Humanoid Ecosystem · Part of The Humanoid Group

Research & Components

Behind many robot programmes sits a layer of research platforms, developer kits and components. These makers build the robots that labs teach and experiment on, and the parts other robot builders rely on.

By Liam O'Connor · Updated October 2026

Research robots and arms

Research robots trade production throughput for openness: accessible software, well-documented interfaces and an active user community. The Humanoid Group lists research robots from Kinova, Rethink Robotics, Clearpath Robotics, Robotis and Omron Adept, and research-friendly arms from Franka Emika and Trossen Robotics. Many labs pair an arm with a mobile base and work in ROS, the open-source Robot Operating System. Check software support, simulation models and the availability of spare parts.

Mobile research platforms

Small mobile robots are a common starting point for teaching navigation, mapping and autonomy. THG lists TurtleBot platforms from Robotis and Clearpath Robotics, the NVIDIA JetBot for learning AI at the edge, and the Pioneer 3-DX from Omron Adept. Clearpath Robotics and AgileX also build larger, rugged mobile platforms used in field and logistics research. Compare sensor options, compute, payload, battery life and how easily each platform fits your existing software stack.

Components and AI hardware

Not every robotics company sells complete robots. Some build the compute, sensors and actuators that robots depend on. On The Humanoid Group you'll find edge AI computers from NVIDIA, lidar from Ouster, thermal cameras from Teledyne FLIR, machine vision from Cognex and Keyence, vacuum gripping from Schmalz and DYNAMIXEL actuators from Robotis. For research teams, choosing components with good documentation and open interfaces makes it easier to swap parts as projects evolve.

Sources and further reading

Robot Operating System 2: Design, Architecture, and Uses In The Wild — Open Robotics (arXiv; published in Science Robotics).
Explains how ROS 2 was rebuilt for production use and where the open-source robot software framework is deployed.
ISO 22166-1:2021 Robotics — Modularity for service robots — Part 1: General requirements — International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Requirements for modular design and module integration in service robots, written for framework, module and robot makers.
Berkeley Humanoid: A Research Platform for Learning-based Control — UC Berkeley Hybrid Robotics Lab (arXiv).
A lab-built research humanoid designed to survive falls and simulate simply, so learned controllers transfer to hardware.

Common questions

What is ROS?

The Robot Operating System is a widely used open-source framework of tools and libraries for building robot software. Many research robots support it out of the box.

Can research robots be used commercially?

Some can, but they are usually designed for flexibility rather than continuous production use. Check duty cycle, safety features and the maker's support terms first.

Humanoid Makers — Companies building general-purpose humanoids for work, service and research.
Industrial & Warehouse — The makers behind robot arms, cobots, packaging robots and warehouse automation.
Mobile & Service Robots — Legged, delivery, cleaning and patrol robots, and the companies that build them.
Research & Components — Research robots, open platforms and component makers for labs, universities and developers.
Robot Actuators — The motors, gearboxes and joints that move robots, who makes them, and why they shape cost and performance.
Robot Sensors — Cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, force sensors and touch: what each tells a robot and what to check before buying.
Robot Hands and Grippers — Dexterous hands versus simple grippers, and how touch sensing changes what a robot can hold.
The Chips Inside Robots — Onboard GPUs, systems-on-chip and AI accelerators: what robot brains are made of and why power matters.
Robot Software Stacks — ROS 2, middleware, simulators and fleet tools: the software layers that turn hardware into a working robot.
The Humanoid Supply Chain — Who makes the motors, gears, batteries, magnets and sensors inside humanoids, and where supply risk sits.
Latest updates — Funding, listings and deals reshaped the robot industry in 2026, with fortunes rising and falling fast. These figures and dated updates show who raised money, who listed, who was bought and who is shipping.
About us — What we cover, how we source every figure, and who publishes this site.

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