RaiBo by KAIST
Share
🐕 Robot Dog• prototype• medium

RaiBo

AI Chat

by KAIST

South Korea

Released: 2023

Last updated:

💰 USD 40,000 – 90,000

RaiBo is a versatile, mid-sized research quadruped built in-house by the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Lab (RaiLab) at KAIST, led by Prof. Jemin Hwangbo. Its 12 powerful motors and high-frequency motor control let it run on hills, stairs and even soft sand using controllers learned with reinforcement learning. On a sandy beach it ran at about 3 metres per second with its feet sinking into the sand, and the same controller kept it stable on grass, a running track and a bouncy air mattress without any reprogramming. Its size suits practical jobs such as industrial inspection, exploration and patrol.

3.03 m/s on sand
Max Speed
12 (12 motors)
Total DOF
approx. 180 min
Runtime
—
Max Payload
||||||||
|
🎯

What Can RaiBo Do?

Core operational tasks and activities demonstrated or performed by RaiBo.

🏭

Real-World Applications of RaiBo

Industries, working environments, and deployment suitability for RaiBo.

⚡

RaiBo Capabilities

Inherent physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities built into RaiBo.

Review Videos

Watch expert reviews and demonstrations of this robot dog

RaiBo Review Video 1
RaiBo Review Video 1
Click to play
RaiBo Review Video 2
RaiBo Review Video 2
Click to play

Full Specifications

Number of Legs4
Total DOF12 (12 motors)
DOF Per Leg3
Supported GaitsReinforcement-learning running and walking gaits, fast turning
Max Speed3.03 m/s on sand
Terrain Capabilitiessand, beaches, grass, running tracks, air mattresses, hills, stairs, steep slopes with debris

Other Notable Features

Built in-house by RaiLab; contact model of deformable ground used to train its controller; research funded by the Samsung Research Funding & Incubation Center; succeeded by RAIBO 2

RaiBo vs GENISOM L1, Black Panther II and MagicDog-W

RaiBo overlaps with these alternatives on Inspection and quality control and Research and development. RaiBo leads this group on max speed.

Industries and capabilities are tags, not scores: a tick means the robot is listed for it. Green marks the best figure in a row (highest max speed). Ranges are not ranked.

RaiBo compared with GENISOM L1, Black Panther II and MagicDog-W: industries, capabilities, max speed, runtime and size class
SpecRaiBoKAISTGENISOM L1Genisom AIBlack Panther IIMirrorMe TechnologyMagicDog-WMagicLab
Industries
Inspection and quality controlYesYesNoNo
Research and developmentYesYesYesYes
Capabilities
AdaptationYesYesNoYes
LearningYesNoNoYes
Terrain traversalYesYesNoYes
Stair climbingYesYesNoYes
Max Speed3.03 m/s3.7 m/s13.4 m/s3 m/s
Runtime3 h60–120 min—2–4 h
Size Classmediummediummediummedium

Notes such as conditions or alternate figures are left out and values are shown in common units; open each page for the full specs. Browse all robot dogs

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about this robot

Q1. What is the robot dog RaiBo, and what problem does it solve?

RaiBo is a research robot dog from KAIST in South Korea. It tackles the hard problem of running on soft, shifting ground such as sand, where most legged robots slip or get stuck.

Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of RaiBo?

It runs fast on sand, grass and tracks, turns quickly on bouncy surfaces and climbs hills and stairs, all with a controller learned through reinforcement learning.

Q3. Who is RaiBo built for, and which industries benefit from it?

It is built for robotics researchers, with a size aimed at future industrial inspection, exploration and patrol jobs.

Q4. Is RaiBo a commercial product or a research prototype?

It is a research prototype built in-house by KAIST’s RaiLab.

Q5. Is RaiBo currently available for purchase?

No. It is not sold; it is used for research at KAIST.

Q6. How does RaiBo perform in real-world environments and rough terrain?

It was tested on a real sandy beach with its feet sinking into the sand, on grass and running tracks, and on steep slopes covered in debris.

Q7. When was RaiBo announced or officially launched?

Its sand-running results were published in Science Robotics in January 2023.

Q8. How does RaiBo compare to other quadruped robot dogs?

Many robot dogs handle hard ground well but struggle on sand or mattresses. RaiBo’s controller was trained on a model of soft ground, so it keeps running where others falter.

Q9. Can RaiBo be customized with add-ons or third-party tools?

As a lab platform its controllers and sensors are changed for each study, such as later work on blind walking over slopes and debris.

Q10. What is the future roadmap or planned upgrades for RaiBo?

KAIST has since built RAIBO 2, a sturdier and more efficient successor designed for long, continuous operation.

Ready to Get One?