PhoneBot: A low-cost bipedal robot using a smartphone as the brain
Overview
PhoneBot, developed by UCLA's RoMeLa lab, is a low-cost, open-source dual-leg robot that uses a repurposed smartphone as its brain. It can walk, recover from falls, and perform basic interactions, all while using Wi-Fi for wireless control. The design leverages existing smartphone hardware to reduce costs and simplify development, making it accessible for research and education.
From RoboSpeak — WeChat
Event evidence and corrections
1 attributed source owners. Ownership does not establish independent confirmation. Quantities are reported separately and are never added together.
Reported quantity · robot_height: 48.3 other · Basis not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 2Source owner not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 1robospeak
Reported quantity · robot_weight: 1.8 other · Basis not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 2Source owner not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 1robospeak
Reported quantity · robot_joints: 13 other · Basis not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 2Source owner not reported
“它高48.3厘米，重1.8公斤，13个关节，不算手机， 成本只要400 美元。”
Exact source · revision 1robospeak
Reported quantity · robot_cost: 400 other · Basis not reported
““ 400美元，攒一台会走、摔倒自爬起、还能对话交互的双足机器人。”
Exact source · revision 2Source owner not reported
““ 400美元，攒一台会走、摔倒自爬起、还能对话交互的双足机器人。”
Exact source · revision 1robospeak
Evidence dependency changes (4)
- 2026-10-30T20:16:10.833Z · evidence updated · source revision 1. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
- 2026-10-30T20:15:54.573Z · evidence updated · source revision 1. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
- 2026-10-30T20:15:06.858Z · evidence updated · source revision 2. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
- 2026-10-30T20:14:50.666Z · evidence updated · source revision 2. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
Report timeline
Follow attributed reports and material updates.
- RoboSpeak — WeChatSignalPhoneBot: A Dual-Leg Robot Powered by a Repurposed Smartphone
PhoneBot, developed by UCLA's RoMeLa lab, is a low-cost, open-source dual-leg robot that uses a repurposed smartphone as its brain. It can walk, recover from falls, and perform basic interactions, all while using Wi-Fi for wireless control. The design leverages existing smartphone hardware to reduce costs and simplify development, making it accessible for research and education.
- Chinese robotics — Research news discoveryPhoneBot: A Bipedal Robot Controlled by a Repurposed Smartphone
Researchers from UCLA's RoMeLa lab have developed PhoneBot, a bipedal robot that uses a repurposed smartphone as its central controller. The robot can walk, recover from falls, and perform basic interactions, all while relying on Wi-Fi for communication. The design allows for easy upgrades and drastically reduces hardware costs, making it a valuable tool for research and education in bipedal locomotion.
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