Automakers Race to Put Humanoids on the Factory Floor
Renault Group has announced plans to deploy 350 humanoid robots in its factories by 2027, making it one of the first major automakers to bring humanoid technology to industrial production at meaningful scale. The robots, named Calvin-40, were developed in partnership with Wandercraft, a French startup in which Renault holds a minority stake. The deployment is a central pillar of Renault's futuREady strategic plan and is intended to cut production hours per vehicle by 30 percent.
The Calvin-40 robots are matte black, headless units designed for pragmatic utility. They can carry loads of up to 40 kilograms, incorporate cameras at their midsection, and use LED lights to communicate operational status to human workers. Footage shown by Renault's head of production, Thierry Charvet, depicted Calvin robots repeatedly lifting sets of tires at the company's Douai facility in northern France.
The Engineering Case for Humanoid Form
Charvet was candid about why Renault chose a humanoid design despite current limitations. The bipedal form factor offers a practical advantage that wheeled robots cannot match in existing factory layouts: the ability to carry heavy loads into tight spaces without requiring a wide base for stability. If you imagine the same robot with wheels carrying 30 kilograms at the end of its arms, you need a very wide base — humanoid form allows automation of many workstations where it was previously impossible.
The Calvin robots can also be trained to pick mixed parts from bins — a task requiring human dexterity and visual recognition that traditional industrial robots struggle to replicate economically. The first Calvin prototype appeared in April 2025 and was assigned simple tasks at Douai. A second unit followed in October 2025 and was already performing those same tasks twice as fast, reflecting rapid AI-driven capability improvements between generations.
