DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

iCub

humanoidresearchby Italian Institute of Technology

iCub is a research-grade humanoid robot from the Italian Institute of Technology for developing and testing embodied AI algorithms.

Track iCub
Manufacturer
Italian Institute of Technology
Form factor
humanoid
Maturity
research
Lifecycle
active

Overview

iCub is a research-grade humanoid robot from the Italian Institute of Technology for developing and testing embodied AI algorithms. Born from the EU-funded RobotCub project started in 2004 and diffused as an open-source platform, it has 53 degrees of freedom, 9 in each hand; at least 15 robots were built for laboratories worldwide by 2010.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Form Factor

humanoid

Maturity

research

Embodied-AI research platform

The Italian Institute of Technology presents iCub as a humanoid robot platform for developing and testing embodied-intelligence and robotics research algorithms (iCub).

Official product catalog

IIT maintains an official iCub product catalog documenting the platform and its available research configurations (iCub product catalog).

Data & sources

Web sources

3

3 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for iCub. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for iCub.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (3)

  1. https://icub.iit.it/en/about-us/icub-history
  2. https://icub.iit.it/en/home
  3. https://icub.iit.it/products/product-catalog

Common questions

What is iCub?
iCub is a research-grade humanoid robot from the Italian Institute of Technology for developing and testing embodied AI algorithms. Born from the EU-funded RobotCub project started in 2004 and diffused as an open-source platform, it has 53 degrees of freedom, 9 in each hand; at least 15 robots were built for laboratories worldwide by 2010.
How much does iCub cost?
iCub's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for iCub from Italian Institute of Technology. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is iCub actually deployed in the real world?
iCub is at the research stage: it exists, but DEPLOY has no verified real-world deployment on record. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
Who makes iCub?
iCub is made by Italian Institute of Technology, based in Genoa, Italy.
Can you buy iCub?
iCub is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
What are alternatives to iCub?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable humanoid robots to iCub include Walker S2, Digit, Unitree G1, Atlas.
How does iCub compare to Walker S2?
iCub and Walker S2 (UBTech Robotics · 18 deployments) are both humanoid robots on the DEPLOY registry. iCub has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is iCub a top humanoid?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, iCub ranks in roughly the top 65% of humanoid models tracked by the registry.
What is iCub's maturity stage?
iCub is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
Where is iCub deployed?
No verified deployments of iCub are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.
Is iCub safe?
iCub has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-10-21

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-10-21

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: research

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: humanoid

Sources by quality tier

3
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for iCub.

Recent coverage

iCub in third-party press

From iCub to humanoids: Generative Bionics raises $81M

Dec 10, 2025

Humans sense a collaborating robot as part of their 'extended' body

Sep 11, 2025

Researchers at IIT have demonstrated that a humanoid robot can fly

Jun 18, 2025