A $20,000 humanoid robot ships as a DIY kit and takes 100 hours to build

Menlo Research has introduced Asimov 1, a humanoid robot delivered as a build-it-yourself kit. The DIY package with all necessary parts costs $20,000, and assembly plus tuning will take buyers more than 100 hours.

The product is positioned as a reference platform for engineers and researchers working in robotics and embodied AI. The robot stands about 1.2 meters tall and weighs 35 kilograms. It has 25 actuated joints: six in each leg, five in each arm, one in the waist for torso rotation, and two in the neck. The head houses a 2-megapixel camera and a four-microphone array, while the torso includes a six-axis IMU and a speaker.

Computing is split between two single-board computers. A Raspberry Pi 5 handles the camera, audio, networking, and other peripheral tasks, while a Radxa CM5 manages low-level motion control and communication with the actuators. Six CAN branches carry commands and telemetry.

The project's main highlight is its open platform. Menlo Research has published CAD files, electronics schematics, a MuJoCo simulation model, and the robot's software in its repository. Users can modify the design, add hardware, and run their own machine learning models on Asimov.

There are limitations, though. The base version ships without hands — the arms end in wrist mounts. Advanced locomotion algorithms are also left to users: Asimov can walk and keep its balance, but owners must teach it to jump, dance, and perform other complex movements on their own.