Mantis Robotics launches dual-arm, fenceless robot

The new Mantis MR-X dual-arm fenceless robot. | Source: Mantis Robotics

Mantis Robotics yesterday unveiled the MR-X, a biomimetic dual-arm robot designed to operate without safety fences or cages. The company said the system has embedded physical AI capabilities that enable it to operate alongside human workers.

The MR-X builds on years of proven, certified fenceless operation, backed by major entities in automation, including Amazon. The MR-1, certified to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849, has already demonstrated that industrial speeds can be achieved without compromising on safety, claimed Mantis. It said the MR-X extends this proven technology to a new form factor.

“Don’t mistake this for another humanoid robot. It’s a first-in-class dual-arm robot that outperforms both cobots and humanoids, in terms of both speed and safety,” stated Gerry Vannuffelen, CEO of Mantis Robotics.

“When Mantis launched the MR-1, it was evidence that our safety architecture could enable any robot to run at industrial speeds without fences,” he added. “MR-X takes that further, demonstrating that fenceless robotics is a reality regardless of form factor. We are not just building robots. We are building the technology that unlocks mass deployment in the real world.”

Mantis robots can take on fixed, mobile robot deployments

Inspired by the structure and reflexes of the human body, Mantis Robotics said it designed MR-X to take on demanding tasks that require both strength and dexterity. The company said it built the dual-armed robot for both fixed installations and mobile manipulator deployments.

At the core of the MR-X is the patented Mantis SafetyCore platform. This is a reflex system that gives the robot full, continuous awareness of its surroundings, according to Mantis.

Unlike conventional safety systems that rely on external sensors or rigid keep-out zones, SafetyCore processes the environment in real time and reacts autonomously when a person enters the robot’s path, without interrupting operations. This eliminates the need for external safety infrastructure and fences without having to compromise on speed, the company said.

MR-X can lift up to 70 lb. (31.7 kg) and move at high speeds up to 10.6 m/s, all within a compact footprint. Mantis said the robot allows for new flexibility in how to configure automation in complex, real-world environments.

Between its embedded physical AI and intuitive code-free programming, the MR-X can be deployed rapidly from manufacturing and logistics to emerging commercial environments, said Mantis. It can perform tasks such as bimanual assembly, material transfer, and package sorting.

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Mantis Robotics is showing the MR-X and the MR-1 at Booth 1261 in the South Hall at Automate. Visitors can interact with the robot and experience its real-time safety reflexes firsthand.