Bruce
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Bruce is a compact, kid-sized humanoid robot designed as an open-platform for advanced robotics research and education. Standing at 70cm tall and weighing just 4.8kg, it features a lightweight carbon fiber composite structure for durability and agility. With 16 degrees of freedom, including 5 DOF per leg and 3 DOF per arm, Bruce excels in dynamic bipedal locomotion such as walking, running, jumping, and even advanced maneuvers like single-leg hopping or yaw rotations. Powered by proprietary Koala BEAR proprioceptive actuators with liquid cooling, it delivers explosive power and real-time compliance for unstructured environments. Equipped with a high-frequency 6-DOF IMU, 4 contact sensors, and a 6TOPS onboard computer supporting deep learning frameworks, Bruce enables autonomous navigation, whole-body control, and sensor-based adaptation. Its modular, repairable design and open-source software/hardware foster rapid prototyping in locomotion, perception, and human-robot interaction, making it ideal for testing algorithms in real-world scenarios.
Quick Overview & Key Facts
Bruce is a humanoid robot made by Westwood Robotics in United States, launched in 2022 and built for locomotion research, dynamic control, and human-robot interaction. Its estimated price is USD 8,890 - 15,290. Featured in “Best Open-Source Humanoid Robots in 2026, Ranked by How Open They Really Are”.
- Dimensions
- 70 x 15 x 25 cm (Height: 700 mm)
- Weight
- 4.8 kg
- Mobility
- Legged (bipedal walking)
- Top speed
- 2.88 km/h (0.8 m/s)
- Handles
- Tools, precision instruments, research payloads
- Battery runtime
- 0.33 hours on full charge
- Charging time
- 1.5 – 2 hours (via standard RC LiPo charger)
- Sensors
- 6-DOF IMU (2kHz), 4 contact sensors, RGB cameras
- Operating environment
- Indoor
What Can Bruce Do?
Core operational tasks and activities demonstrated or performed by Bruce.
Real-World Applications of Bruce
Industries, working environments, and deployment suitability for Bruce.
Bruce Capabilities
Inherent physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities built into Bruce.
Image Gallery
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Robot Specifications
ConfirmedValues marked Confirmed were checked against the manufacturer's official data; select the badge to open the source. Values without a Confirmed badge are compiled from public sources and may not be manufacturer-verified.
Not yet published by Westwood Robotics: warranty terms, safety certifications, EMC compliance, IP rating, noise level, expected lifespan, maintenance schedule, firmware version and 6 more.
Robot Timeline
Key milestones in this robot's development and rollout
Westwood Robotics and UCLA's RoMeLa announce BRUCE, an open-source, kid-size 70 cm biped with compliant actuation for robotics research and education.
Source: PR.AI ↗
Latest News About Bruce
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Bruce vs K1 Geek Humanoid, K1 Humanoid, K1 Professional Humanoid and TP-01
Bruce overlaps with these alternatives on Education and training and Research and development; only Bruce is tagged for Stair climbing. Bruce leads this group on max speed and weight but trails on runtime.
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 and runtime; lowest weight). Ranges are not ranked.
| Spec | BruceWestwood Robotics | K1 Geek HumanoidBooster Robotics | K1 HumanoidBooster Robotics | K1 Professional HumanoidBooster Robotics | TP-01Raydiculous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industries | |||||
| Education and training | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research and development | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities | |||||
| Running | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Terrain traversal | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Developer friendly | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Stair climbing | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Max Speed | 0.8 m/s | 0.39 m/s | — | 0.39 m/s | 0.6 m/s |
| Runtime | 20 min | 30 min | 30 min | 80 min | 3–10 h |
| Weight | 4.8 kg | 19.5 kg | 19.5 kg | 19.5 kg | 34 kg |
| Released | 2022 | 2025 | 2023 | 2025 | 2026 |
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 Humanoid Robots
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Themis V2
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Themis V2 is a full-sized humanoid robot engineered for industrial, service, and research applications, standing 1.6 meters tall with 40 degrees of freedom for human-like agility. It features proprietary BEAR actuators that deliver compliant, back-drivable motion, enabling smooth walking at human speeds and running up to 10 km/h across uneven terrain. Equipped with 6-DoF arms and 7-DoF dexterous hands supporting 15 kg payloads, it excels in two-handed manipulation tasks like logistics handling, light assembly, and precise inspection. Onboard 200 TOPS AI processing powers real-time perception via stereo cameras and high-frequency IMU, facilitating autonomous navigation, balance recovery, and adaptive grasping without cloud dependency. Hot-swappable batteries ensure continuous operation, while ROS-based Humanoid OS integrates LLMs for intelligent task execution and safe human collaboration, positioning Themis V2 as a versatile platform for dynamic real-world deployment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1. What is Bruce, and what problem is it designed to solve?
Bruce is a bipedal robot unit with compliance enhanced (Bipedal Robot Unit with Compliance Enhanced), a child-sized humanoid robot developed by Westwood Robotics. According to the manufacturer, it addresses challenges in dynamic locomotion and compliant interaction for research and education applications.
Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of Bruce?
Bruce features proprioceptive actuators from Westwood Robotics' BEAR series, enabling live compliance and torque sensing. The manufacturer describes it as an open platform supporting dynamic movements in research settings.
Q3. Who is Bruce built for, and which industries can benefit from it?
Bruce targets researchers, educators, and developers in robotics. Westwood Robotics positions it for applications in research and development, with potential benefits in education and related fields like entertainment.
Q4. Is Bruce a commercial product or still a research prototype?
Bruce is presented by Westwood Robotics as a kid-size humanoid robot open platform for research and education. The company offers it as part of their robotic systems portfolio alongside actuators.
Q5. Is Bruce currently available for purchase, and when is it expected to ship?
As of 2026, Bruce availability follows Westwood Robotics' offerings through their website. Shipping depends on manufacturer fulfillment for research and educational orders.
Q6. How does Bruce actually work in real-world environments?
Bruce integrates BEAR actuators for compliant torque sensing and dynamic performance. According to Westwood Robotics, it operates in controlled research environments, leveraging proprioceptive feedback for tasks requiring adaptability.
Q7. When was Bruce announced or officially launched?
Westwood Robotics, founded in 2018 as a spin-off from UCLA's RoMeLa, includes Bruce in its portfolio of robotic systems. Specific announcement details align with the company's development of humanoid platforms post-2018.
Q8. How is Bruce different from other robots in the same category?
Bruce emphasizes child-sized form with BEAR proprioceptive actuators for enhanced compliance. Westwood Robotics distinguishes it as an open platform, contrasting with full-size models like their Themis in scale and research focus.
Q9. Does Bruce require additional development or customization after purchase?
As an open platform, Bruce supports integration with Robot Operating System (ROS) per manufacturer details. Users in research typically adapt it for specific experiments or educational uses.
Q10. What is the future roadmap or planned upgrades for Bruce?
Westwood Robotics has announced ongoing development of robotic systems, including actuators and humanoid platforms. The company indicates plans to expand products for broader research and dynamic performance applications.
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