First-stage biped
The first-stage WABIAN is about 1.66 m tall and weighs 107.4 kg; it has 35 active DoF plus eight passive foot DoF. [3][5]
Price & availability
Waseda University has not published a price
Discontinued
Current dataset status: Discontinued.
Product overview
About Waseda WABIAN
WABIAN is a biped walking humanoid from Waseda University's Takanishi laboratory, completed in 1997. Waseda's May 2026 retrospective says the WABIAN series was developed in the 1990s and 2000s to study how robots can walk more like humans.
A Robotica paper describes the first-stage WABIAN as a biped with a height of 1.66 m, a weight of 107.4 kg and 35 active mechanical degrees of freedom. An earlier Waseda-authored paper counts 43 degrees of freedom when eight passive foot joints are included. Its stability method uses head, leg and arm motion to compensate for moments, and its follow-walking method lets the robot walk forward and backward while a person pushes or pulls its hand.
This page covers the first WABIAN only. Later WABIAN models are separate robots and are not included in this dataset. The sources reviewed give no price, purchase route or current development, so the page treats WABIAN as a discontinued research platform.
“The WABIAN series was developed in the 1990s and 2000s at Waseda to study how robots can walk more like humans.”
Capabilities
Key features
Moment compensation
The stability method uses head, leg and arm motion to compensate for moments, which the paper reports as a key part of its walking control. [3]
Follow-walking control
A pattern-switching method lets the robot walk forward and backward while a person pushes or pulls its hand. [3]
Human-like walking research
Waseda's 2026 retrospective says the WABIAN series was developed to study how robots can walk more like humans. [2]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
Hands & Manipulation
- Payload
- 1.5 kgReported — stated by a credible third party[5]Load held at one hand; the same paper reports 30 kg supported on a shoulder
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- Onboard PC/AT-compatible Pentium computerReported — stated by a credible third party[5]
Show unknown fields (10)
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
Compute & Sensing
- Sensors
- Not published
- AI stack
- Not published
Quick answers
Waseda WABIAN FAQ
Can you buy Waseda WABIAN?
No general order page is verified. Waseda WABIAN is currently classified as discontinued. [1]
How tall is Waseda WABIAN and how much does it weigh?
Waseda WABIAN is 166.2 cm tall and weighs 107.4 kg (First-stage WABIAN per Lim et al.). [3][5]
How much can Waseda WABIAN carry?
The listed payload is 1.5 kg; Load held at one hand; the same paper reports 30 kg supported on a shoulder. [5]
How many degrees of freedom does Waseda WABIAN have?
Waseda WABIAN has 43 listed degrees of freedom; 35 active mechanical DoF plus eight passive foot DoF; some accounts quote only the 35 active joints. [3][5]
Who makes Waseda WABIAN?
Waseda WABIAN is made by Waseda University, based in Japan. [1]
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]History of Humanoid Robot in Waseda University ↗Waseda University Humanoid Robotics Institute · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]The Robots of Waseda: A 50-Year Journey in Humanoid Innovation ↗Waseda University · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]Quasi-human biped walking (Robotica; Lim, Hyon, Setiawan and Takanishi) ↗Cambridge University Press (Robotica) · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]Humanoid robot - Wikipedia ↗Wikipedia · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]Humanoid Robots in Waseda University—Hadaly-2 and WABIAN ↗Autonomous Robots · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026