Dakota vs. Shadow: Robotic Paint Arm Comparison

Which Robotic Paint Arm is Right for Your Operation?

Dakota: Reliable Precision for Growing Shops

The Dakota is designed for traditional paint shops that need to boost consistency, reduce errors, and eliminate labor fatigue. With its standard 6-axis reach and directional spray control, it’s perfect for collision centers handling standard-sized vehicles on a daily basis. It delivers up to 30% greater efficiency, helps reduce paint waste, and fits seamlessly into most paint booths without modification. The intuitive touchscreen interface makes it easy to train your team—most users are up and running in a day. It's a dependable solution if you're ready to modernize and scale without complexity.

Best for:

• Collision repair centers
• Shops working on standard vehicles
• Businesses facing labor shortages
• Facilities needing a scalable first step into automation

Shadow: High-End Performance for High-Demand Workflows

The Shadow steps it up for shops with a wider vehicle mix or more demanding paint cycles. Built with a 6.2 foot arm reach and intelligent 3D spray mapping, it’s capable of handling everything from compact EVs to 24.6 foot commercial vans. This model brings a 40% increase in paint efficiency, advanced vision systems that reduce film variation to less than 5μm, and can run 24/7 with minimal maintenance. With quick-learning controls, built-in diagnostics, and smart adaptability, the Shadow excels in both insurance and custom paint jobs where quality and speed are equally critical.

Best for:

• High-throughput collision repair shops
• Custom and insurance paint facilities
• Operations handling vans, trucks, commercial and specialty vehicles
• Teams looking for round-the-clock performance and reduced rework

🧠 Which One Should You Choose?

Choose the Dakota if your shop is scaling up, you want automation without overwhelming infrastructure changes, and you're focused on boosting output for standard vehicles. 

Choose the Shadow if you handle high-volume, high-variety paint jobs, large vehicles, need to cut rework costs, or want next-gen performance with full-body reach and top-tier finish control.