What are Material Handling Robots?
Material handling robots autonomously transport, pick, and stack materials, products, and equipment within warehouses and factories. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) navigate dynamically around obstacles, AGVs follow fixed paths, and picking/palletising arms handle order fulfilment and pallet stacking at the end of the line.
Best robots for Material Handling
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UBTECH Robotics Walker
The UBTECH Walker S2 is an industrial-grade bipedal humanoid robot designed for smart manufacturing and logistics. It leverages a proprietary AI large model, advanced bipedal locomotion, and dexterous manipulation to autonomously perform complex tasks like assembly, quality inspection, and material handling, enhancing efficiency and flexibility on the factory floor.
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UBTECH Robotics Walker S2
The UBTECH Robotics Walker S2 Standard is an industrial-grade bipedal humanoid robot engineered for smart factory environments. It combines advanced locomotion, dexterous manipulation, and AI-powered perception to automate complex tasks like quality inspection, material handling, and assembly line operations, enabling flexible and intelligent manufacturing.
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UBTECH Robotics Walker X
Walker X is a service humanoid designed for hospitality, offices and smart-home scenarios, combining smooth bipedal walking with expressive HRI and object handling.
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1X Technologies EVE
EVE is a mobile manipulator with a wheeled base and human-like upper body for office and facility tasks. It’s built for supervised autonomy and safe operation in human spaces.
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1X Technologies NEO
NEO is a bipedal humanoid platform under active development focused on everyday assistance and commercial service work with supervised autonomy.
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ABB Robotics IRB 1600
IRB 1600 is a fast, precise industrial arm for machine tending and material handling, chosen for long-running production cells.
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ABB Robotics IRB 2600
IRB 2600 is a compact, high-speed arm with excellent reach-to-payload ratio for arc welding, tending and handling in tight cells.
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ABB Robotics IRB 6700
IRB 6700 is a high-payload workhorse for heavy handling, spot welding and press tending, built for harsh environments with Foundry options.
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AGIBOT D1 Max IP67
The AGIBOT D1 Max IP67 is an industrial wheel-legged quadruped designed for logistics, remote task execution and search-and-rescue support across demanding indoor and outdoor terrain. It combines a 25 kg rated payload, 6 m/s maximum speed, up to 5 hours of unloaded operation and dual hot-swappable batteries with IP67 protection and a -20°C to 55°C operating range. Dual 96-channel LiDARs, front and rear 8 MP cameras, GNSS RTK, an automotive-grade IMU and ultrasonic sensing provide a strong perception foundation, while the SDK and extensive power/data interfaces support custom payload and autonomy development. Its wheel/leg mode switching, 45-degree climbing angle, 25 cm continuous stair capability and 80 cm maximum obstacle height make it suitable for industrial sites where wheeled efficiency and legged terrain access are both required.
Learn MoreProven in the field
Real deployments, real results — not projections.
A. Perry
HIKROBOT Q7 AMRs
Challenge: Managing more than 15,000 product lines across 4,000 picking locations, A. Perry faced rising demand, labour shortages and slow fulfilment.
Solution: A goods-to-person system with 15 Q7 AMRs (1,000kg capacity each), 330 mobile racks and two picking stations, live within six weeks.
Result: Picking speed increased 4× and order throughput rose by 60%, with lower day-to-day warehouse operating costs.
Superdry
HIKROBOT AMRs
Challenge: Superdry’s UK warehouse handled ~60,000 SKUs with returns at ~25% of stock movements, all via a fully manual, labour-heavy process.
Solution: 47 mobile robots and 1,000+ (later 1,750) mobile racks were deployed across 12 picking workstations with pick-to-light guidance.
Result: Returns productivity increased 3–3.5× with 99% accuracy, picking staff reduced from 30 to six, and ROI achieved in under two years.
Farsound Aviation
HIKROBOT AMRs
Challenge: While relocating its aerospace supply-chain operation, Farsound needed to improve efficiency, traceability and storage capacity.
Solution: A goods-to-person system with 10 AMRs and 650 mobile racks automated picking, transport and consolidation with digital inventory tracking.
Result: 127% increase in consolidation efficiency and 78% increase in order-fulfilment efficiency, with capacity for ~32,000 additional bins.
Key selection criteria
ROI analysis
Average Investment
$30,000 – $150,000 per robot
Annual Savings
$40,000 – $70,000 per year
Payback Period
9–18 months
Compare top material handling robots
| Robot | Category | Payload | Runtime | Price band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBTECH Robotics Walker | Humanoid Robot | 5 kg | Over 2 hours (with swappable battery) | Price on application |
| UBTECH Robotics Walker S2 | Humanoid Robot | 3 kg | 2-4 (operation dependent) | Price on application |
| UBTECH Robotics Walker X | Humanoid Robot | 3 kg | Battery powered, ~2 hours runtime | Price on application |
| 1X Technologies EVE | Humanoid Robot | 3 kg | Battery runtime ~6–8 hours | Price on application |
Key benefits
Reduce material transport time by 50%
Eliminate forklift accidents and manual lifting injuries
Scale operations without adding headcount
Optimise warehouse space utilisation
Frequently asked questions
How much does a warehouse material handling robot cost?
Most AMRs and AGVs we list run between $30,000 and $150,000 per robot depending on payload (anywhere from 1kg to 1,500kg) and navigation type. Racking, fleet software and integration add to that. Across the deployments we track, payback lands in 9–18 months.
What's the difference between an AMR and an AGV?
AGVs follow fixed paths — magnetic tape or QR grids — and suit stable, repetitive routes. AMRs build a map of your site and navigate around people and obstacles, so they handle change better but cost more. Our AMR vs AGV guide covers when each wins.
How long does deployment take?
The goods-to-person system at A. Perry — 15 AMRs, 330 mobile racks, two picking stations — went live in six weeks. Simple point-to-point transport can run within days; full goods-to-person conversions typically take 4–12 weeks including site survey.
Will AMRs integrate with my existing WMS?
Most major fleets connect to common WMS platforms via API. Our vetted integrators handle the middleware — tell us which WMS you run and we'll shortlist compatible fleets.
Are they safe around warehouse staff?
Yes. AMRs use LiDAR-based obstacle detection and are certified for shared workspaces. Superdry runs 47 robots alongside pickers across 12 workstations, at 99% picking accuracy.
Can I lease instead of buying outright?
Yes — our finance partners offer leasing and asset finance that turn the capex into monthly opex. The Finance Calculator gives an estimate in a couple of minutes.
Where material handling fits
Explore related areas to find the right robot for your operation.
Common industries
Manufacturing
Assembly, welding, machine tending and quality inspection.
Logistics & Warehousing
Picking, palletising, and autonomous transport at scale.
Hospitality
Customer-facing service, delivery, and guest robots.
Healthcare
Hospital logistics, disinfection, and surgical assistance.
Construction
Surveying, structural assembly, and site safety automation.
Transport, Airports & Ports
Baggage handling, cargo, and wayfinding for transport hubs.
Waste Management & Recycling
AI-powered sorting and collection automation.
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Ready to automate Material Handling?
Answer a few questions about your site and budget; we'll shortlist robots that fit. About 3 minutes.