NAO Review (3★)
Aldebaran / SoftBank Robotics · Humanoid
Editorial
NAO remains the most accessible entry point for humanoid research and STEM education, but its 2018-vintage hardware now feels dated against newer platforms. The 25-DoF platform and mature NAOqi ecosystem deliver reliable classroom results at ~$8,000–$17,000, yet the 60–90 minute battery and 0.4 m/s gait confine it to tabletop or short demos. Overheating and support uncertainty following Aldebaran’s 2025 bankruptcy further erode long-term lab viability. While 13,000+ deployments prove its pedagogical value, institutions should budget for frequent recharges and eventual migration to more robust successors. For pure education and basic HRI experiments it still earns its keep; for anything beyond that it is a legacy tool.
What this assessment is based on
Published manufacturer specifications, deployment reports, and operator accounts. ZeroGantry does not claim hands-on testing of this unit unless stated. Scores are editorial judgments from those public sources — see the methodology for how labels are assigned.
Published 2026-08-26
Pros
- 25 DoF driven by precision Maxon coreless DC motors enabling expressive bipedal gait and gestures
- Over 13,000 units deployed in 70+ countries as the de facto standard for university robotics labs and HRI research
- Rich sensor suite with dual 5 MP cameras, 4 omnidirectional microphones, IMU, sonar, and 8 FSRs per foot
- NAOqi framework with Python/C++ SDK supporting rapid development on Intel Atom E3845 with 4 GB RAM
Cons
- Battery runtime limited to 60 min active / 90 min normal use on 62.5 Wh Li-ion pack
- Maximum walking speed of only 0.4 m/s (0.6 km/h)
- Payload capacity restricted to ~0.5 kg with 3-finger grippers
- Fragile ABS plastic shell prone to motor overheating after 20-30 min; manufacturer entered receivership in 2025 with assets acquired by Maxvision
NAO specifications
| Availability | Shipping — Long-running education and research platform, still sold. (as of 2026-09-05) |
|---|---|
| Degrees of freedom | 25 |
| Weight | 5.4 kg |
| Battery life | 1.5 h |
| Payload | 0.5 kg |
| Max speed | 0.4 m/s |
| Actuators | Brushless DC Servo Motors |
| Primary sensor | 2x HD Cameras + IMU + 4x Microphones + Tactile sensors |
| Function | Education & research |
| Released | 2008 |
| Maturity | Production |
| Status | Active |
| Indicative price | $8,000 |
NAO service and repair
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- Robot repair directory — providers by state, brand, and robot type
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