Calvin-40
Limited evidenceRead the findings →A headless factory humanoid from French exoskeleton maker Wandercraft, built to carry heavy parts for Renault. It's aimed at factories and logistics sites trialling humanoids. There's no home version, and Wandercraft publishes no size, payload or price.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Wandercraft’s range
- Calvin-40This model
- Wandercraft EveSelf-balancing personal exoskeleton for walking at home
- Wandercraft Atalante XSelf-balancing exoskeleton for rehabilitation clinics
Feedback
What we know
Calvin-40 isn't something a reviewer could buy, so what's known comes from launch news in The Robot Report, Auto Express on Renault's strategy day, Renault's own account Renault Group and Wandercraft's page Wandercraft. The most useful outside detail is in Auto Express: Renault's industrial chief says the robots still lack the speed and dexterity for final assembly. The rest is the maker's or Renault's claim.
Built for heavy, repetitive factory work
Wandercraft pitches Calvin at moving boxes, crates and heavy loads between workstations, with picking and kitting still being added Wandercraft. Auto Express reports it's already hauling tyres for electric cars on the supply line at Renault's Douai factory. Renault Group says the aim is to take the hardest jobs off workers: heavy loads, sharp parts and repetitive movements.
Slow and clumsy for now
The frankest view comes from Renault itself. Its industrial boss told Auto Express that no robots are replacing people on final assembly because they lack speed and dexterity, and the article calls clumsy movement the design's biggest flaw. It also says Wandercraft doubled Calvin's speed in six months of AI training. The Robot Report noted the first Calvin had hands that couldn't grip, and asked for specs but got no reply.
Balance and safety, still to be proven
Calvin's self-balancing comes from Wandercraft's exoskeletons, which help people with severe walking difficulties stand and walk The Robot Report. Wandercraft claims a target failure rate below 1 in 1,000 and a safety system that can be certified, so it could work near people without barriers Wandercraft. Those are targets, not test results. Nobody outside the two companies has checked its factory work, and nobody has published how it behaves around workers.
Wandercraft publishes no size, weight, payload, battery or price figures for Calvin-40.
Our take
Should you buy the Calvin-40?
Best for: Factories and warehouses able to run a trial with the maker. Skip it if: You want a robot for an ordinary household.
only worth a look if you run a factory, warehouse or logistics site and want to trial a humanoid for heavy, repetitive handling. For a humanoid you can order and program yourself, look at Unitree's G1, and for factory humanoids with more public detail compare Agility's Digit and UBTech's Walker S2.
Calvin-40 is a headless humanoid for factory work from Wandercraft, a French company better known for self-balancing exoskeletons that help people with mobility problems walk, and the robot uses the same balance technology. Renault, which has invested in Wandercraft, is the first customer, using it to move tyres at its Douai factory. Renault plans to run hundreds of them by the end of 2027, with the first production batch due in the first half of that year.
Wandercraft publishes no height, weight, payload, battery life or price. What's known comes from the maker and from news coverage. Auto Express reports that Calvin-40 is the second version, and that the first started work in April 2025. Renault's industrial chief says the robots still lack the speed and dexterity for final assembly. Wandercraft offers demos and short trials to factories, and there's no version for homes or hobbyists.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can I actually buy one?
Not as an individual. Wandercraft offers demos and quick trials to businesses and says the first production batch should be delivered in the first half of 2027 Wandercraft. Renault is the first customer.
What can it do on its own today?
Wandercraft says it finds its own way around to carry out set tasks, moving boxes, crates and heavy parts Wandercraft. Auto Express reports it hauling tyres at Renault's Douai factory, though Renault says it's too slow and clumsy for final assembly.
Is it safe to have around people?
Wandercraft says it has a safety system that can be certified, designed so it can work alongside people without physical barriers, and it's aiming for a failure rate below 1 in 1,000 Wandercraft. Nobody independent has tested those claims.
Who supports it if it breaks?
Wandercraft, directly, as part of a business deployment. Renault also plans to help industrialise production of the robots Renault Group. There's no consumer warranty or retail support, because it isn't sold to individuals.
Alternatives
Other humanoid robots to compare.
Digit
Why consider it: A commercial logistics humanoid already carrying totes autonomously in working facilities.
The compromise: It's also sold only to businesses, not individuals.
Walker S2
Why consider it: An industrial humanoid that swaps its own battery, with a published workspace payload.
The compromise: Like Calvin, it's for factories, and nobody independent has tested it.
G1
Why consider it: A humanoid you can actually order online and program, if you want one to experiment with.
The compromise: It's a developer's robot with light arms, not a factory worker.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Calvin-40?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Sources
- The Robot Report: Wandercraft unveils Calvin, new industrial humanoid, and Renault partnership ↗News
- Auto Express: Renault Calvin is an industry-first humanoid robot that's already helping build cars ↗News
- Renault Group: Calvin: a new-generation robot is born ↗News
- Wandercraft: Calvin-40 product page ↗Manufacturer
- Wandercraft: Introducing Calvin-40 (Renault partnership announcement) ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Wandercraft: Introducing Calvin-40 ↗
- Search YouTube for Wandercraft Calvin-40 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.