Summary: A methodology for an automatic selection of the structural schema and the parameters of an assembly robot based on an optimization procedure is described. A finite collection of so-called test positions for the operating element which are determined by the robot purpose and by its characteristic movements is specified. The dynamic, strength, etc. characteristics are computed at these test positions for each structural schema and the constraints for the optimization problem are formulated. The procedure for selecting the structural schema of the robot and its technical parameters consists of minimizing some functional for the indicated constraints. An example of computing the parameters of a gantry robot is given.