Most of the questions European businesses ask before a first humanoid robot deployment fall into the same few categories: what it really costs over five years, which rules apply, how a pilot should be structured, and which platform fits the work. This is a reading list for exactly those questions. Each guide below answers one of them in depth.
Start here
- Getting started with humanoid robots: a practical entry guide for European companies – The entry point if you have not deployed a humanoid before. It covers what to evaluate first, who needs to be involved on your side and what a realistic first year looks like.
- Humanoid robot glossary: 80 terms every professional should know – Eighty terms defined in plain language, from actuator types to whole body control. Worth keeping open while reading vendor documentation or technical proposals.
Cost, procurement and platform choice
- Five-year TCO model for humanoid robots: the real cost of ownership – Purchase price is a fraction of the total. This breaks down service, spare parts, training, downtime and integration across a five year horizon.
- How to write an RFP for humanoid robots: a complete template – A structured request for proposal you can adapt, with the questions that separate serious suppliers from the rest.
- Humanoid robot platform comparison 2025: the buying guide – A side by side comparison of the platforms available to European buyers, with the trade-offs that actually matter in industrial settings.
Running a pilot
- The humanoid robot pilot playbook: from proof of concept to production decision – How to design a pilot that produces a decision rather than a demonstration, including what to measure and when to stop.
Regulation and compliance
- EU AI act and humanoid robots: which rules apply and when – Which provisions of the AI Act reach humanoid robots, what the timelines are and where the obligations sit between manufacturer and operator.
- Complete guide to robot safety standards in Europe: ISO, IEC and en – The standards landscape for anyone specifying, certifying or accepting a humanoid robot in a European workplace.
Market context
- Humanoid robot market forecast: what the numbers actually say for 2025-2030 – A critical reading of the market projections, separating shipment forecasts from installed base and from revenue.
- Germany: which industries will deploy humanoid robots first? – The largest European market examined sector by sector, with the industries most likely to move first and the reasons why.
More in depth articles on the technology, regulation and economics of humanoid robots are collected in the Knowledge Hub.