Humanoid robot developmentA team that has built one builds yours.
A team that develops its own humanoid robots takes on robot development projects. EmplifAI develops its dual-arm mobile humanoid OpenShell in-house, from design through physical integration.
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Factory/warehouse transportation simulation
Unitree G1
In an Isaac Sim physics simulation, G1 held a 0.25 kg box with both hands, walked approximately 1.2 m, and placed it on another table. This is simulated footage.
RealMan RMC-AIDAL
We grasped the handle of a hypothetical transport case with a body size of 30 x 20 x 20 cm and a total weight of 10 kg, and verified the process of transporting it on wheels for approximately 1.2 m, placing it on a stand, and then releasing it. This is a physical simulation that corrects the center of gravity and contact settings of the public CAD model, and does not guarantee the load capacity of the robot.
RealMan RMC-AIDAL: 10 kg case transport with both arms
We verified the operation of holding a hypothetical transport case with a body size of 30 x 40 x 20 cm and a total weight of 10 kg with both hands using the left and right handles, transporting it approximately 1.2 m, and placing it on a stand. During transportation, contact between the left and right hands and load sharing are recorded. This is a physical simulation that corrects the center of gravity and contact settings of the public CAD model, and does not guarantee the load capacity of the robot.
You can also consult with us about simulations and demonstration experiments tailored to your business, such as replenishing shelves, supplying parts boxes, and sorting.
Environment/box 3D materials: NVIDIA SimReady / codepawl/simready-glb · CC BY 4.0 · Assets were converted, resized, and assigned adjusted surface materials.
Can they show you something that moves, before the spec sheet
The hardest part of outsourcing humanoid development is landing on a partner who can write a proposal but has never built a machine. With a humanoid, if the mechanism, control, sensing or AI breaks anywhere, none of it moves. Plenty of designs work on paper and still will not stand up.
EmplifAI develops OpenShell in house. Twenty-eight axes across head, dual arms, grippers and base, built on OpenArm 01 and TidyBot++, down to decisions like mounting the arms in reverse so the elbows come forward — all settled by actually building it.
So we can take the conversation before the requirements are fixed. If you know what you want it to do, we define the degrees of freedom and the configuration with you from there.
What we can take on
Requirements and configuration design
From the work you want to hand over, we define the degrees of freedom, payload, reach, drive method and sensor set. That includes judging whether modifying an existing machine is enough.
Mechanical design and prototyping
From dual-arm and mobile base design through to a prototype. Building on open-source hardware can cut both the schedule and the cost.
Head and human interaction
Expression mechanism, display, speaker, microphone. If it is to work in the same space as people, a way of conveying intent tells as much as performance does.
Control and motion development
Control with ROS 2 or a vendor SDK, motion generation, whole-body coordination. We have delivered development that reproduces human motions on a robot.
Learning and AI implementation
We handle imitation learning, VLA, and reinforcement learning implementation as well as data collection environment design—including real-hardware implementation where Unitree G1 picks up a plastic bottle using Gemini 4 Argon with no hard-coded motions.
Integration and verification
Parts can work individually and still not work once integrated — that is the real machine. We take on assembly through to validation on site.
How to proceed with development
You can talk to us from the concept stage. We start by carving out the scope that confirms feasibility.
- 01 Define the use
- We make concrete what the finished machine will do and where it will be used. Leave this vague and the specification keeps growing.
- 02 Consider the configuration
- New build or modification of an existing machine. We settle the degrees of freedom and configuration, and give a view of cost and schedule.
- 03 Prototype and verify
- We narrow to a single task and confirm on the real machine where it holds. This is where the direction is fixed.
- 04 Develop control and learning
- Motion generation, remote operation and learning. How far to automate is widened in stages.
- 05 Integrate the machine
- We integrate mechanism, wiring, control and AI into something that runs end to end.
- 06 Verify on site
- Run it in the actual environment and refine the conditions. Organize the results of on-site verification and remaining issues.
NVIDIA GEAR Sonic × Unitree G1: Real robot demonstration
We ran NVIDIA GEAR Sonic on a Unitree G1 robot and verified its operation. Watch the video to see the demonstration.
Gemini 4 Argon × Unitree G1: Turning Vision into Action
Unitree G1 just picked up a plastic bottle using Gemini 4 Argon. No hard-coded motions. Just AI turning vision into action. The future of robotics is getting real.
Even when the bottle is moved and placed again, the AI visually understands the scene and generates the grasping motion. We provide Physical AI and VLA implementation on the Unitree G1 as well as custom PoC and verification development tailored to your operations.
Frequently asked questions
Can we talk at the concept stage?
Yes, and that stage suits us best. If you know what you want it to do, we define the configuration and a realistic scope with you. Once the specification is fixed, the options narrow.
Which is better, building from scratch or modifying an existing machine?
It depends on the use. If a commercial machine is enough, modification is quicker and cheaper. New development is considered when payload, working height or human-facing requirements cannot be met by an existing machine. We organise the requirements first, then propose.
How long does the development period take?
It varies a lot with the scope. Adding a function to an existing machine takes months; designing from the mechanism up needs a corresponding period. We recommend starting from a prototype narrowed to a single task.
Who owns the rights to the finished machine?
It is agreed in the contract. Joint development, contract development and customisation of our own machine are each handled differently, so please raise it at the planning stage.
Discussing humanoid development
Tell us what the machine is for and what is already decided. A concept stage is fine. The team that develops its own machine will define the achievable scope with you.
Discuss development