Overview
Jimu (Mandarin for building block) was UBTECH's first educational robot line, shown at CES 2016. Each kit pairs snap-together plastic parts with numbered servos, a main control box and a battery, and parts work across kits. Kids follow 3D instructions in the app to build animals, humanoids and vehicles, then pose them by hand to record moves or code them in Blockly. The line grew into series like MeeBot, AstroBot, BuilderBots, Mythical and Competitive, and MeeBot was sold mainly through Apple Stores. By 2026 UBTECH no longer lists Jimu, and only leftover stock remains. Compared with SPIKE Prime or VEX IQ it has fewer sensors and no text coding, but its servo joints make walking and dancing builds easy. It uses the same pose-and-play idea as UBTECH's Alpha 1 Pro humanoid.
- Type
- Modular robot · Consumer & education kits
- Maker
- UBTECH (China)
- Released
- 2016
- Price
- $54.99 – $122.99 (leftover stock)
- Status
- Discontinued · used/leftover only
- Best for
- Ages 8+
- Programming
- No SDK, app / visual programming only
Versions compared
| Buzzbot & Muttbot | Explorer | Inventor | AstroBot Cosmos | UnicornBot | Overdrive | FireBot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||||||
| Launch price | $149.99 | $199.99 | $399.99 | $119.99 | $119.99 | $120 | Not found |
| Amazon US, Oct 2026 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | $122.99 | $54.99 |
| Hardware | |||||||
| Parts | 271 | 372 | 675 | 384 | 440 | 410 | 606 |
| Servos | 6 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| DC motors | – | – | – | – | ● | 2 | ● |
| Sensors | None listed | None listed | None listed | IR sensor, speaker | Color sensor | Ultrasonic sensor | Touch sensor |
| Models to build | Buzzbot, Muttbot | 5 (baby, parrot, penguin, T-Rex, walrus) | 6 (elephant, giraffe, humanoid, mantis, rhino, wolf) | 3 | 1 | DozerBot, DirtBot | 1 |
Prices checked October 2026. DC motor counts of 0 mean none are listed for that kit. AstroBot's launch price is its regular price in 2020 deal coverage. Other kits, such as MeeBot 2.0 ($129.99, six servos and a color sensor), ChampBot (three servos, two DC motors and an IR sensor) and TankBot, are not shown. The Robot Report (2016 kits) ↗ · FireBot kit and series comparison (Amazon) ↗ · Overdrive kit (Amazon) ↗ · IEEE Spectrum (UnicornBot) ↗ · 9to5Toys (AstroBot Cosmos, 2020) ↗
Price and shipping
The BuilderBots Overdrive Kit was $122.99 from two new offers, and the Mythical Series FireBot Kit was $54.99 from a third-party seller with one left (typical price $69.95). Launch prices in 2016 were $149.99 for the Buzzbot and Muttbot Kit, $199.99 for the Explorer Kit and $399.99 for the Inventor Kit. Later kits such as UnicornBot (2018), Overdrive (2018) and MeeBot 2.0 (2019) launched at $119.99 to $129.99. UBTECH's own site no longer lists Jimu.
