Protective-suit test mannequin
PETMAN was built to wear and test chemical-protection clothing, moving through walking, crawling and suit-stressing motions during exposure tests. [3][6]
Price & availability
Boston Dynamics has not published a price
Discontinued
Current dataset status: Discontinued.
Product overview
About Boston Dynamics PETMAN
PETMAN (Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin) was a hydraulically actuated bipedal humanoid that Boston Dynamics built to test chemical-protection clothing for US military personnel. Its purpose was to reproduce human movement and physiology while protective suits were evaluated under controlled exposure conditions. Boston Dynamics released the first proof-of-concept video in October 2009 and showed the clothed test system in 2013.
IEEE's Robots Guide lists PETMAN at 177.8 cm, 79.4 kg and 29 degrees of freedom, with a maximum speed of 6.44 km/h (about 1.79 m/s). The system used hydraulic actuation, a custom PC and external power rather than an onboard battery. Boston Dynamics' demonstrations show walking, balancing, squatting and calisthenics. The robot also controlled temperature and humidity inside a suit and used skin sensors to detect leaks.
A 2013 National Academies assessment placed the system at technology-readiness level 5, and contemporary reporting said it had been delivered to a test facility for validation. PETMAN was not a commercial product. IEEE now marks it inactive, so this file classifies it as discontinued.
“PETMAN is an anthropomorphic robot developed by Boston Dynamics for testing special clothing used by US military personnel.”
Capabilities
Key features
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- 1.79 m/sReported — stated by a credible third party[5]Converted from the 6.44 km/h maximum listed by IEEE's Robots Guide; the 2009 prototype was reported at 3.2 mph (about 1.43 m/s)
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- Custom PCReported — stated by a credible third party[5]
Show unknown fields (9)
Mobility
- Peak joint torque
- Not published
Power
- Battery
- Not published
- Runtime
- Not published
- Charge time
- Not published
- Swappable battery
- Not published
Hands & Manipulation
- DoF per hand
- Not published
- Payload
- Not published
- Hand / end effector
- Not published
Compute & Sensing
- AI stack
- Not published
Official footage
Videos
Petman Tests Camo
Boston Dynamics · Apr 5, 2013
PETMAN Prototype
Boston Dynamics · Oct 30, 2011
Quick answers
Boston Dynamics PETMAN FAQ
Can you buy Boston Dynamics PETMAN?
No general order page is verified. Boston Dynamics PETMAN is currently classified as discontinued. [6]
How tall is Boston Dynamics PETMAN and how much does it weigh?
Boston Dynamics PETMAN is 177.8 cm tall and weighs 79.4 kg. [5]
How fast is Boston Dynamics PETMAN?
Its stated maximum speed is 1.79 m/s; Converted from the 6.44 km/h maximum listed by IEEE's Robots Guide; the 2009 prototype was reported at 3.2 mph (about 1.43 m/s). [5]
How many degrees of freedom does Boston Dynamics PETMAN have?
Boston Dynamics PETMAN has 29 listed degrees of freedom. [5]
Who makes Boston Dynamics PETMAN?
Boston Dynamics PETMAN is made by Boston Dynamics, based in United States. [6]
What is the predecessor or successor of Boston Dynamics PETMAN?
Boston Dynamics Atlas (hydraulic) is its successor. [6]
Side by side
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Lineage
Model family
Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]First Video of Boston Dynamics PETMAN Biped ↗IEEE Spectrum · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]PETMAN - Boston Dynamics first anthropomorphic robot ↗Robaid · other · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]PETMAN robot hazmat suit testing (New Atlas) ↗New Atlas · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]Atlas (robot) - Wikipedia ↗Wikipedia · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]PETMAN ↗IEEE Robots Guide · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [6]Petman Tests Camo ↗Boston Dynamics · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [7]PETMAN Prototype ↗Boston Dynamics · video · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [8]PETMAN technology-readiness assessment ↗National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026