Robotics 31 October 2026 1 MIN READ
PhoneBot: An Open-Hardware Humanoid That Runs on a Phone
UCLA's PhoneBot is a small open humanoid that uses a smartphone as its computer, camera and balance sensor. 13 actuators. It walks and gets up.
THE SHORT ANSWER
PhoneBot is a small open-hardware humanoid from UCLA that uses a smartphone as its computer, camera and balance sensor. It has 13 actuators and can walk, follow people and get back up after a fall. Its CAD files and bill of materials are released for noncommercial use.
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What happened?
UCLA’s PhoneBot is a small open-hardware humanoid that uses a smartphone as its computer, camera and balance sensor.
It has 13 actuators. It walks, follows people and gets back up after a fall. The hardware files are open.
Your old phone could be a robot’s brain.
Why does it matter?
Most humanoid research needs expensive custom hardware. PhoneBot reuses a device millions of people already own for sensing and computing, which lowers the barrier for students and small labs.
What should you watch next?
→ Check the licence before you build: the published CAD files and bill of materials are released for noncommercial use.
→ Watch for student and small-lab builds based on the open files.
Save this if you have a spare phone in a drawer.
Sources
- PhoneBot: A Low-Cost Open Humanoid Robot Platform Reusing Smartphones · arXiv · Accessed
- PhoneBot project page · phonebot.dev · Accessed
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