Mantis Robotics is using Automate 2026 to introduce a robot built for one of the biggest headaches in factory automation: putting powerful robots near people without locking them behind fences.
The company unveiled MR-X, a dual-arm fenceless robot designed for industrial and retail automation. Mantis says the robot can lift up to 70 pounds, move at speeds up to 10.6 meters per second and operate in a compact footprint without safety cages.
That is the point Mantis is trying to make. Most high-speed industrial robots need fences, cages or large safety zones to keep workers away from the moving arm. Collaborative robots can work closer to people, but they are usually slower and limited in payload. Mantis is pitching MR-X as a way to get closer to industrial speed and strength while still working in human spaces.
MR-X uses the company’s patented SafetyCore platform, which Mantis describes as a reflex system for the robot. Instead of relying only on external sensors or fixed keep-out zones, SafetyCore gives the robot continuous awareness of its surroundings and lets it react when a person enters its path. The company says the system can do that without stopping operations entirely or forcing the robot into a fenced-off cell.
The robot was inspired by the structure and reflexes of the human body, but Mantis is careful not to call it another humanoid. CEO Gerry Vannuffelen said MR-X is a “first-in-class dual-arm robot” built to outperform cobots and humanoids on speed and safety.
That distinction is interesting. The industry is full of humanoid robots trying to fit into spaces designed for people. Mantis is taking a different route. MR-X keeps the two-arm idea, but strips away the need for legs, a face or a human-shaped body. It is not trying to pass as a coworker. It is trying to do the work.
The robot is designed for jobs that need both strength and dexterity, including bimanual assembly, material transfer and package sorting. It can be used in fixed installations or mounted for mobile robot deployments. Mantis also says code-free programming and digital twin tools can help customers deploy the system faster without tearing up the whole operation.
MR-X builds on Mantis’ earlier MR-1 robot, which the company says is certified to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849 and can run at up to 10.6 meters per second. Mantis says MR-1 already showed that high-speed industrial robots can operate without traditional fences, and MR-X brings that approach to a new dual-arm form factor.
At Automate, both MR-X and MR-1 are running live at Mantis’ booth in the South Hall. Visitors can interact with the robots, test their safety reflexes and see how the company’s fenceless automation pitch works in person.
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