The invention relates to a buckling arm robot comprising a base element (1), at least two articulation blocks (5, 11), at least three support tubes (9, 16, 16'), a working element (30), mechanical and electric drive elements, power supply elements (28) and external computer performance elements (32). The power electronics are completely integrated into the buckling arm robot. In order to control the position, a micro-computer is allocated to each motor-gearing unit in close proximity to the latter. Said arrangement provides an internal computer performance, which is locally distributed among the mechanical drive elements and the working element (30), thus forming a local intelligence. An external interface (26) provides access to the power supply elements (28) and the external computer performance elements (32). Sensors as working elements (30) permit a learning capacity by means of the external computer performance elements (32). The buckling arm robot is characterised by a low weight (less than 5.0 kg, preferably less than 3.0 kg) with an active radius of approximately 0.5 m, great flexibility in its modular construction and an advantageous ratio of load capacity to own weight. The invention also relates to the stationary use of buckling robots of this type, to their use as rail-mounted robots or as mobile robots.