Mantis Robotics has unveiled the MR-X, a biomimetic dual-arm robot designed to work alongside people without safety fences or cages. The Pleasanton, California company says the system carries embedded physical AI that lets it operate at industrial speeds while staying safe around human workers, and it is showing the robot this week at the Automate 2026 show in Chicago.
A new form factor for fenceless robotics
The MR-X builds on Mantis Robotics' certified fenceless track record. Its earlier MR-1 single-arm robot, certified to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849, already demonstrated that industrial speeds could be reached without external safety infrastructure. The MR-X extends that approach to a dual-arm design inspired by the structure and reflexes of the human body, targeting tasks that demand both strength and dexterity.
SafetyCore reflexes replace cages
At the heart of the MR-X is Mantis Robotics' patented SafetyCore platform, a reflex system that gives the robot continuous, real-time awareness of its surroundings. Unlike conventional safety systems that depend on external sensors or rigid keep-out zones, SafetyCore processes the environment as it changes and reacts autonomously when a person enters the robot's path, without halting the task. The company says that removes the need for fences while preserving full operating speed.
Performance and deployment
The MR-X can lift up to 70 lb (31.7 kg) and move at speeds up to 10.6 m/s within a compact footprint, and Mantis designed it for both fixed installations and mobile manipulator deployments. With embedded physical AI and code-free programming, the robot can be set up quickly for bimanual assembly, material transfer and package sorting across manufacturing, logistics and emerging commercial settings. The launch follows a wave of fenceless and dual-arm systems on display at Automate, where vendors such as Collaborative Robotics' Proxie Gen 2 and Vention and Teradyne are pushing physical AI into everyday automation. The MR-1's fenceless operation has been backed by major automation users including partners scaling warehouse robotics.
Reporting based on coverage from The Robot Report and Mantis Robotics.