Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1

Name: Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1
Brand: Rainbow Robotics

RB-Y1 robot for commercial applications

Humanoids

$120,000

The Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1 is a South Korean dual-arm mobile manipulator built by the creators of the award-winning HUBO humanoid, featuring 24 degrees of freedom across a 131 kg platform. It combines a wheeled base capable of 1.5 m/s travel with precision dual-arm manipulation offering 3 kg payload per arm and sub-millimeter repeatability. Built by a publicly traded KAIST-founded company (KRX: 277810), the RB-Y1 targets research institutions and industrial R&D labs with ROS/ROS2 integration.

Announced

Overview

Rainbow Robotics is a publicly traded South Korean company (KRX: 277810) founded by Professor Oh Jun-ho and KAIST researchers, whose HUBO robot won the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge. The RB-Y1, released in 2024 and exhibited at CES 2026, builds on over 20 years of Korean robotics engineering heritage. Its 140 cm height and 60×69 cm footprint allow navigation through standard doorways, and its electric BLDC/DC actuators and harmonic drive reducers are proven in the company's collaborative robot product line.

Key Features

Obstacle avoidance
Standing up after a fall
Running 100 m
Walking up and down stairs
Jumping and controlled landing
Sorting in logistics flows
Assembly assistance
Loading/unloading a dishwasher
Folding garments
Threading a needle
Height: 160 cm (description cites ~140 cm; see note)
Weight: 131 kg
Top Speed: 5.4 km/h (~1.5 m/s)
Walking Speed: 4 km/h
Strength (Payload): 3 kg per arm (6 kg two-hand)
Runtime per Charge: ~3 hours
Overall Degrees of Freedom: 24
Hand Degrees of Freedom: N/A
Safe with Humans: N/A
Design: Dual-arm, human-scale mobile base for aisle/cell work
Use cases: Line tending, part transfer, bin handling, HRI demos
Developers: Customizable environment for AI/vision integration
Primary: Industrial and lab automation pilots; AI-enabled applications
H.G. Skill Score (official): 5 (spec table)
Verification: Not verified

Technical Specifications

Total: 4/10 — Navigation 2/5 + Manipulation 2/5 (Spec table lists H.G. score: 5/10.)

• CPU/GPU / OS / Connectivity / Cameras / IP rating / LLM integration / Latency: Not specified

Technical Highlights

The RB-Y1's 24-DOF architecture delivers 7 degrees of freedom per arm — matching the redundancy of leading research manipulators — allowing the same end-point to be reached through multiple joint configurations to navigate around obstacles. The whole-body 20-axis control system coordinates all joints simultaneously while maintaining dynamic stability. Vision cameras are sold separately; the core perception relies on IMU, force/torque sensors, and proprioceptive joint-level sensing.

Applications

The RB-Y1 is designed for academic robotics research (dual-arm manipulation algorithm development, bimanual coordination, HRI research), manufacturing R&D (flexible automation prototyping, small parts assembly), service robot development (manipulation algorithm testbed), and defense/emergency response research (bomb disposal, hazardous material handling). Not positioned for consumer deployment.