Payload

The maximum mass a robot's end effector can reliably carry while working, usually given in kilograms.

Payload is a core spec on a robot's datasheet: the maximum mass an arm's end effector can reliably carry at normal working speed and acceleration, usually given in kilograms. Two details are easy to miss. First, any tool mounted at the tip — gripper, camera, force sensor — counts against this figure too, so it eats into the margin left for the object actually being grasped. Second, manufacturer numbers usually assume the payload's center of mass sits close to the end flange (the mounting face at the tip of the arm); the farther off-center it sits, the more torque it produces, and the less mass the arm can actually handle. Dividing payload by the robot's own weight gives the payload-to-weight ratio, a common way to compare how lightweight a design is. Humanoid robots often quote separate numbers for single-arm payload and whole-body carrying capacity.

ExampleFranka Research 3's official specs list a 3 kg payload and an 855 mm reach; once a gripper is mounted at the tip, the gripper's own weight has to be subtracted from that 3 kg before figuring out how much the robot can actually pick up.

Also called

Rated Payload, Payload Capacity

Related

Payload-to-Weight Ratio · End Effector · Torque · Peak Torque · Workspace · Robotic Arm

Sources

Wikipedia: Industrial robot（Technical description）
Franka Robotics: Franka Research 3

As of

2026-09