Autonomous running
Sony demonstrated running with control and power processing performed onboard the robot in December 2003. [7]
Sony QRIO
Specs, price & availability · verified Oct 2026
Sony QRIO is a 58 cm, 7 kg biped from Sony Group Corporation (Japan), discontinued with no published price.
- Price
- Not disclosed
- Height
- 58 cm
- Weight
- 7 kg
- Total DoF
- 38
Last verified Oct 10, 2026
Price & availability
Sony Group Corporation has not published a price
Discontinued
Current dataset status: Discontinued.
Product overview
About Sony QRIO
QRIO is a small bipedal entertainment robot developed under Sony's Dream Robot programme. Sony announced the QRIO name on 1 October 2003 for the platform previously called SDR-4X II and assigned it a corporate-ambassador role. Physically built prototypes later appeared at RoboCup 2004. A technical account by a Sony engineer gives a height of 58 cm, mass of about 7 kg and 38 motor-driven degrees of freedom.
Each hand has five independently driven fingers. The sensor suite includes stereo CCD cameras, seven microphones, infrared distance sensors, inertial sensing and force sensors in the feet. Three 64-bit RISC processors run Sony's Aperios real-time operating system, and the lithium-ion battery provides more than one hour per charge. Sony separately demonstrated autonomous running under onboard control in December 2003.
QRIO was a research and demonstration platform, not a product sold to customers. Sony ended development in 2006, and a current support notice says there are no plans to bring it back. A 2005 upgraded prototype was slightly taller and heavier and added a third camera on its forehead.
Capabilities
Key features
Voice and face recognition
QRIO combined face and voice processing with dialogue and memory functions for social interaction. [6][8]
Sensor suite
Its sensors included stereo CCD cameras, seven microphones, infrared range sensing, inertial sensing and foot-force sensors. [6]
Development halted in 2006
Sony stopped QRIO development in 2006, and its current support notice says it has no plans to restart the project. [6][9]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
- Height
- 58 cmReported — stated by a credible third party[6]Technical account by Sony engineer Kenichiro Nagasaka; the 2005 upgraded prototype was reported at 58.5 cm
- Weight
- 7 kgReported — stated by a credible third party[6]Technical account gives about 7 kg; the 2005 upgraded prototype was reported at 7.5 kg
Mobility
Power
- Runtime
- 1 hReported — stated by a credible third party[6]Technical account states more than one hour per lithium-ion battery charge
Hands & Manipulation
- DoF per hand
- 5Reported — stated by a credible third party[6]Five independently driven fingers per hand
- Hand / end effector
- Five independently driven articulated fingers per handReported — stated by a credible third party[6]
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- Three 64-bit RISC processors running Sony AperiosReported — stated by a credible third party[6]Technical account by a Sony engineer
- Sensors
- Stereo CCD cameras, Seven microphones, Infrared distance sensors, Three-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, Four force sensors and an accelerometer in each soleReported — stated by a credible third party[6]
Show unknown fields (7)
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- Not published
- Peak joint torque
- Not published
Power
- Battery
- Not published
- Charge time
- Not published
- Swappable battery
- Not published
Hands & Manipulation
- Payload
- Not published
Compute & Sensing
- AI stack
- Not published
Quick answers
Sony QRIO FAQ
Can you buy Sony QRIO?
No general order page is verified. Sony QRIO is currently classified as discontinued. [7]
How tall is Sony QRIO and how much does it weigh?
Sony QRIO is 58 cm tall and weighs 7 kg (Technical account gives about 7 kg; the 2005 upgraded prototype was reported at 7.5 kg). [6]
How long does the Sony QRIO battery last?
The stated runtime is 1 hours per charge; Technical account states more than one hour per lithium-ion battery charge. [6]
How many degrees of freedom does Sony QRIO have?
Sony QRIO has 38 listed degrees of freedom; Technical account gives 38 motor-driven DoF, including five in each hand. [6]
Who makes Sony QRIO?
Sony QRIO is made by Sony Group Corporation, based in Japan. [7]
Side by side
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]QRIO - Wikipedia ↗Wikipedia · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]QRIO - Robots Guide ↗Robots Guide · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]QRIO: The Robot That Could ↗IEEE Spectrum · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]Three-eyed robot gets up close and personal (Reuters via NBC News) ↗NBC News / Reuters · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]File:Sony Qrio Robot.jpg (Wikimedia Commons) ↗Wikimedia Commons · other · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [6]Sony QRIO ↗Kenichiro Nagasaka, Sony Corporation · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [7]Sony Develops World's First Running Humanoid Robot ↗Sony Corporation · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [8]Sony small biped entertainment robot QRIO to serve as corporate ambassador ↗Sony Corporation · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [9]QRIO support notice ↗Sony Corporation · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026