Asimov 1: Introduction to Humanoid Robotics
Asimov 1 is Menlo Research's open-source humanoid: 1.25 m tall, about 32 kg, 25 actuators on CAN buses, a Radxa CM5 motion computer and a Raspberry Pi 5 in the head. Everything about it is published, from the CAD to the cable list. In this course you take the robot apart in 3D, module by module: the links and joints, the five actuator families, the compute and power stack, the CAN buses and the harness. Every module has an interactive Asimov Lab where you pose joints, play motions and inspect the real parts, and the lab checks your work as you go. Every part in the robot then gets its own lesson in 2D and 3D: its connectors, and how it is configured and used, from flashing the two computers to assigning actuator IDs, calibrating and the first start, following Menlo Research's own setup guides and videos. You finish by wiring the robot's harness by hand in the STEM Engine, graded against the published cable list, and configuring your own Asimov in 3D. This is the introduction. To go further, from PCB design and building your own Asimov to training its walking policy with reinforcement learning in the Training Bay, continue with **Asimov 1: Advanced Humanoid Engineering**. **Free with Premium:** this course is never sold on its own. It is built on an open-source robot, so it comes free with Premium: every Premium member can take it. Asimov 1 by Menlo Research is licensed CERN-OHL-S-2.0.
51 lessons · Free with Premium
What you will learn
- 1. Module 1: Meet Asimov 1
- An open-source humanoid Free6 min
- Video: We're open-sourcing Asimov v1, a humanoid robot2 min
- Video: What changed on Asimov 1 before shipping5 min
- Video: Inside Asimov 1 Production Prep3 min
- Safety before power6 min
- Lab: Say hello to Asimov8 min
- Quiz: Meet Asimov 15 min
- 2. Module 2: Structure and kinematics
- Links, joints and degrees of freedom8 min
- Video: How we built humanoid robot legs13 min
- Lab: The legs10 min
- Lab: Arms and torso10 min
- Quiz: Structure and kinematics5 min
- 3. Module 3: Actuators
- Five actuator families8 min
- Lab: Find the actuators8 min
- Lab: An actuator up close6 min
- Quiz: Actuators5 min
- 4. Module 4: Compute and power
- Where the power goes and where the thinking happens10 min
- Video: Designing a Compute Board for a Humanoid Robot2 min
- Lab: The compute and power stack8 min
- Lab: The Power Distribution Board up close6 min
- Lab: The battery up close5 min
- Quiz: Compute and power5 min
- 5. Module 5: CAN buses and the harness
- Buses, daisy chains and the cable list9 min
- Lab: Trace the left leg bus8 min
- Quiz: CAN buses and the harness5 min
- 6. Module 6: Every part: connect, configure, use
- Part: Motion Control Board (Radxa CM5 carrier)9 min
- Part: Power Distribution Board11 min
- Part: The 13S4P battery10 min
- Part: The head board8 min
- Part: Raspberry Pi 511 min
- Part: The Media HAT6 min
- Part: The RPU fan5 min
- Part: The speaker5 min
- Part: A6416 actuators: assigning IDs8 min
- Part: A5013 actuators: calibrating zero8 min
- Part: A3814 actuators: the liveness check8 min
- Part: A4315 actuators: daisy chains8 min
- Part: A4310 actuators: first start8 min
- 7. Module 7: Bring-up: flash, connect, calibrate, first start
- The bring-up sequence10 min
- Video: How to Build Asimov v1: Assembly Guide30 min
- Video: How to stand Asimov 1 up3 min
- Quiz: Parts and bring-up8 min
- 8. Module 8: Motion and configuration
- Configuring motion within real limits9 min
- Lab: Configure a pose10 min
- Video: Open-sourcing Asimov 1: Locomotion Policy & Training Code3 min
- Video: Asimov is now zero-shot sim2real for locomotion1 min
- Lab: Motions explained10 min
- Quiz: Motion and configuration5 min
- 9. Module 9: Wiring assessment (STEM Engine)
- How the wiring assessment works6 min
- 10. Module 10: Capstone
- Capstone: Configure your Asimov12 min
- Final assessment12 min