Donut Robotics
Donut Robotics is a Tokyo robotics company that develops humanoid robots and AI, known for its Cinnamon robots. It was founded in 2014 in a garage in Fukuoka prefecture and incorporated in 2016, and is led by chief executive Taisuke Ono. Its first robot, the compact Cinnamon, was built to guide travellers with translation software that works in noisy places, and was selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project in 2017. The company also created C-FACE, a smart face mask that translates speech, which gained international attention in 2020. Its humanoid Cinnamon 1 runs Donut Robotics' AI on a robot body made overseas and understands hand gestures, so it can be used in loud settings such as construction sites and factories where voice commands fail. In April 2026 the company unveiled Cinnamon mini, a new humanoid powered by physical AI, at SusHi Tech Tokyo. Donut Robotics aims to list on the Nasdaq around 2027 or early 2028.
💡Notable Achievement: Donut Robotics was selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project in 2017 and featured in the New York Times in 2020 for its innovative service robots.
What Does Donut Robotics Do?
Donut Robotics is a Tokyo startup founded in 2014 that builds humanoids and AI, including the gesture-controlled Cinnamon 1 aimed at noisy construction and factory environments.
“Japanese humanoids designed to work where voice control fails.”
Vision-Language-Action AI
VLA models drive autonomous behaviour on Cinnamon 1.
Gesture Control
Operates in noisy industrial and construction sites where speech is impractical.
Service Robot Track Record
Selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project (2017); featured in the New York Times (2020).
What Can Donut Robotics Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Mass-production-oriented humanoid for factory, construction and retail security work.
Gesture-Based Control
Workers command Cinnamon 1 by gesture in loud environments.
Construction & Factory Tasks
Assembly assistance and site monitoring.
Advanced Computer Vision
RGB, stereo and LiDAR perception for autonomous navigation.
Retail Security & Service
Customer service and retail security roles.
Donut Robotics Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
Cinnamon 1
Manufactured by Donut Robotics
Cinnamon 1 is a next-generation mass-produced bipedal humanoid robot developed by Donut Robotics, designed for noisy industrial environments like construction sites and factories. It features autonomous AI powered by a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) system, enabling it to interpret visual, linguistic, and contextual cues to perform tasks independently. A standout capability is its world-first "Silent Gesture Control," allowing operators to command the robot via hand gestures instead of voice, ensuring functionality in high-decibel settings. Built on an OEM platform with custom AI integration, Cinnamon 1 aims to replace human labor in security, light manufacturing, and customer service roles, with domestic Japanese production planned for future iterations.
Donut RoboticsSoftware & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
VLA Autonomy Stack
Vision-Language-Action Behaviour
Vision-language-action AI for autonomous task execution.
OpenAPI & ROS2
Integration Interfaces
ROS2, Python/C++ APIs and OpenAPI for customer integration.
Donut RoboticsTimeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Donut Robotics founded in Fukuoka
Donut Robotics is founded in a garage in Fukuoka prefecture and is later incorporated in 2016.
Source: tokyoupdates.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
Selected for Haneda Airport Robot Project
Donut Robotics' Cinnamon guide robot is selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project.
Source: tokyoupdates.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
C-FACE translating smart mask
Donut Robotics draws international attention for C-FACE, a smart face mask that translates speech into several languages.
Source: cnn.com
Exhibits at CES
Donut Robotics exhibits its robots at CES in Las Vegas.
Source: tokyoupdates.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
EY Innovative Startup award
Donut Robotics receives the EY Innovative Startup award.
Source: tokyoupdates.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
Cinnamon mini humanoid unveiled
Donut Robotics unveils Cinnamon mini, a humanoid powered by physical AI, at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026.
Source: tokyoupdates.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
Donut Robotics Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Donut Robotics Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓A decade of Japanese robotics experience since 2014.
- ✓Gesture control addresses a real noisy-site pain point.
- ✓Mass-production design intent with target pricing US$15–30k (inferred).
Core Strategic Focus
Bringing Cinnamon 1 into Japanese construction and industrial pilots.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Several Cinnamon 1 specifications are inferred rather than published.
- •Limited public evidence of production deployments.
Donut Robotics vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
| Strategic Dimension | Donut Robotics(Current) | Unitree Robotics Unitree H1 | Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0 | Honda ASIMO 2.0 | UBTECH Robotics Walker S2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Full-Size Bipedal Humanoid | Full-size high-dynamic humanoid | Japanese industrial humanoid | Japanese heritage humanoid | Industrial humanoid workforce |
| Weight | 70 kg | 47 kg | 80–86 kg | 48 kg | 73 kg |
| Battery Runtime | 4 h | 2 h | 3–5 h | 1 h | 2 h |
| Est. Price | $15,000 - $30,000 | $90,000 | USD 50,000 - 150,000 | Not publicly disclosed | US $120,000 |
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Donut Robotics
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Donut Robotics
What is Donut Robotics?
Donut Robotics is a Tokyo company that develops humanoid robots and AI, known for its Cinnamon robots. It was founded in 2014 in Fukuoka and incorporated in 2016.
Who runs Donut Robotics?
Donut Robotics is led by chief executive Taisuke Ono, who founded the company in a garage in Fukuoka prefecture in 2014.
What is the Cinnamon 1 robot?
Cinnamon 1 is Donut Robotics' humanoid robot. It runs the company's AI on a robot body made overseas and understands hand gestures, so it can work in loud places such as construction sites and factories where voice commands do not work.
What is Cinnamon mini?
Cinnamon mini is a new humanoid from Donut Robotics powered by physical AI, unveiled at SusHi Tech Tokyo in April 2026.
What was the original Cinnamon robot?
The original Cinnamon was a compact guide robot with translation software that works in noisy environments. It was selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project in 2017.
What is the C-FACE smart mask?
C-FACE is a smart face mask created by Donut Robotics that translates speech into other languages. It drew international attention in 2020.
Is Donut Robotics going public?
Donut Robotics' chief executive has said the company aims to list on the US Nasdaq market around 2027 or early 2028.
How much does the Cinnamon 1 robot cost?
Donut Robotics has not published a price for Cinnamon 1. Businesses interested in using it on factory or construction sites need to contact the company directly.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Donut Robotics datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.