Asimov 1: The $20,000 Open-Source Humanoid Robot for Developers

If you've ever looked at sleek humanoids from Boston Dynamics or 1X and thought, "I could do that too, if only I had a cleanroom and endless VC funding," Menlo AI has something for you.

This is the Asimov 1. At $20,000, it matches the price of the 1X Neo, but it offers a very different vision: instead of a polished robot butler, you receive a crate of parts.

This is essentially the IKEA flat-pack of humanoid robots. It comes with a bill of materials that might make your credit card wince and an instruction manual that estimates over 100 hours of assembly. In an era where everyone wants plug-and-play solutions, this hardcore maker approach is oddly refreshing.

Let's be clear: Asimov 1 is not a toy. It's a serious research platform wrapped in the world's most complex LEGO set. Standing 1.2 meters tall and weighing 35 kg, its frame blends CNC-machined 7075 aluminum (for critical load-bearing structures) with Multi Jet Fusion PA12 nylon for other parts. This is no wobbly 3D-print hobby project; it's industrial-grade hardware built for repeatability and durability.

The robot features 25 actuated joints and two spring-loaded passive toe joints, totaling 27 degrees of freedom. That gives it respectable specs (if not world-beating): 5 kg squat, 18 kg lateral raise with one arm, a walking speed of 3 km/h, and a 2-hour battery life.

At its core, it uses a clever dual-control architecture: a Raspberry Pi 5 handles high-level tasks—networking, audio, and data from its 2MP monocular camera and microphone array—while a more specialized Radxa CM5 board manages real-time motor control. This pragmatic design keeps costs down and avoids proprietary hardware.