How to build Berkeley Humanoid
12-DoF bipedal walker · Advanced
Berkeley Humanoid is a 16 kg, 12-DoF research biped for learned locomotion. Hardware isn't released; the URDF, paper and $9,955 cost table are.
Many actuators, custom wiring and real tuning work.
Our estimate, part-time
$9,955 small-batch production cost of torso and legs, from the paper's cost table
License not stated
What is Berkeley Humanoid?
Berkeley Humanoid is a mid-sized, fully electric research robot from UC Berkeley's Hybrid Robotics group, built to study learning-based locomotion. The published version has a torso and two six-DoF legs, with no arms, and weighs about 16 kg.
The paper describes custom planetary actuators in four sizes, hollow shafts for cable routing, an EtherCAT control network and an Intel i7 onboard computer. Policies trained in simulation transferred to the real robot with little tuning.
Be clear about what's open: the URDF and meshes are public, but the mechanical design files aren't. This page is a reference for what the team built, not a buildable kit. For a robot you can actually make, see Berkeley Humanoid Lite.
Berkeley Humanoid specifications
- Mass
- ≈16 kg
- DoF
- 12 (two 6-DoF legs)
- Actuators
- Custom 5013, 8513, 8518 and 10413 planetary units
- Compute
- Intel i7-1255U
- Network
- EtherCAT
- Power
- Two DJI TB50 batteries
Figures as published by the project. See Sources below.
Bill of materials
| Part | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Custom planetary actuators | 12 | $6,894 subtotal in the paper |
| 7075/6061 aluminium structure and steel gearbox parts | — | $2,358 subtotal |
| Onboard computer and two batteries | — | $653 subtotal |
| IMU with interface board | — | $50 |
Where's the full bill of materials?
The full BOM, with exact quantities and vendors, lives in the project's own files. Prices change often, so treat $9,955 as a ballpark from the project. Start at the project repository.
Tools you'll need
- CNC machining access
- EtherCAT tooling
- Isaac-based simulation setup
Step-by-step build overview
Electronics & wiring overview
The paper describes an EtherCAT network linking the joint drivers to the onboard i7 computer. No harness drawings are published.
Software
Only the robot description is public, under BSD-3-Clause per its README.
Tips from the bench
- ☕ Treat it as a design reference; for a buildable Berkeley robot, use Humanoid Lite.
Berkeley Humanoid FAQ
Can I build Berkeley Humanoid?
Not from published files. Only the URDF/meshes and the paper are public.
How much did it cost?
The paper estimates $9,955 for the torso and legs in small-quantity production.
Sources
Written by Bots n' Beans from the project's own documentation. Check the sources for the latest revision before you buy parts.
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