Westwood Robotics
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| Westwood Robotics | |
|---|---|
| Company overview | |
| Industry | Robotics, Artificial intelligence |
| Founded | January 2018 |
| Founder | Xiaoguang Zhang |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Key people | Xiaoguang Zhang (CEO and Founder) |
| Products | BEAR actuators, BRUCE robot, THEMIS humanoid robot |
| Parent lab | RoMeLa (Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory), UCLA |
| Website | westwoodrobotics.io |
Westwood Robotics (officially Westwood Robotics Corporation) is a private American robotics company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that specializes in proprioceptive actuators and humanoid robots. Founded in January 2018 by Xiaoguang Zhang and other former members of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the company develops the BEAR (Back-drivable Electromechanical Actuator for Robotics) series of actuators, the BRUCE kid-size humanoid robot, and the THEMIS full-size humanoid robot platform.[1][2]
The company's name references the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles where UCLA's campus is located, reflecting its deep academic roots in university-based humanoid robotics research. Westwood Robotics' stated mission is to "seamlessly integrate humanoid robots into industrial applications, amplifying human capabilities and tackling dangerous or tedious tasks worldwide."[3]
Westwood Robotics was founded in January 2018 by a team of roboticists who had previously worked at RoMeLa, the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at UCLA.[1] The lab was founded and has been directed by Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American humanoid robotics research. The Washington Post has called Hong "the Leonardo da Vinci of robots."[4]
The company's CEO and founder, Xiaoguang Zhang (also known as "Hawkry" Zhang), completed his PhD at UCLA in 2020 through RoMeLa, where he developed expertise in proprioceptive actuators and dynamic robotic systems.[5] Zhang's doctoral research focused on the design and control of backdrivable actuators for legged robots, work that directly led to the creation of the BEAR actuator series that forms the technological foundation of Westwood Robotics.
While Dennis Hong is not a direct founder of Westwood Robotics, his decades of work at RoMeLa created the intellectual environment and technical heritage from which the company emerged. The relationship between RoMeLa and Westwood Robotics is best understood as a university-to-industry technology transfer, where knowledge developed in an academic setting was commercialized by former lab members.
In its first years, Westwood Robotics concentrated on developing and commercializing its BEAR actuator technology. The company released the initial versions of the Koala BEAR and Panda BEAR actuator lines, targeting the research robotics community with modular, proprioceptive actuators that could be integrated into custom robotic platforms.
The company also developed DAnTE (Digital Adaptive Nerve-connected Tactile End-effector), an open-source robotic hand/gripper powered by Koala BEAR actuators. The DAnTE hand features three underactuated fingers, each with three joints and two degrees of freedom, controlled by a Raspberry Pi. The design was released as open-source hardware and software on GitHub, establishing Westwood Robotics' commitment to supporting the broader robotics research community.[6]
During this period, Westwood Robotics also collaborated with RoMeLa on the development of BRUCE (Bipedal Robot Unit with Compliance Enhanced), a kid-size humanoid robot that served as both a technology demonstrator for the BEAR actuator platform and a commercial product aimed at research laboratories and educational institutions.
Westwood Robotics entered the full-size humanoid robot market in 2024 with the unveiling of THEMIS at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Yokohama, Japan, held from May 13 to 17, 2024. The robot performed a remote-controlled walk during a live demonstration, drawing attention from the robotics community for its smooth, compliant movement enabled by the BEAR actuators.[7]
In April 2025, the company introduced THEMIS V2 with significantly enhanced manipulation capabilities, improved sensing, and greater onboard computing power. THEMIS V2 was demonstrated at the Robotics Summit and Expo in Boston on April 30 through May 1, 2025, where it served coffee at the event's "Robot Coffee Corner" and interacted with attendees at Booth 650.[8]
On January 29, 2026, Westwood Robotics announced THEMIS Gen 2.5, which the company described as "the first commercially viable humanoid to reliably work on the move." This update introduced the AOS (AI-Augmented Humanoid Operating System) software framework and new Mountain BEAR hip actuators, enabling the robot to manipulate objects while walking rather than having to stop for each interaction.[9]
Westwood Robotics' technology and design philosophy are deeply rooted in over two decades of humanoid robotics research conducted at RoMeLa. Understanding this academic lineage is essential to understanding the company's approach to actuator design, control systems, and robot architecture.
