44 degrees of freedom
NASA lists 44 DoF. The legs, arms, torso and wrists use series elastic actuators, and the neck has three degrees of freedom. [1]
NASA Valkyrie (R5)
Specs, price & availability · verified Oct 2026
NASA Valkyrie (R5) is a 188 cm, 136 kg biped from NASA (United States), prototype with no published price.
- Price
- Not disclosed
- Height
- 188 cm
- Weight
- 136 kg
- Total DoF
- 44
Last verified Oct 10, 2026
Price & availability
NASA has not published a price
Prototype
Current dataset status: Prototype.
Product overview
About NASA Valkyrie (R5)
Valkyrie (R5) is a biped humanoid built by NASA's Johnson Space Center. NASA's R5 page gives a height of 6 ft 2 in (about 1.88 m) and a weight of 300 lb (about 136 kg). The team built the robot in roughly 15 months for the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials, drawing on its experience with Robonaut 2.
After the trials, NASA made the hands more reliable, redesigned the ankle and upgraded the sensors. NASA lists 44 degrees of freedom, a Carnegie Robotics Multisense SL head sensor, and two Intel Core i7 processors. The robot runs on wall power or a custom dual-voltage battery that lasts about an hour.
The University of Edinburgh used a Valkyrie under a research lease from 2016 until early 2026, when that unit returned to Johnson Space Center. The lease ending did not end NASA's Valkyrie work: NASA published a September 2026 demonstration with the robot, and its collaboration with Woodside calls for operational demonstrations in 2026 and 2027. Valkyrie is therefore classified as an active research prototype, not a commercial product.
Capabilities
Key features
Quick-disconnect limbs
Legs, arms and hands use quick mechanical and electrical disconnects, which NASA says simplify shipping and service. [1]
Built for the DARPA trials
NASA's Johnson Space Center built the robot in about 15 months for the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. [1][3]
Edinburgh research lease
The University of Edinburgh ran Valkyrie research under a lease from 2016. The robot was returning to NASA JSC as the lease ended. [2]
Current NASA research use
NASA demonstrated Valkyrie at Johnson Space Center in September 2026, and its Woodside collaboration schedules operational demonstrations through 2027. [4][5]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
Mobility
Power
Hands & Manipulation
- DoF per hand
- 6Reported — stated by a credible third party[6]Per hand; the University of Edinburgh operator page lists 12 DoF across both hands
- Hand / end effector
- Three fingers and a thumb per hand, with quick disconnectsOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[1]
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- Two Intel Core i7 processorsOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[1]
- Sensors
- Carnegie Robotics Multisense SL head sensor (structured light, laser and passive stereo), Forward and rear hazard cameras in the torso, Two IMUs in the pelvisOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[1]
Show unknown fields (6)
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- Not published
- Peak joint torque
- Not published
Power
- Charge time
- Not published
- Swappable battery
- Not published
Hands & Manipulation
- Payload
- Not published
Compute & Sensing
- AI stack
- Not published
Quick answers
NASA Valkyrie (R5) FAQ
Can you buy NASA Valkyrie (R5)?
No general order page is verified. NASA Valkyrie (R5) is currently classified as prototype. [1]
How tall is NASA Valkyrie (R5) and how much does it weigh?
NASA Valkyrie (R5) is 188 cm tall and weighs 136 kg (300 lb per NASA R5 page (about 136 kg)). [1][6]
How long does the NASA Valkyrie (R5) battery last?
The stated runtime is 1 hours per charge; About one hour on the custom dual-voltage battery, per NASA. [1]
How many degrees of freedom does NASA Valkyrie (R5) have?
NASA Valkyrie (R5) has 44 listed degrees of freedom; Total as stated on NASA's R5 page. [1]
Who makes NASA Valkyrie (R5)?
NASA Valkyrie (R5) is made by NASA, based in United States. [1]
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]R5 Valkyrie (NASA) ↗NASA · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]NASA's Valkyrie Robot Concludes a Decade at Edinburgh ↗University of Edinburgh School of Informatics · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]Valkyrie-robot-3.jpg (NASA R5 photo, Wikimedia Commons file page) ↗Wikimedia Commons (NASA image) · other · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]Reliable Robots: Meet Johnson's Dexterous Robotics Team ↗NASA · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]NASA Humanoid Robot to Be Tested in Australia ↗NASA · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [6]Hardware: NASA Valkyrie Robot ↗University of Edinburgh School of Informatics · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026