Humanoid & robot atlas
Kiyomori
Photo: tmsuk (official image), from tmsuk.co.jp. Image policy
RetiredJapan

tmsuk · research humanoid

Kiyomori

A walking humanoid from tmsuk dressed in samurai armour made by Marutake Sangyo, the armour maker behind Kurosawa's film Ran. It was known for a pelvis that rotated as it walked, giving a longer, more human stride, and was reported to have 39 joints.

Price
—Not published
Height
—Not published
Weight
—Not published
Payload
—Not published
Speed
—Not published
Battery
—Not published

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Why it matters

A retired humanoid from tmsuk.

Real-world use

No customers or deployments reported yet.

Timeline

First shown
2005-12
Released
Not yet
Debut ceremony at Munakata Taisha shrine, Fukuoka Prefecture

Maker

tmsukCompany · Kyoto, Japan (head office and central lab); base in Munakata, Fukuoka

Public attention

A historic robot: no longer sold or in use, so it is not ranked against current humanoids.

  • No Wikipedia article of its own yet
  • 2 news stories 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.

Hands
unknown
Movement
Walks on legs
Actuators & motors
Electric walking humanoid; reported to have 39 joints, with knees described as stretchy and an unusually flexible, rotating pelvis that lengthened its stride (as relayed from Wired).
Materials & build
Dressed in samurai armour made by Marutake Sangyo, the armour maker whose products appeared in Akira Kurosawa's film Ran.
Other details
Named after the 12th-century samurai politician Taira no Kiyomori. Debuted at a Shinto ceremony at Munakata Taisha shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture, where it took part in a prayer alongside people; Engadget nicknamed it 'samuraibot'.

From the maker

Kiyomori is the only humanoid from tmsuk in the atlas.

Watch Kiyomori

Video: AP Archive on YouTube. Plays from youtube-nocookie.com when you press play.

Made, sold and where

Unit counts are usually company figures; analysts often disagree.

Price
Not published
How to get one
No official buying page found
Built
One-off showpiece robot, as reported
Sold or delivered
not sold
Where it is sold or used
Japan (tmsuk, Fukuoka Prefecture region)

News

The latest 2, newest first. Summaries are ours; tap through for the original.

  1. Kiyomori's human-like stride highlighted

    A travel blog, citing Wired, picked out Kiyomori's 39 joints, stretchy knees and flexible pelvis as the keys to its natural walk.

    Gadling
  2. Armoured tmsuk robot debuts at a Shinto shrine

    A design blog described tmsuk's samurai-armoured humanoid, its debut ceremony at Munakata Taisha and its Ran-linked armour maker.

    We Make Money Not Art

Side by side with its peers

Picked by the same rules for every humanoid: 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

Full comparison
MeasureKiyomoriKiyomoritmsukASIMO (new ASIMO)ASIMO (new ASIMO)HondaSame job: entertainment · Both walk · Both past robotsToyota Partner Robot (walking type)Toyota Partner Robot (walking type)Toyota Motor CorporationSame job: entertainment · Both walk · Both past robotsTOPIOTOPIOTOSY RoboticsSame job: entertainment · Both walk · Both past robots
First shown2005-122005-12-132004-03-112007-11-28
StatusRetiredRetiredRetiredRetired
Height—130 cm120 cm188 cm
Weight—54 kg35 kg120 kg
Joints—34—39
Speed—6 km/h——
Payload————
Battery————
Price————

Sources

Figures come from press coverage. Every link below backs something on this page.

We Make Money Not Art Whatever You Imagine, Including Kiyomori Gadling Kiyomori (quoting Wired)

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