Dennis Hong, born in 1971 in Los Angeles to a family of South Korean heritage, earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and both his master's (1999) and doctoral (2002) degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.[10] He joined Virginia Tech in 2003 as an assistant professor and founded RoMeLa in 2004 in a modest basement laboratory. In 2014, Hong moved the lab to UCLA, where it has continued to produce pioneering robotic systems.
Hong's career honors include Popular Science's "Brilliant 10" list, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's "Forward Under 40" award, and Purdue University's "Top 40 Under 40" alumni recognition.[4] RoMeLa has produced over 50 robots across various configurations, including bipedal humanoids, quadrupeds, hexapods, and robotic manipulators, and the lab consists of roughly 30 student engineers, researchers, and innovators.
The succession of humanoid robots developed at RoMeLa over two decades provided the foundational knowledge in actuator design, bipedal locomotion, and dynamic balance that directly informed Westwood Robotics' products.
| Robot | Full name | Year | Key achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| DARwIn | Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence | 2004 | First RoMeLa humanoid; RoboCup KidSize champion (2010, 2011) |
| DARwIn-OP | DARwIn Open Platform | 2010 | Open-source humanoid platform; 400+ units deployed worldwide |
| CHARLI | Cognitive Humanoid Autonomous Robot with Learning Intelligence | 2010 | First full-size autonomous walking humanoid built in the U.S. |
| SaFFiR | Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot | 2012 | U.S. Navy-funded bipedal firefighting robot; 33 DOF |
| THOR | Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot | 2012 | DARPA Robotics Challenge competitor; 2015 RoboCup World Champion |
| ARTEMIS | Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability | 2023 | World's fastest walking humanoid at debut (2.1 m/s); RoboCup 2024 champion |
The DARwIn (Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence) series, first built in 2004, became one of the most successful open-source humanoid platforms in history. The DARwIn-OP (Open Platform) variant, introduced in 2010, has been adopted by hundreds of universities and research institutions worldwide for robotics education and research. Team DARwIn won the RoboCup KidSize Humanoid League in 2010 and 2011, establishing RoMeLa as a dominant force in competitive humanoid robotics.[11]
CHARLI (Cognitive Humanoid Autonomous Robot with Learning Intelligence), introduced in 2010 at Virginia Tech, was the first full-size, untethered, autonomous walking humanoid robot with four moving limbs and a head ever built in the United States. Standing 1.52 meters tall, CHARLI used an innovative linkage system of pulleys and springs rather than traditional rotational joints, keeping the actuation lightweight. The robot was built in approximately 1.5 years on a budget of roughly $20,000 in addition to donated hardware and software. CHARLI-2, an improved version modeled partly on the NS-5 robots from the film "I, Robot," was named one of Time magazine's Best 50 Inventions in 2011 and won the Louis Vuitton Best Humanoid Award at RoboCup 2011. Team CHARLI secured first place in both the AdultSize and KidSize Humanoid divisions at RoboCup 2012.[12]
SaFFiR (Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot), funded by a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Navy, was a 5-foot-10-inch, 170-pound bipedal humanoid designed to fight fires aboard naval vessels. Constructed from aluminum with 33 degrees of freedom, SaFFiR could navigate the narrow hallways, sharp turns, and steep ladders found on ships. It carried sensors including gas detectors, LIDAR, and stereo infrared and ultraviolet cameras to detect fires and see through smoke. The robot could direct a one-inch blast of water at flames while maintaining its balance, with enough battery power for 30 minutes of firefighting operations.[13]
THOR (Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot) was developed for the DARPA Robotics Challenge, a competition inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster that tasked researchers with creating robots capable of entering dangerous environments. THOR-RD (Rapid Deployment), the competition variant, competed at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals in June 2015 at the Pomona Fairplex, finishing 13th among 24 international teams. A 35-member team of postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students from UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania operated the robot during the competition. Despite its modest placement at the DARPA finals, THOR became the 2015 RoboCup World Champion later that year.[14]
ARTEMIS (Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability), unveiled in 2023, was the world's fastest walking humanoid robot at the time of its debut, reaching speeds of 2.1 meters per second during lab tests. Standing 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 85 pounds, ARTEMIS was the first humanoid running robot designed in an academic setting and only the third overall to achieve a full flight phase with both feet off the ground simultaneously. The robot placed third at RoboCup 2023 in Bordeaux, France, and won the competition in 2024 in Eindhoven, Netherlands, scoring 45 goals in six official matches and marking RoMeLa's sixth RoboCup championship.[15][16]
Critically, ARTEMIS was the first RoMeLa robot to use the BEAR proprioceptive actuators developed by Westwood Robotics, making it the direct technological bridge between the academic lab and the commercial company. The experience of building and deploying ARTEMIS validated the BEAR actuator design at full humanoid scale and provided the performance data that informed the development of THEMIS.
