DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Mahru

humanoidresearchby KIST Robotics

Bipedal humanoid robot series developed by KIST in collaboration with Samsung Electronics.

Track Mahru
Manufacturer
KIST Robotics
Form factor
humanoid
Maturity
research
Lifecycle
active

The verified answer

As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies Mahru, a humanoid by KIST Robotics (research). 3 sources back the record.

Overview

Bipedal humanoid robot series developed by KIST in collaboration with Samsung Electronics. Mahru-Z can walk autonomously, manipulate household objects with its hands, and mimic full-body human movements via a motion-capture system. First developed in 2005, it was one of Korea's earliest humanoid robot platforms.

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

Origins (reported, Apr 2010)

A humanoid from KIST with Samsung Electronics, shown doing kitchen tasks, dancing and Taekwondo, per IEEE Spectrum.

Teleoperation (reported)

Programmed via optical motion capture and a wearable inertial suit; Mahru III ran full-body teleoperation with near-zero arm delay and delayed walking.

Researcher

Dr. Bum-Jae You of KIST's Cognitive Robotics Center described the system to IEEE Spectrum.

Safe manipulation (reported)

Force-torque sensors and compliant control support safe teleoperated manipulation.

Mahru-Z (KIST-stated)

A household-task humanoid with vision-based object recognition that manipulates objects in a kitchen.

Xsens motion capture

Xsens documents real-time control of Mahru by transferring an operator's motion-captured movement to the robot.

Data & sources

News coverage

1

Web sources

2

3 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for Mahru. 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 Mahru.

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

Sources (3)

  1. Humanoid Robot Mahru Mimics Your Movements in Real Time · https://spectrum.ieee.org/humanoid-robot-mahru
  2. https://www.kist.re.kr/eng/newscenter/press-release.do?articleNo=6670&mode=view&title=KIST+Develops+Housemaid+Humanoid+Robot+Mahru-Z+%281.15%29
  3. https://www.xsens.com/resources/cases/real-time-control-robot-xsens-mvn

Mentioned on (1)

Registry pages whose text names Mahru.

Companies (1)

KIST Robotics

Common questions

What is Mahru?
Bipedal humanoid robot series developed by KIST in collaboration with Samsung Electronics. Mahru-Z can walk autonomously, manipulate household objects with its hands, and mimic full-body human movements via a motion-capture system. First developed in 2005, it was one of Korea's earliest humanoid robot platforms.
How much does Mahru cost?
Mahru's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Mahru from KIST Robotics. 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 Mahru actually deployed in the real world?
Mahru 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 Mahru?
Mahru is made by KIST Robotics, based in Seoul, South Korea, founded in 1966.
Can you buy Mahru?
Mahru is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
What are alternatives to Mahru?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable humanoid robots to Mahru include Walker S2, Digit, Unitree G1, Atlas.
How does Mahru compare to Walker S2?
Mahru and Walker S2 (UBTech Robotics · 18 deployments) are both humanoid robots on the DEPLOY registry. Mahru has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is Mahru a top humanoid?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Mahru ranks in roughly the top 83% of humanoid models tracked by the registry.
What is Mahru's maturity stage?
Mahru 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 Mahru deployed?
No verified deployments of Mahru 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 Mahru safe?
Mahru 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 2026-10-10

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: research

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: humanoid

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
secondary-industry-publication
Industry publication

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

Methodology surface for Mahru.