Ergonomic interaction
ergoCub is designed for ergonomic interaction with humans. Its name combines 'ergo' with the iCub family name. [2][1]
Price & availability
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) has not published a price
Prototype
Current dataset status: Prototype.
Product overview
About IIT ergoCub
ergoCub is a humanoid developed by the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) with INAIL, the Italian workers' insurance authority. IIT presented it live in Italy on 21 September 2023 during the institute's 20th-anniversary event in Genoa. The name combines 'ergo', for ergonomics, with 'Cub', referring to the earlier iCub platform.
The robot is designed for physical collaboration and for research on reducing workers' biomechanical risk in industrial and healthcare settings. IIT reports a height of 150 cm, a mass of 55.7 kg and the ability to carry loads of up to approximately 10 kg. A design-award record produced with information from the manufacturer reports 54 degrees of freedom, including the head and articulated hands.
IIT lists an Intel RealSense depth camera, lidar, force-torque sensors, an NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier and an 11th-generation Intel Core i7. A May 2026 IIT-authored paper presents a human-aware shared-embodied-intelligence architecture for collaborative tasks. The 2026 paper gives a slightly higher mass of 56.70 kg. No price or purchase channel has been published, so ergoCub remains a research prototype.
“ergoCub is a humanoid robot endowed with embodied intelligence and designed for ergonomic interaction with humans.”
Capabilities
Key features
Worker risk reduction
Developed with INAIL, the robot is described as able to assess, manage, reduce and prevent physical risk for workers. [1]
Optimized morphology and control
A May 2026 paper says ergoCub's morphology and control were optimized for collaborative tasks with humans. [3]
Perception and onboard compute
IIT lists a RealSense depth camera, lidar, force-torque sensors, Jetson AGX Xavier and an 11th-generation Core i7. [4]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
Mobility
Hands & Manipulation
Compute & Sensing
Show unknown fields (8)
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- Not published
- 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
- Hand / end effector
- Not published
Quick answers
IIT ergoCub FAQ
Can you buy IIT ergoCub?
No general order page is verified. IIT ergoCub is currently classified as prototype. [1]
How tall is IIT ergoCub and how much does it weigh?
IIT ergoCub is 150 cm tall and weighs 55.7 kg (IIT article (21 Sep 2023). A May 2026 IIT-authored paper gives 56.70 kg). [1][2]
How much can IIT ergoCub carry?
The listed payload is 10 kg; Approximate load-bearing capacity. [2][4]
How many degrees of freedom does IIT ergoCub have?
IIT ergoCub has 54 listed degrees of freedom; Good Design Awards project record; stated to include the head and fully articulated hands. [5]
Who makes IIT ergoCub?
IIT ergoCub is made by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), based in Italy. [1]
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]ergoCub unveiled at IIT's 20th anniversary (OpenTalk) ↗Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]ergoCub project site ↗Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and INAIL · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]Towards Shared Embodied Intelligence in Humanoid Robots through Optimization Development and Testing of the Human Aware ergoCub Robot ↗arXiv (Sartore et al., IIT) · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]ergoCub for physical human-robot interaction ↗Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]ERGOCUB | 2022 ↗Good Design Awards · other · accessed Oct 8, 2026