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ZEROTH-BOT: A TINY OPEN-SOURCE HUMANOID YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD

A palm-of-two-hands humanoid with a hobby-tier parts list — sim-to-real reinforcement learning, vision and speech, first built at a 24-hour hackathon.

by Zeroth Robotics (with K-Scale Labs)

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

RoboticsAI

difficulty
●●●●○
time
several weekends
license
MIT
repo
repo ACTIVE801 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
  • Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
  • Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
  • Soldering kit + basic tools — one-time buy, serves every future build

Partner

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Videos
1

COMPAREE VERDICT

Zeroth-Bot is the most approachable open humanoid on our list — a small biped with a genuinely hobby-tier parts list, first hacked together at a 24-hour hackathon and now an end-to-end sim-to-real RL robot with vision and speech, all MIT-licensed. The brain is a sub-hobby-price Linux single-board computer, which is a big part of why it's affordable. Set expectations on the repo layout: the 'zeroth-bot' repo you land on is a thin umbrella, with the real CAD (OnShape), BOM and assembly guide in the docs repo and sibling repos, and it's an explicitly pre-1.0 project (expect breaking changes). But if you want to build a real walking humanoid without a research budget, this is the friendliest door in.

NOT IN THE REPO

  • —Real open hardware: editable OnShape CAD + STL zip, a real BOM, and a photo assembly guide (in the docs repo)
  • —The 'zeroth-bot' repo is a thin umbrella — the real content is in sibling repos (hardware, firmware) and the K-Scale org
  • —The mechanical STL isn't in any GitHub repo — it's on OnShape and a docs-site zip
  • —It's a pre-1.0 prototype (public alpha/beta) and needs commercial parts (16 servos, a Milk-V board, IMU, camera)

Can I build this?

Printthe body from the OnShape CAD / docs-site STL zip (not in a GitHub repo)
Buy16 serial-bus servos, a Milk-V Duo S board, an IMU, a camera, a small LiPo, the custom PCBs
Tools3D printer, soldering, hex drivers
Skillsintermediate-plus: assembly, Linux, some RL curiosity
Timeseveral weekends
Costband $ — an entry-level humanoid BOM; current prices: creator's docs
SafetyLiPo care and 16 geared servos on a biped — supervise and mind fingers

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Videos

Zeroth-01 Status Update1:26

A status update showing the little humanoid.

Gallery

Zeroth-01 wavingZeroth Robotics (MIT)
System architectureZeroth Robotics
Joint mapZeroth Robotics
From the assembly guideZeroth Robotics

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the docs (BOM + assembly guide live here)
  2. 2.Watch the update (see it move)
  3. 3.Get the CAD/STL (OnShape + docs-site STL zip)
  4. 4.Explore the electronics + firmware (hardware repo + K-Scale sim/firmware)
  5. 5.Join the Discord (community help)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

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KNOWN ISSUES

  • The 'zeroth-bot' repo is a thin umbrella — the real CAD, BOM, firmware and sim live in the docs repo and sibling/K-Scale repos
  • The mechanical STL isn't in any GitHub repo — it's on OnShape and a docs-site zip
  • It's a pre-1.0 prototype (public alpha/beta) — expect breaking changes
  • It needs commercial parts (16 servos, a Milk-V board, IMU, camera, custom PCBs)

How is it so cheap?

A hobby-tier BOM and a sub-hobby-price Linux single-board computer (a Milk-V Duo S) keep the cost down, making it one of the most affordable real humanoids to build.

Was it really built in a day?

The first version was built at a 24-hour hackathon (August 2024). It's since grown into an end-to-end sim-to-real RL robot with vision and speech.

Where are the files?

CAD is on OnShape with an STL zip on the docs site; the BOM and assembly guide are in the docs repo; electronics and firmware are in sibling and K-Scale repos.

What does it cost?

Band $ — an entry-level humanoid BOM. The docs have current prices.

Community builds

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

Instead of a Raspberry Pi, Zeroth-Bot runs its humanoid brain on a Milk-V Duo S — an unusually cheap Linux board. Bold sourcing, or a support headache you'd swap out on day one?

CompareeTEAM1mo ago

A structural finding from our audit: the 'zeroth-bot' repo is a thin umbrella, and the mechanical STL isn't in any GitHub repo at all — the CAD lives on OnShape with a zip on the docs site, while firmware and electronics sit in sibling and K-Scale repos. The origin story held up when we traced it: the first version really was built at a 24-hour hackathon before growing into a sim-to-real RL platform. Would you build a pre-1.0 humanoid knowing breaking changes are coming?

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Zeroth Robotics (with K-Scale Labs)

Started at a 24-hour hackathon and grew into an affordable, hackable open-source humanoid — MIT-licensed hardware, SDK and simulation — aimed at making real humanoid robotics accessible.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
GitHub repo