Humanoid robot disassembles the control cabinet

Humanoid robots dismantle control cabinets and prepare components for recycling.

With the RealBot-01 from RealMan Robotics, Fraunhofer IOSB-INA is bringing a second humanoid demonstrator to the joint booth. The mobile system combines a humanoid upper body with a wheeled platform. The robot has 21 active degrees of freedom, two RX75 robotic arms—each with a payload capacity of five kilograms—as well as stereo depth cameras and LiDAR for sensing its surroundings.

At FMB, the robot uses AI-based image and sensor data processing to recognize and locate components inside an electrical control cabinet and can manipulate them with precision. For industry, such capabilities are particularly valuable in situations where tasks are monotonous, ergonomically unfavorable, or potentially dangerous.

This use case also ties into the circular economy. It was already demonstrated at the opening of the Humanoid Robots Experience Lab in Lemgo and is being further developed as part of the it’s OWL GoProZero project, among others. The goal is to view end-of-life control cabinets not merely as waste, but as a source of still-usable components and valuable materials. In the future, robotic systems are expected to automatically dismantle the control cabinets, thereby supporting their reuse or high-value recycling.

To this end, the Fraunhofer IOSB Humanoid Robots Experience Lab brings together expertise from three locations. In Karlsruhe, the focus is on safety, construction, and unstructured environments. Lemgo concentrates on industrial automation, manipulation, assembly, and disassembly. Ilmenau contributes expertise in assistance, inspection, and applications in agriculture, local government, and critical infrastructure.

Companies can analyze their own use cases in collaboration with Fraunhofer and test them in practice. Initial tests can then lead to pilot projects and customer-specific solutions.