Shipping: Leftover stock. UBTECH no longer lists Jimu on its site. In an October 2026 check, Amazon US had the Overdrive kit from two new offers and one FireBot kit from a third-party seller. Used and sealed kits also appear on eBay. Amazon ↗
Specifications
| Category | Modular & reconfigurable · Consumer & education kits |
|---|---|
| Released | 2016 |
| Country | China |
| Availability | Discontinued · used/leftover only |
| Programmability | No SDK, app / visual programming only |
| Built-in autonomy | Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person |
| LLM support | None · Programmed with Blockly blocks and pose recording in the Jimu app, with no LLM features and no general API to connect one. Jimu (App Store) ↗ |
| MuJoCo simulation | None found · Nothing found. |
| NVIDIA Isaac simulation | None found · Nothing found. |
| Gazebo simulation | None found · Nothing found. |
| Best for | Ages 8+ (maker rating) |
| Vision sensors | Sonar / ultrasonic |
| Actuators | Smart servos (Dynamixel, Feetech…) |
| Audio | Speaker |
| Compute type | Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | Plastic snap-together parts, robot size varies by kit (271 to 675 parts per kit, weights not published) |
| Locomotion | Any build. Servos drive the legs, arms and necks of walking animals and humanoids, and later kits add DC motors for wheeled trucks and the FireBot's wheels |
| Compute | Main control box with a Bluetooth link to the app and ports for servos, motors and sensors (chip model unconfirmed) |
| Camera | None (infrared, ultrasonic and color sensors in some kits) |
| Sensors | Varies by kit. Infrared sensor (AstroBot, ChampBot), ultrasonic sensor with RGB lights (Overdrive), color sensor that reads 8 colors (UnicornBot, MeeBot 2.0), touch sensor (FireBot), programmable LEDs, and a Bluetooth speaker (AstroBot) |
| Runtime | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with adapter (runtime not published) |
| Speed | Not published |
| SDK | Free Jimu app for iOS and Android with 3D building instructions, preset actions, a joystick, Pose-Record-Play (PRP) for posing servos by hand, and Blockly coding. The iOS app can show block code as Swift. Swift Playgrounds 1.5 (June 2017) added MeeBot support on iPad |
Timeline
- AnnouncedUBTECH showed Jimu at CES 2016, with four kits from $99 to $499 planned to ship that quarter through Amazon. PCWorld ↗
- ReleasedUBTECH launched the Buzzbot and Muttbot ($149.99), Explorer ($199.99) and Inventor ($399.99) kits at US retailers. The Robot Report ↗
- UpdateSwift Playgrounds 1.5 for iPad added support for the Jimu MeeBot, alongside LEGO Mindstorms EV3 and Sphero SPRK+. Apple Newsroom ↗
- ReleasedUBTECH launched the 410-piece BuilderBots Overdrive Kit at $120, sold at Target and Amazon. TechCrunch ↗
- ReleasedUnicornBot, the first Jimu kit with a color sensor, launched at $120. IEEE Spectrum ↗
- ReleasedMeeBot 2.0 went on sale at $129.99, only at select Apple Stores in the US and Canada. MacRumors ↗
- UpdateJimu app 3.9.5 for iOS was released, the latest iOS version listed in an October 2026 check. App Store ↗
Common questions
How much does Jimu Robot cost?
Jimu Robot is listed at $54.99 – $122.99 (leftover stock). The BuilderBots Overdrive Kit was $122.99 from two new offers, and the Mythical Series FireBot Kit was $54.99 from a third-party seller with one left (typical price $69.95). Launch prices in 2016 were $149.99 for the Buzzbot and Muttbot Kit, $199.99 for the Explorer Kit and $399.99 for the Inventor Kit. Later kits such as UnicornBot (2018), Overdrive (2018) and MeeBot 2.0 (2019) launched at $119.99 to $129.99. UBTECH's own site no longer lists Jimu.
Can Jimu Robot be bought today?
It is discontinued, though used or leftover units still turn up. UBTECH no longer lists Jimu on its site. In an October 2026 check, Amazon US had the Overdrive kit from two new offers and one FireBot kit from a third-party seller. Used and sealed kits also appear on eBay.
Who makes Jimu Robot?
Jimu Robot is made by UBTECH (China). It came out in 2016.
Can Jimu Robot be programmed?
No SDK, app / visual programming only. Free Jimu app for iOS and Android with 3D building instructions, preset actions, a joystick, Pose-Record-Play (PRP) for posing servos by hand, and Blockly coding. The iOS app can show block code as Swift. Swift Playgrounds 1.5 (June 2017) added MeeBot support on iPad.
Does Jimu Robot have AI chat or LLM support?
None. Programmed with Blockly blocks and pose recording in the Jimu app, with no LLM features and no general API to connect one.
What age is Jimu Robot for?
Ages 8+, per the maker.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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PCWorld at CES 2016 ↗ · The Robot Report (2016) ↗ · TechCrunch, Overdrive kit (2018) ↗ · IEEE Spectrum, UnicornBot (2018) ↗ · Apple Newsroom, Swift Playgrounds robots (2017) ↗ · MacRumors, MeeBot 2.0 (2019) ↗