1 robot, 2 hands - new experiment challenges the limits of automation

5 December 2025

In a collaboration, Weidmüller and the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) are exploring whether humanoid robots can perform tasks in control panel assembly with greater flexibility than traditional industrial robots.

How can humanoid robots change the way we work in the industry of the future? And what happens if we ask a robot to follow in human footsteps and use the same tools in the same way? No specially built production halls. No customised machines. Just robot and human, shoulder to shoulder, in front of a workbench.

For the German electronics company Weidmüller, these questions were not just an idea, but a real experiment, in which the company, together with the DTI, investigated what the technology can do.

− Our mission is to push the boundaries of automation and test what humanoid robots are really capable of in a highly versatile field such as control panel assembly, says Luca Isenberg, Product Manager at Weidmüller.

And for Weidmüller, the choice of collaboration partner was obvious:

− DTI has extensive expertise in robotics. They are well-known throughout Europe. We were looking for an expert in several different areas – on the one hand robotics, but also image processing and programming. That combination was exactly what we were after, says Luca Isenberg.

Can the robot master the craft?

Weidmüller supplies equipment and components for electrical installation all over the world.

With expertise from DTI, they set out to explore how humanoid robots can transform work processes in cable assembly and wire handling in connection with panel building.

− When it comes to cable assembly, fully automated solutions already exist on the market. But the advantage of a human-like robot in combination with semi-automatic machines may be that you achieve more cost-effective production by using existing equipment − while also gaining greater flexibility in a production where the requirements are constantly changing, says Luca Isenberg.

And it is precisely this flexibility that is important. Whereas traditional automation solutions often require extensive specialised equipment and redesigns, humanoid robots can potentially adapt to existing workstations and processes.

Together, Weidmüller and DTI asked themselves the question:

What if we let a robot handle the wires, strip them, crimp ferrules and fit identification labels using the same machines that a human would use to do the job?

− We placed the robot in front of the bench with the same machines that a human operator uses. Using a camera, two robot arms and programming, the humanoid robot was able to read the display and carry out the task in many of the same ways as an assembler would, explains Karsten Ahrentsen, Senior Consultant at DTI.

Two arms, one task

Where hands and eyes move a wire from machine to machine in one fluid motion, the robot has to solve the task in precise steps.

The machines in the production hall are not designed for robots, but for people. This required everything from extra “hands” in the form of artificial grippers to a humanoid robot with two arms that could work together and mimic human dexterity.

− Many industrial tasks are designed with people in mind, because originally it was us who were meant to carry them out, and because we have two hands, the use of a humanoid robot often makes it easier to develop a solution. When you move a box, you use both hands. When you straighten a wire, you use two hands. In contrast to a one-armed robot, where you have to develop special tools to achieve the same result, explains Sebastian Mathias Thomle Mason, Technical Consultant at DTI.

From experiment to insight

For Weidmüller, the collaboration evolved from a technical trial into concrete insight into how automation can be integrated into existing production environments.

− What is exciting about the project is that we can see that the automation of the future does not necessarily require completely new equipment, but perhaps new ways of using what already exists, says Luca Isenberg.

Karsten Ahrentsen agrees:

– The production of the future is not necessarily robots on their own and people on their own. It is about getting technology and people to complement each other so that both can do what they do best, he says.

Do you want to know more about how your company can exploit the synergy between people and robots? Contact DTI for consultancy, demonstrations and tailor-made development of advanced automation solutions.