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Humanoid Safety

G1, H1-2, R1, H2 — see Humanoids.

What is specific to humanoids. The checks that apply to every robot we supply — testing the emergency stop, clearing the area, battery handling — are on Operational Safety, and you should read that first.

A biped falls further than you expect

A humanoid is less stable than a quadruped and goes down with the reach and force of something its own height. The H1-2 is 180 cm tall. Keep the falling radius clear and never try to catch one by hand.

Hazards specific to humanoids​

  • A biped is less stable than a quadruped and falls further. These platforms differ a lot in size — the H1-2 is 180 cm tall — so scale your clearance to the robot in front of you rather than to the last one you worked with.
  • Support it during early testing. A gantry, hoist or harness during first motion runs prevents most of the damage people do to these robots. Do not rely on catching it by hand.
  • Keep the falling radius clear — roughly its standing height in every direction, not just its footprint.
  • Two people for handling. Moving, mounting or recovering a full-size humanoid is not a one-person job.
  • Stay out of the leg and arm envelope. The limbs sweep through a much larger volume than the robot's standing footprint, and they move fast.
  • Watch your hands when powering on or off. Joints can snap to a default position as the controller takes over or releases.
  • Let overheated motors cool. If the robot suddenly goes limp into damping mode, the motors have overheated and that is protective, not a fault.

Where you can operate​

Assume a humanoid is not waterproof. The G1 is explicitly not waterproof, and no ingress rating is published for the H1-2, R1 or H2 — treat those the same way, and ask us before deploying one anywhere wet.

Surfaces. Loose gravel, deep pile carpet, gratings and wet tiles all reduce traction or trap feet.

While you are developing​

This is when most damage happens — not during normal operation, but while someone is testing code that has never run before.

Raise the robot off the ground. Put the robot on a stable stool, bench, gantry or harness so its feet hang clear. A bad motion command then costs you nothing.

Use a wired connection for anything touching low-level control. WiFi is fine for high-level work — logging in, editing code, pulling packages, reading topics — and for internet access.

It is not fine for joint-level or balance control. WiFi introduces latency spikes and occasional dropouts, and a control loop that misses its deadline does not degrade gracefully: the robot can lose balance and fall, taking the joints and any mounted payload with it. A wired link to the robot's internal network does not have that failure mode.

For putting a robot on WiFi for internet access, see the G1 Internet Connection Guide.

Start slow and low. Reduced speed and reduced torque for the first run of any new motion code. Bring it up once you have watched it behave.

Test your limits before you trust them. Joint limits, speed caps and workspace boundaries should be verified with the robot supported, not discovered when it hits something.

If it has fallen and will not respond​

  1. If a Recover From Fall command exists and it is safe to use, try it first.
  2. Otherwise, screenshot any warnings or errors in the mobile app — these are the most useful thing you can send us.
  3. Power the robot off.
  4. Move it to flat, level ground. This is a two-person job on a full-size humanoid.
  5. Inspect for damage, particularly loose or damaged wiring.
  6. If it will not power on or start up, contact support.

Support​