Ghost Robotics · robot dog
Minitaur
A small direct-drive quadruped from Dan Koditschek's lab at the University of Pennsylvania that climbed stairs and fences and opened doors. It weighed just over 11 lb.
- Price
- $10,000Cheaper than 14%
- Height
- —Not published
- Weight
- —Not published
- Payload
- —Not published
- Speed
- 7.2 km/hFaster than 29%
- Battery
- —Not published
Not sure this is the one? Find the best robot for your job Starts with: research and teaching. Five more quick questions.
Why it matters
Showed that cheap direct-drive motors without gearboxes could power an agile legged robot.
Real-world use
Research labs
Maker
Ghost RoboticsCompany · founded 2015 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesValued at about $400M in the 2024 LIG Nex1 deal
How it stacks up
Against other robot dogs that publish the figure. Pick a measure.
Minitaur is faster than 29% of the 34 other robot dogs that publish a speed. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
Minitaur costs less than 14% of the 21 other robot dogs that publish a price. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
Not published by the maker: height, weight, payload, joints, battery.
Public attention
A historic robot: no longer sold or in use, so it is not ranked against current machines.
- No Wikipedia article of its own yet
- 1 news story from reputable press listed on this page
Measures how much people read and write about a robot, not how good it is. Measured 2026-10-14; same method for every robot. How it is measured
What’s inside
The parts the company has talked about publicly.
- Movement
- Walks on legs
- How it runs
- Assisted. Researchers steered it with a remote control while its direct-drive legs and controller handled balance, stairs and jumps.
- Actuators & motors
- Direct-drive electric motors with no gearbox or springs; the motors double as contact and force sensors
- Sensors & vision
- IMU; proprioception through the motors (touchdown felt within about 5 ms); optional laser line scanner
- Materials & build
- Rigid aluminium leg struts
- Other details
- About 5 kg
Lineage
Every Ghost Robotics machine in order.
Watch Minitaur
Made, sold and where
Unit counts are usually company figures; analysts often disagree.
- Price
- $10,000US$10,000 retail (company figure)
- How to get one
- No official buying page found
- Sold or delivered
- Small batches at US$10,000 (2016)
- Customers and pilots
- Research labs
News
The latest 1, newest first. Summaries are ours; tap through for the original.
- Ghost Robotics shows Minitaur
IEEE Spectrum covered the direct-drive Minitaur climbing stairs and opening doors, priced at $10,000.
IEEE Spectrum
Side by side with its peers
Picked by the same rules for every robot: another maker’s robot that moves the same way, is at the same stage and does at least one of the same main jobs, first shown within two years. Closer size and price rank higher. How we choose
| Measure | MinitaurGhost Robotics |  XDogWang Xingxing / Unitree RoboticsSame job: research · Both walk · Both past robots |  HyQ2MaxIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)Same job: research · Both walk · Both past robots |  MIT Cheetah 2MIT Biomimetic Robotics LabSame job: research · Both walk · Both past robots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First shown | 2016 | 2016-06 | 2015 | 2014-09-15 |
| Status | Discontinued | Retired | Retired | Retired |
| Height | — | — | 92 cm | — |
| Weight | — | — | 80 kg | — |
| Joints | — | — | 12 | — |
| Speed | 7.2 km/h | — | 5.4 km/h | — |
| Payload | — | — | — | — |
| Battery | — | — | — | — |
| Price | $10,000 | — | — | — |
Sources
Figures come from press coverage. Every link below backs something on this page.
Photos and logos only identify each robot and its maker. Simbeing is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsing any company, and nothing here is advertising. Figures are for statistics only and are not advice of any kind. Terms of use