RoboParty RP1 Enters Humanoid Race With Fully Open-Source Stack
The humanoid robot race has gained another heavyweight contender, and this one arrives with more than a specification sheet. RoboParty RP1 is a humanoid platform built around a deliberately provocative promise: a fully open-source stack intended to dismantle the industry's walled gardens.
At a time when leading robots are often treated as black boxes, Shanghai-based startup RoboParty—linked to Taichi Graphics and robotics backgrounds—is betting that embodied AI should not be controlled by a few giants. RP1, also called ROBOTO 01, is both a product and an invitation to researchers and developers worldwide to open the chassis, study the engine, and even redesign its transmission system. RoboParty says its goal is to become the “Android of robotics,” using a completely open platform to accelerate the entire field.
“Open source” is often abused in robotics, sometimes meaning only a public API or SDK. RoboParty plans a harder version: opening the full development stack, from mechanical CAD drawings, circuit schematics, and the BOM to firmware, motor controllers, simulation tools, and its self-developed PartyOS embodied intelligence system.
Researchers would receive not just a machine shell but a complete blueprint. If motion control fails, developers can trace the problem from high-level AI policies down to voltage fluctuations in an actuator. That transparency addresses a long-standing research pain point: scientists are often locked out of the core systems they have purchased.
On hardware, RP1 is designed for intensive laboratory work. The standard version stands 1.3 meters tall with 24 degrees of freedom, targeting gait research and balance control. A Pro version raises that to 30 DoF for more complex manipulation and human-robot interaction studies.
The robot supports 2–3 hours of battery life, hot-swappable batteries, 240 W USB-C fast charging, and even tethered operation. Those details may seem minor, but for research teams running long experiments they are essential.