Kinisi Robotics Deploys Wheeled Humanoid for Glass Sorting

Kinisi Robotics has joined the exclusive ranks of humanoid companies transitioning from laboratory spectacles to actual labor. The company announced today that it has successfully deployed its first mobile manipulation system into a commercial glass recycling facility, marking its entry into live production work.

This marks a significant milestone for the Bristol and New York-based startup, representing the first time its wheeled humanoid platform, the Kinisi 01 (KR1), is performing live production work inside a customer site.

The Kinisi 01 (KR1). The robot relies on stereo depth cameras and onboard AI to perceive its environment. In its new role at the recycling facility, the system uses this perception stack to classify bottles by shape, size, and material. Image: Kinisi

Trial by Glass

The deployment is taking place at a UK facility, where the robot is tasked with sorting glass bottles for reuse. Operating autonomously on a sorting line, the robot uses computer vision and machine learning to classify bottles based on shape, size, and material.

Glass recycling presents a specific set of engineering hurdles. Bottles arrive randomly oriented, requiring the robot to determine grasp points autonomously based on geometry and stability. Furthermore, the system must balance speed with the delicate handling required to prevent breakage.

In a statement to Humanoids Daily, Kinisi acknowledged that while the system is currently performing consistently, it is not yet matching the pace of manual labor.

"The process is still slower than a human operator at this stage," a Aaron Colfer, Head of Product, told us. "Our plan now is to gradually increase speed, with the ambition of surpassing human throughput over the next couple of months."

The company describes its strategy as "getting into the field early," preferring to build robustness through exposure to real-world variables rather than perfecting the system in a controlled lab environment.

A diagram in the shape of an infinity symbol illustrating a continuous feedback loop. The right side of the loop shows "Robot Fleet Deployed in the Field" collecting data, which flows into the left side labeled "Robots Trained with New Data" and "Neural Network Updated to All Robots." A central arrow cuts through the middle, reading "More Robots produced to gather more data." — A visualization of Kinisi’s "flywheel" strategy. By deploying robots into the field early rather than perfecting them in the lab, the company aims to generate a self-reinforcing loop where real-world data constantly updates and refines the fleet's neural networks. Image: Kinisi

Hardware and Durability

The environment of a glass recycling plant—often filled with dust and abrasive particulates—raises questions about the durability of a complex humanoid machine.

Kinisi’s KR1 is a wheeled platform, a design choice the company argues is essential for throughput and travel efficiency in logistics and manufacturing. The robot features a top speed of 2.4 m/s and a payload capacity of 25 kg dynamic (40 kg static).

A low-angle shot of the Kinisi KR1 robot moving rapidly through a warehouse aisle. The background is heavily blurred to emphasize speed. The robot features a silver humanoid upper body mounted on a wheeled base with a glowing blue light strip. — Speed over steps. The KR1 utilizes a wheeled base to achieve a top speed of 2.4 m/s. Kinisi argues this mobility is essential for logistics and manufacturing, prioritizing travel efficiency and throughput over the complexity of bipedal walking. Image: Kinisi

Regarding the environmental hazards of the deployment, Kinisi confirmed to Humanoids Daily that the robot is positioned at the sortation stage rather than near the crushing machinery. However, the hardware has been hardened for industrial reality. The company notes that its actuators are IP65 rated, and they have added polyurethane bands to inline joints to reduce ingress.

The robot’s design, characterized by an "organic" look, is functional rather than purely aesthetic. According to the company, the chassis is designed to minimize dust accumulation, with no external gap exceeding 0.5 mm.

A digital illustration showing the Kinisi robot facing forward. The environment surrounding the robot is rendered as a complex "point cloud" made of thousands of glowing green dots, representing the robot's computer vision scanning and mapping a warehouse aisle. — Visualizing the Perception Layer. The KR1 processes sensory data locally to map its environment. By utilizing stereo depth cameras and LiDAR, the robot creates a real-time digital understanding of its surroundings to navigate and act autonomously. Image: Kinisi

The Perception Layer

Unlike some competitors relying heavily on cloud-based "brain" architecture, Kinisi emphasizes onboard intelligence. The KR1 processes data locally (on NVIDIA Jetson), which the company claims results in faster response times and reliability in environments with unstable internet connections.

The robot utilizes stereo depth cameras and a 180-degree LiDAR array with SLAM integration for spatial awareness. To assist customers in understanding this "perception layer," Kinisi released a video alongside the announcement illustrating how the robot translates raw sensor data into decision-making and motion.

Watch the video:

Automotive Ambitions

While the recycling deployment is the headline news, Kinisi also revealed it has signed a pilot agreement with a "major global automotive manufacturer".

While details on the partner remain under NDA, Kinisi clarified the scope of the pilot in correspondence with Humanoids Daily. Rather than complex assembly tasks often associated with humanoid marketing, the initial focus will be on intra-logistics: moving totes, handling parts, and unloading components.

Context

Kinisi Robotics is led by founder Bren Pierce, whose background includes stints at Robotize and Bear Robotics. The company operates with a split structure: corporate headquarters in New York City and a center for engineering in Bristol, UK.

This deployment signals a broader trend (see here, here and here) in the humanoid sector toward wheeled mobility as a pragmatic bridge between stationary arms and bipedal walkers. By removing the complexity of bipedal balance, companies like Kinisi aim to deliver viable ROI in logistics and sorting tasks sooner, even if the robots cannot yet climb stairs.

"The true test will be whether it can deliver comparable throughput," admitted the Kinisi CEO in the press release. With the robot now active on the line, that test has officially begun.

Watch the Kinisi 01 perform a fully autonomous "infinite" pick & place demo:

Visit the Kinisi website

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