Asimov 1
20 000 USD
MenloAI
Asimov 1 is Menlo Research’s open-source, build-it-yourself educational humanoid — 120cm, 35kg, 25+2 DoF, priced at $20,000.
Skill Score
2
Specifications and details:
| Availability | In production |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Singapore |
| Website | https://menlo.ai/ |
| Degrees of freedom, overall | 27 |
| Degrees of freedom, hands | 0 |
| Height [cm] | 120 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 3 |
| Strength [kg] | 3 |
| Weight [kg] | 35 |
| Runtime pr charge (hours) | 2 |
| Safe with humans | Yes |
| CPU/GPU | Raspberry Pi 5 (media/networking) + Radxa CM5 (motion control) |
| Ingress protection | N/A |
| Camera resolution | 2 MP monocular |
| Connectivity | 6× internal CAN bus branches, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Wi‑Fi |
| Operating system | Asimov OS (Linux-based, via Pi 5 + Radxa CM5) |
| LLM integration | Yes |
| Latency glass to action | N/A |
| Motor tech | Brushless DC (BLDC) rotary actuators (inferred from actuator IDs) |
| Gear tech | Mixed planetary + harmonic reduction (inferred from actuator IDs) |
| Main structural material | N/A |
| Number of fingers | 0 |
| Main market | Developers, Research & education, Robotics education |
| Manufacturer | MenloAI |
Description
Menlo Research designed Asimov 1 as an educational humanoid robot. The Singapore-based company built it for engineers, researchers, and robotics enthusiasts who want hands-on experience with real hardware. Unlike most commercial robots, Asimov 1 doesn’t arrive fully built. You assemble it yourself, piece by piece, learning how a full-body humanoid actually works along the way. This process typically takes over 100 hours, but it turns the robot into a genuine learning tool rather than a black box.
After assembly, Asimov 1 becomes a genuine research platform. It walks and balances on its own. It can also dance or recover from a stumble, but only after you train the right control policy. Because the hardware and software are fully open source, you can inspect exactly how every joint, sensor, and circuit behaves. Menlo Research also built a browser-based simulator called Digital Asimov. It lets you explore the robot’s design and test ideas before you ever pick up a wrench.
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Asimov 1 is refreshingly honest about its own limits. It ships without hands or grippers, so builders must design or source their own end effectors. Likewise, Menlo includes only a basic walking policy, and you handle any advanced movement yourself. This isn’t a polished, plug-and-play consumer robot. Instead, it rewards people who enjoy tinkering, troubleshooting, and learning through direct hands-on work with real hardware.
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At $20,000 through Menlo’s official kit program, Asimov 1 costs far less than sourcing every part yourself. A refundable $499 deposit reserves your spot in line. The robot suits universities, robotics labs, and independent developers far more than everyday households. Ultimately, Asimov 1 treats the robot itself as the lesson, not just the outcome. That makes it one of the more transparent humanoid robots you can build today.
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Website: https://menlo.ai/asimov-1
