Nori Robotics Launches $1,688 Bimanual Robot for Developers

The robot, named Nori, has 19 degrees of freedom, including two 7+1 DOF arms with a 1.5 kg payload per arm, a 55 kg telescoping lift, a differential wheeled base, four 720p/30fps RGB cameras, 2D lidar, a dual microphone array, a 432 Wh battery, and a Raspberry Pi 5. Onboard processing handles SLAM and safety, while heavier tasks like ACT and VLAs require an external computer or server.

Founder Antonio said he built Nori after struggling to find affordable hardware during robotics research at Columbia University. Most labs have only one or two expensive robots, which limits data collection and experimentation. The design went through seven iterations.

Keeping the price under $2,000 was the main challenge, as the robot contains more than 100 moving and structural parts. The company chose high-ratio servos over QDD motors and a wheel base instead of legs to cut costs. Each unit is assembled in San Francisco, and 3D files are available for printing repair parts.

Nori Robotics has released an open SDK with teleoperation and demonstration tools, plus a browser-based simulator. The first robot has shipped, and the next batch is in production. Current hardware capabilities include basic cleaning, opening drawers, restocking shelves, and pouring beers.

The company sells the hardware for $1,688 and offers optional paid software. Some hardware components are open source. The founder said the long-term goal is to let people without robotics experience teach Nori tasks and share them with other owners.