Fraunhofer IPA Launches “Humanoid Capabilities Navigator” for Evaluating Robotics Potential
Heilbronn, Germany – March 23, 2026 – A research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA has unveiled a new evaluation model, the “Humanoid Capabilities Navigator,” designed to classify the technical capabilities of humanoid robots. The model also assesses the capabilities required for specific applications, offering a transparent and comparable framework for the rapidly evolving field of humanoid robotics.
As industries grapple with skilled labor shortages and the advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, the question of when and where to deploy humanoid robots is becoming increasingly critical. Until now, a comprehensive and comparable evaluation model has been lacking. The Humanoid Capabilities Navigator aims to fill this gap.
Inspired by the five levels of automation used in autonomous driving, the Navigator evaluates humanoid robots across four broad categories:
- Mobility and locomotion (including localization and path planning)
- Manipulation (including force perception and grip planning)
- Cognition (including perception and task planning)
- Safety and Security
Within each category, robots are ranked on a maturity scale from 0 (absent) to 4 (highly autonomous, comparable to or exceeding human capabilities). This allows for a manufacturer-independent comparison and assessment of suitability for specific tasks.
The Fraunhofer IPA team illustrated the Navigator’s application using typical industrial scenarios like truck loading/unloading, order picking, and machine operation/maintenance. The analysis revealed that tasks like truck loading demand high levels of manipulation, cognition, and safety, even as machine operation, being more structured, requires less flexibility.
To test the model, researchers evaluated the Unitree Robotics G1 humanoid robot. The assessment showed significant progress in mobility but highlighted areas needing further development to meet full industrial requirements.
The Humanoid Capabilities Navigator provides industry with a tool to realistically evaluate the potential of humanoid robots, inform investment decisions, and prioritize research and development efforts. It also supports reliable assessments of future market trends by linking technological progress to specific application needs.
This white paper is part of a series of publications from the Fraunhofer IPA, all focused on providing companies with the information needed to assess the economic and technical viability of humanoid robots for their applications. Further information and related publications, including guides to humanoid economics and functional safety, are available from the Fraunhofer IPA.