Willow Garage · research humanoid
PR2
A wheeled research robot with a head of sensors, a telescoping torso and two arms with grippers, which folded towels and fetched drinks. Counted here as humanoid-like (torso, head, two arms, wheeled base), not a classic humanoid.
- Price
- $400,000Cheaper than 2%
- Height
- 165 cmTaller than 49%
- Weight
- 226.8 kgHeavier than 98%
- Payload
- 1.8 kgCarries more than 8%
- Speed
- 3.6 km/hFaster than 30%
- Battery
- 2 hRuns longer than 15%
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Why it matters
Its open-source ROS software became the standard robot operating system across research labs.
Real-world use
Eleven PR2s went to research teams in the June 2010 beta program; sales ran until Willow Garage closed in 2014.
Timeline
- First shown
- 2010-05-26
- Released
- 2010-09
Maker
Willow GarageCompany · founded 2006 · Menlo Park, United StatesPrivately funded by founder Scott Hassan (amount not published); closed 2014
How it stacks up
Against other humanoids that publish the figure. Pick a measure.
PR2 is taller than 49% of the 305 other humanoids that publish a height. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 is heavier than 98% of the 277 other humanoids that publish a weight. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 is faster than 30% of the 122 other humanoids that publish a speed. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 carries more than 8% of the 132 other humanoids that publish a payload. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 has more joints than 9% of the 236 other humanoids that publish a joints. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 runs longer than 15% of the 119 other humanoids that publish a battery. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
PR2 costs less than 2% of the 85 other humanoids that publish a price. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
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
- 4 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.
- Movement
- Wheeled base · 20 joints
- Actuators & motors
- 32 brushed DC motors.
- Hands
- One 1-DoF gripper per arm with fingertip pressure sensors.
- Sensors & vision
- Wide- and narrow-angle head stereo cameras, 5 MP camera, forearm Ethernet cameras, Microsoft Kinect, Hokuyo UTM-30LX lasers on the tilting torso mount and base, Microstrain 3DM-GX2 IMU and arm accelerometers.
- Compute
- Two quad-core Intel i7 Xeon processors, 24 GB RAM, 500 GB internal and 1.5 TB removable drives.
- Battery & power
- 1.3 kWh lithium-ion pack, about 2 hours.
- Materials & build
- Hard plastic and metal exterior with foam arm covers.
- AI & software
- ROS with open-source packages including OpenCV and PCL.
Named suppliers:ROS (Open Robotics)IntelMicrosoft (Kinect)Hokuyo
From the maker
PR2 is the only humanoid from Willow Garage in the atlas.
Watch PR2
Made, sold and where
Unit counts are usually company figures; analysts often disagree.
- Price
- $400,000US$400,000 (one-armed version US$285,000)
- How to get one
- No official buying page found
- Sold or delivered
- PR2 sales announced in August 2010 for a September launch (Singularity Hub, August 23, 2010).
- Customers and pilots
- 11 research teams received two-year PR2 loans in June 2010 (not named in source)
News
The latest 4, newest first. Summaries are ours; tap through for the original.
- Clearpath takes over PR2 support and service
Clearpath Robotics assumed PR2 support and service responsibilities, with Willow Garage committing to customer support through at least 2016.
Clearpath Robotics - Willow Garage announces September PR2 sales
Willow Garage announced that PR2 would go on sale the next month; prospective customers could request quotes.
Singularity Hub - Eleven PR2s sent to research labs on two-year loans
Willow Garage celebrated the late-May sendoff of 11 PR2 units destined for research labs on two-year loans.
Stanford Magazine - Milestone 3 complete: PR2 betas ready and ROS 1.0
Willow Garage announced completion of Milestone 3 and ROS 1.0; PR2 beta robots and the beta program had been announced earlier that month.
Willow Garage Japan (official Japanese-language blog)
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
| Measure | PR2Willow Garage |  CoseroUniversity of Bonn (Autonomous Intelligent Systems group, team NimbRo@Home)Same job: home · Both on wheels · Both past robots |  DynamaidUniversity of Bonn (Autonomous Intelligent Systems group, team NimbRo@Home)Same job: home · Both on wheels · Both past robots |  RosieTechnical University of MunichSame job: home · Both on wheels · Both past robots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First shown | 2010-05-26 | 2010-09 | 2009-04 | 2009 |
| Status | Discontinued | Retired | Retired | Retired |
| Height | 165 cm | — | — | — |
| Weight | 226.8 kg | — | — | — |
| Joints | 20 | 30 | 30 | — |
| Speed | 3.6 km/h | — | — | — |
| Payload | 1.8 kg | — | 1 kg | — |
| Battery | 2 h | — | — | — |
| Price | $400,000 | — | — | — |
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