NAO

NAO from Aldebaran (originally Aldebaran Robotics, later SoftBank Robotics Europe) is the world's most widely used humanoid robot in education and research. Since its introduction in 2008, over 13,000 NAO robots have been deployed to universities, research institutions, and schools in more than 70 countries.

At 58 cm tall and 5.4 kg, NAO is designed for tabletop interaction. Its 25 degrees of freedom enable expressive movement, dancing, and basic manipulation. The sensor suite includes 2 HD cameras, 4 microphones, tactile sensors, ultrasonic sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer, force sensors, infrared sensors, and high-accuracy digital encoders on each joint. Fluent in over 20 languages, NAO supports Python, C++, and visual programming tools like Blockly and Scratch.

NAO has been extensively used in autism therapy research, demonstrating positive results engaging children who struggle with human interaction. Its predictable, patient behavior and non-threatening appearance make it effective for therapeutic applications. Priced between $7,500-$10,000, NAO remains more affordable than full-scale humanoids while offering capable hardware for education and research.

In June 2025, Aldebaran entered receivership in France, raising uncertainty over NAO and Pepper's future after no major hardware upgrades since 2018. The following month, Chinese company Maxvision Technologies acquired Aldebaran's assets and created Maxtronics, a dedicated branch to carry on development. This transition ensures NAO's continued availability while potentially opening new development directions under new ownership.