Overview
The most widely used small humanoid ever, with 13,000+ units across 70+ countries and the RoboCup Standard Platform League robot since 2008. The 2018 NAO6 is the current version. Aldebaran went into receivership in 2025. Its assets were bought by Maxvision Technologies, whose French unit Maxtronics continues NAO6 sales and support and has a NAO7 in development.
- Type
- Biped robot · Walks, but doesn't really balance
- Maker
- Aldebaran (now Maxtronics / Maxvision, France–China)
- Released
- 2008
- Price
- ~$8,000 – $15,000 (quote)
- Status
- Available
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- Full SDK
Price and shipping
Education/research reseller quotes vary by bundle (est.)
Shipping: Quote / weeks. Sold through education distributors by quote. Used units appear on eBay, often for a few thousand dollars.
Specifications
| Category | Bipeds · Walks, but doesn't really balance |
|---|---|
| Released | 2008 |
| Country | China, France |
| Availability | Available |
| Sales | 13,000+ Nao units in use across 70+ countries by 2024 Wikipedia ↗ |
| Programmability | Full SDK |
| Built-in autonomy | Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person |
| LLM support | Official LLM tools · Optional NAO Activities subscription adds a ChatGPT licence for generative-AI conversations and role plays on NAO6. Maxtronics NAO Activities ↗ |
| MuJoCo simulation | Community model · A third-party NAO V5 MJCF model exists in a research repo. one_policy_to_run_them_all ↗ |
| NVIDIA Isaac simulation | Community model · Only the ros-naoqi NAO URDF, which would need converting for Isaac. nao_robot (ros-naoqi) ↗ |
| Gazebo simulation | Community model · The ros-naoqi nao_virtual repo provides a Gazebo plugin and controllers for NAO. nao_virtual (ros-naoqi) ↗ |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera, Sonar / ultrasonic |
| Actuators | DC / gear motors |
| Audio | Speaker, Microphone |
| Compute type | x86 PC (Intel / AMD) |
| Balance type | ZMP / IK gait |
| Height | 58 cm |
| Weight | ~5.5 kg |
| Compute | Intel Atom E3845 (V6) |
| Speed | ~0.1 m/s (est.) |
| DOF | 25 |
| Sensors | 2 cameras, 4 mics, sonar, IMU, foot force sensors, tactile sensors |
| Balance | Model-based omnidirectional walk with ZMP-style balance and IMU feedback. Stable on flat floors, falls to strong pushes (then gets up). |
| SDK | NAOqi (Python, C++), Choregraphe visual editor, ROS driver |
Common questions
How much does NAO cost?
NAO is listed at ~$8,000 – $15,000 (quote). Education/research reseller quotes vary by bundle (est.).
Can NAO be bought today?
Yes, it is on sale. Sold through education distributors by quote. Used units appear on eBay, often for a few thousand dollars.
Who makes NAO?
NAO is made by Aldebaran (now Maxtronics / Maxvision, France–China). It came out in 2008.
Can NAO be programmed?
Full SDK. NAOqi (Python, C++), Choregraphe visual editor, ROS driver.
Does NAO have AI chat or LLM support?
Official LLM tools. Optional NAO Activities subscription adds a ChatGPT licence for generative-AI conversations and role plays on NAO6.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
Related guides
- Robot Gaits and Gait Training · how legged robots walk, trot and gallop
- MuJoCo Guide · the simulator used to train walking robots
- ROS 2 Guide · the software framework many robots use
- Robot Vision and Depth Sensors · cameras, lidar and other distance sensors
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