Robot Buying Guide

Robot Spec Sheets Explained: Minimum Passage Width, Theoretical Efficiency, IP Rating and More

Facts last checked: 2026-10-14 · Not legal advice

Scope. A glossary-style guide to the figures on our model pages and on manufacturer spec sheets. Where an international standard defines a term we quote it; where only the manufacturer defines it we say so; where nobody says how a figure was measured we say not verified . We do not rate or compare products here.

1. How manufacturers state specs

Spec sheets mix three kinds of figure: measured under a standard (rare on robot pages, e.g. an IP code), measured under the manufacturer’s own conditions (battery life, charging time) and calculated or “theoretical” values (cleaning efficiency). Watch for qualifiers: “up to”, “maximum”, “theoretical”, footnotes such as “actual results vary”. KEENON’s T9 page, for example, gives battery life as “up to 18h” with a footnote that actual results vary with use and settings.[source, retrieved 2026-10-09] The robot categories themselves have standard definitions: ISO 8373:2021 defines a service robot as a robot “in personal use or professional use that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment” (tasks listed include handling or serving items, transportation and cleaning) and a mobile robot as a robot “able to travel under its own control”.[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] (Quoted from the free preview of the standard; the full text is sold by ISO.[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] ISO’s page says a revision is expected.)

2. Delivery-robot terms

TermWhat it meansDefined byWhat is often missing
Minimum passage widthThe narrowest gap the robot is stated to pass. KEENON’s T9 manual: “the minimum width for the robot to pass is 0.7m”; it also gives a separate minimum turning diameter (0.8 m)[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]ManufacturerWhether it is measured wall to wall or between chair backs, and at what speed: not verified
Slope angleSteepest incline statedManufacturerWhether loaded or empty: not verified
Payload (total / per layer)Maximum load stated, e.g. T9: 40 kg total, 10 kg per layer (see T9)ManufacturerLoad distribution and effect on slope
Battery life / runtimeHours of operation stated, often “up to”ManufacturerLoad, speed and test cycle: not verified unless footnoted
Charging timeTime stated to charge, e.g. “15% to 100%, robot switched on” on KEENON’s T9 and T10 pages[source, retrieved 2026-10-09]ManufacturerWhether charging pile or charger

3. Cleaning-robot terms

TermWhat it meansDefined byWhat is often missing
Cleaning / scrubbing widthWidth of the brush or squeegee pathManufacturerWhether side brushes are included (the C40 page gives 560 mm sweeping with side brushes and 400 mm scrubbing)[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]
Cleaning efficiency (m²/h)Area per hour. KEENON labels the C55 figure “maximum theoretical cleaning efficiency”;[source, retrieved 2026-10-13] the C40 says “up to”;[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] AGIBOT says “max” for the C5[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]ManufacturerHow it is calculated (for example width × speed, with or without turns, refills and charging): not verified for all three. Treat it as an upper bound, not an area per shift.
Clean / waste water tank (L)Tank volumesManufacturerUsable vs nominal volume
Minimum passable width / U-turn widthNarrowest gap; space to turn aroundManufacturerOften blank (C55 manual: “not yet available”)
Noise (dB)Sound level stated, e.g. C55 manual 70 dB[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]ManufacturerDistance, weighting and mode: not verified
Component life (h)e.g. fan lifeManufacturerTest conditions; see the C5 conflict below

4. Battery terms: V, Ah and Wh

  • Nominal voltage (V) and rated capacity (Ah) are what most robot pages give (e.g. C40: DC 25.6 V, 50 Ah).
  • Watt-hours (Wh) are what shipping rules use. IATA’s lithium battery guidance gives the calculation as Ah × V = Wh;[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, section 38.3, defines the watt-hour rating as nominal voltage multiplied by rated capacity in ampere-hours, with rated capacity measured under a load, temperature and cut-off voltage specified by the manufacturer (wording seen on 2026-10-14 in copies of the UN text published by test labs; we did not open a UN-hosted copy).
  • Where our pages show a Wh figure we computed from V × Ah, it says “our arithmetic, not a manufacturer figure”. The declared Wh on the battery label and the UN38.3 test summary is what counts for shipping; see lithium battery shipping.

5. IP ratings (IEC 60529)

An IP code is “IP” followed by two characteristic numerals, defined in IEC 60529:[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] [source, retrieved 2026-10-14]

  • First numeral (0–6): protection against solid foreign objects (and access to hazardous parts): from objects of 50 mm diameter up to 1.0 mm, then 5 = dust-protected and 6 = dust-tight.
  • Second numeral (0–9): protection against water with harmful effects: vertically dripping, dripping at 15° tilt, spraying, splashing, jetting, powerful jetting, 7 = temporary immersion, 8 = continuous immersion, 9 = high-pressure, high-temperature water jet (added by Amendment 2, 2013).
  • X replaces a numeral that is not specified (e.g. IPX4 says nothing about dust).
  • The standard says not all degrees apply to every type of equipment and that the manufacturer should be consulted on which parts of the equipment a stated degree covers.[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]

None of the C40, C55 or C5 pages we checked states an IP code, so the IP row on those pages is not verified . The C55 manual only says the machine “is waterproof to a certain extent” and must not be splashed or rinsed.[source, retrieved 2026-10-14] For dusty Gulf sites, ask for the IP code and the test report, not a description.

6. When numbers conflict: real examples from our pages

ModelConflictWhat we show
KEENON T10Minimum passage width: 59 cm on KEENON’s product page,[source, retrieved 2026-10-09] 58.5 cm on a KEENON Docs Center slide[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]The product-page figure, with the conflict noted in our site survey guide; plan for the larger figure
KEENON C55Feature list says “110L water tank”; spec table gives 60 L clean + 47 L waste (107 L)[source, retrieved 2026-10-13]The spec-table figures
KEENON C55Manual warns against uneven ground with a “tilt angle 2° or above”, while its spec table lists a 6° maximum climbing slope[source, retrieved 2026-10-14]Both, noted in our cleaning fit checklist
AGIBOT C5Fan life 10,000 h on the English page; 5,000 h in the Chinese feature list (also on the same English page)[source, retrieved 2026-10-09] [source, retrieved 2026-10-09]Both, marked as conflicting

How we handle conflicts: we show the figure from the most specific document (a spec table over a marketing headline), state the other figure, and never average or pick the more favourable one. For a purchase, ask the manufacturer to confirm in writing.

7. Questions to ask about any spec sheet

  • Is this figure measured, calculated or a maximum? Under what conditions?
  • Which software version, configuration and accessory set does it apply to?
  • Is there a test report (IP, UN38.3, radio) behind it?
  • Does the figure match the manual for the exact variant you will receive?

8. What we could not confirm

  • How KEENON and AGIBOT calculate cleaning efficiency.
  • How minimum passage width, slope and battery life are measured (load, speed, conditions).
  • Noise-measurement method for the C55.
  • IP codes for the C40, C55 and C5.
  • A UN-hosted copy of the section 38.3 definitions (we read test-lab copies and IATA’s guidance).

Sources used

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