not leave it idle. Keep the first weeks supervised and log every fault, however small, because early patterns are easier to raise while installation support is still on hand. Store manuals, certificates and support contacts where the whole team can find them quickly.

Sources and further reading

• 49 CFR 173.185 – Lithium cells and batteries — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration rule).
  US transport rules for lithium batteries: UN 38.3 testing, test summaries, packing and damaged packs.
• ISO 11228-1:2021 Ergonomics – Manual handling – Part 1: Lifting, lowering and carrying — International Organization for Standardization.
  Recommended limits for lifting and carrying by hand, a prompt to plan lifting aids for a heavy delivery.

Common questions

Can a humanoid robot be shipped by air?

Possibly, but lithium batteries are regulated as dangerous goods, so packing, labelling and quantity rules apply and the options depend on the battery. Ask the maker which route it normally uses and whether the battery travels installed or separately.

How long does it take to set up a humanoid robot?

It depends on the task. Getting the robot standing and connected is the shorter part; configuring it for your work, training staff and passing acceptance tests take longer, so plan the first weeks as supervised setup rather than full production.