University of Tokyo MEVIUS2 specs

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Not for sale

Not for sale (research)Spot-sized open sourceWelded sheet metalDual LiDAR

Not for saleShipping: N/A.

Overview

An open-source quadruped about the size of Boston Dynamics' Spot, built by Kento Kawaharazuka's group at the University of Tokyo and published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Practice in 2026. All 16 unique metal parts can be ordered by part number from MISUMI's meviy service, and electronics come from regular online stores. Welded sheet aluminum forms the body and hips, which cuts the part count and adds stiffness. Compared with the earlier MEVIUS, it is heavier (22.9 kg vs 15.5 kg), has longer legs and over twice the peak torque (60 vs 25 N·m). It is all metal and adds two LiDARs and a camera. It climbed outdoor stairs that MEVIUS could not, and also walked steep slopes and wet stairs. A learned walking policy is trained in Isaac Gym and checked in MuJoCo before running on the robot. The authors note it is not waterproof or dustproof.

Type: Quadruped robot · Research & legacy platforms
Maker: University of Tokyo, JSK Robotics Laboratory (Japan)
Released: 2026
Price: Not for sale
Status: Not for sale (research)
Best for: Professionals & labs
Programming: Open source (hardware + software)

Price and shipping

Open-source design, built from parts ordered online. The project's parts list totals about $12,905 (¥1,935,801), including about $6,150 (¥922,578) of metal parts. A revised 2.0.1 list totals about $13,105 (¥1,965,817).

Shipping: N/A. Never sold. Builders order the metal parts from meviy (quoted with a 20-day lead time, about 3 days at the earliest) and the electronics online.

Specifications

Category	Quadrupeds · Research & legacy platforms
Released	2026
Country	Japan
Availability	Not for sale (research)
DIY build plans	MEVIUS2 · parts $12,900 (estimate) · difficulty 5/5
Programmability	Open source (hardware + software)
Built-in autonomy	None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions
LLM support	None · No built-in LLM. The open ROS 1 and Python code could be extended to connect one, but the project ships nothing for it.
MuJoCo simulation	Official model · The repo ships a MuJoCo model (models/scene.xml and mevius2_mujoco.xml), and the main control script runs it with a --sim flag for sim-to-sim checks. haraduka/mevius2 ↗
NVIDIA Isaac simulation	Official model · Walking policies are trained in Isaac Gym with a MEVIUS2 branch of legged_gym published by the lead author. No Isaac Lab asset found. haraduka/legged_gym (mevius2 branch) ↗
Gazebo simulation	Maker URDF only · Official URDFs (STL, DAE and Livox variants) with RViz launch files only, no Gazebo package. haraduka/mevius2 models ↗
Best for	Professionals & labs
Vision sensors	Lidar, Camera
Actuators	Brushless / direct-drive motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	NVIDIA Jetson
Compute	NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB on a Seeed reComputer A603 carrier board, with the GPU used for image and point cloud processing. Twelve motors run over two CAN-USB adapters
Weight	22.9 kg (about 50 lb). Body about 0.73 m long and 0.38 m wide, with 0.30 m legs
Speed	Not stated in the paper or repo
DOF	12 (3 per leg), all RobStride03 actuators (20 N·m continuous, 60 N·m peak). The knee motor sits near the hip and drives the knee through a parallel linkage
Sensors	Two Livox Mid-360 LiDARs (their IMU data feeds the odometry), a Tier IV C1 HDR camera and joint encoders. Two 6S 3300mAh LiPos power the motors and a 3S 6000mAh LiPo runs the electronics, for about 1 h of walking
SDK	Open source under MIT on GitHub. ROS 1 (ROS-O on Ubuntu 22.04 and later) with Python control scripts, FAST-LIO odometry and GPU elevation mapping. Walking uses a PS4 controller

Common questions

How much does MEVIUS2 cost?

Not for sale. Open-source design, built from parts ordered online. The project's parts list totals about $12,905 (¥1,935,801), including about $6,150 (¥922,578) of metal parts. A revised 2.0.1 list totals about $13,105 (¥1,965,817).

Can MEVIUS2 be bought today?

No. It was never sold to the public.

Who makes MEVIUS2?

MEVIUS2 is made by University of Tokyo, JSK Robotics Laboratory (Japan). It came out in 2026.

Can MEVIUS2 be programmed?

Open source (hardware + software). Open source under MIT on GitHub. ROS 1 (ROS-O on Ubuntu 22.04 and later) with Python control scripts, FAST-LIO odometry and GPU elevation mapping. Walking uses a PS4 controller.