How to read a humanoid robot spec sheet
Six numbers buyers compare first, and the question to ask about each before the numbers mean anything.
Short answer: every headline spec on a humanoid datasheet needs a condition attached (which joint, which pose, for how long, under what load) before it can be compared with another robot's. Most sheets leave at least one condition out.
Six specs and the question to ask
| Spec | What it seems to say | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Payload (kg) | How much it can carry | Per arm or both? Which pose? Continuous or peak? For how long? |
| Peak joint torque (N·m) | How strong the joints are | Which joint? Peak for how many seconds? Continuous figure? |
| Runtime (h) | How long it works per charge | Walking, standing or mixed duty? Is battery swap counted? |
| Degrees of freedom | How flexible it is | Including the hands? Base model or with options? |
| Speed (m/s) | How fast it walks | On flat ground, unloaded, sustained or peak? |
| Price | What it costs | Which configuration? Software, SDK access, support and shipping included? |
Three examples from real sheets
- Payload pose. AgiBot (智元) X2 Ultra states at most 1 kg anywhere in the workspace and 3 kg in the best pose. Both are true; only one is useful for planning a task.
- Torque location. Unitree (宇树) G1 states 90 N·m at the knee, while other sheets give a single unqualified peak torque. A knee figure and a whole-robot maximum are not the same claim.
- Runtime duty. Booster T1 lists 2 hours walking and 4 hours standing. A robot that mostly stands at a workstation and one that walks a warehouse will see very different hours.
Rated is not measured
A datasheet number is what the maker states, usually under conditions the maker chose. An independent test under fixed conditions can come in lower. On our robots page, each rated spec will sit next to the value we measure once a unit has been through our published protocol, which fixes the same conditions for every robot.
A quick checklist before you buy
- Ask for each headline spec with its condition written out.
- Ask whether the figure is measured or design-target.
- Ask for the configuration and price that the numbers belong to.
- Ask for a reference customer who runs the robot in a task like yours.