The BEAR (Back-drivable Electromechanical Actuator for Robotics) series is Westwood Robotics' core technology product and the foundation upon which all of its robotic platforms are built. BEAR actuators are proprioceptive actuators, meaning they can sense forces and torques at the joint level through motor current measurement without requiring dedicated external force/torque sensors.[17]
Traditional robotic actuators typically use high-ratio gear trains that deliver high torque but sacrifice backdrivability. When a motor is connected through a high-ratio gearbox, external forces applied to the output shaft cannot easily drive the motor backward, making the joint stiff and potentially dangerous during unexpected contact with humans or the environment. BEAR actuators address this problem through a low-ratio transmission design that maintains backdrivability while still delivering sufficient torque for dynamic humanoid locomotion.
The key technical advantages of BEAR's proprioceptive design include:
Westwood Robotics offers several families of BEAR actuators, each optimized for different application requirements.
| BEAR variant | Target applications | Key characteristics | Notable specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koala BEAR | End-effectors, small legged robots, medical devices, wearable robotics | Smallest and lightest in the series; force sensing and live compliance | Compact form factor; optional liquid cooling (M5 thread ports) |
| Koala BEAR Muscle Build (KBMB) | Rehabilitation robots, robot hands, table-top manipulators | Up to 3x the torque of standard Koala BEAR V2; optimized for load capacity over speed | Ultra-low weight with high torque density |
| Panda BEAR | Legged mobile robots, service robots, entertainment robots | Balanced torque, weight, and form factor; excellent dynamic performance | Weight: 925 g (Panda BEAR Plus); stall torque: 26.5 Nm (15 s) / 67 Nm (1.5 s) |
| Kodiak BEAR | Medium-to-large robotic systems | Mid-range option between Panda and Mountain series | Battery-backed encoder; liquid cooling (M4 thread ports) |
| Mountain BEAR | Full-size walking humanoids, industrial manipulators | Maximum torque output in the BEAR lineup | Peak torque ~180 Nm (15 s) / ~240 Nm (1.5 s); instant peak ~430 to 450 Nm; 120%+ more torque than previous designs; ~80% less heat generation |
Some BEAR actuator variants incorporate liquid cooling systems to manage thermal output during intensive, sustained operations. This thermal management is particularly important for actuators in high-load joints such as the hips and knees of humanoid robots, where continuous torque demands generate significant heat. The liquid cooling ports use M5 threads on the Koala BEAR and Panda BEAR lines and M4 threads on the Kodiak BEAR, though the Koala BEAR Muscle Build V1 (KBMB01) does not support liquid cooling.[18]
Westwood Robotics provides PyBEAR, an open-source Python driver library hosted on GitHub, for controlling BEAR actuators. PyBEAR requires the pyserial, numpy, and termcolor packages and supports connection through the company's proprietary USB2BEAR/USB2RoMeLa interface device. The software enables researchers and developers to integrate BEAR actuators into custom robotic platforms and is compatible with standard RS485 communication protocols.[19]
Additional open-source resources include LabBEAR, a testing and calibration toolkit, and BRUCE simulation models for use in robotics simulation environments.
BRUCE (Bipedal Robot Unit with Compliance Enhanced) is Westwood Robotics' kid-size humanoid robot, originally developed in a joint effort between RoMeLa and Westwood Robotics. Described by the company as "the world's only child-sized humanoid robot open platform," BRUCE serves as both a commercial product and a technology demonstrator for the BEAR actuator platform.[20]
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 70 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.8 kg (10.6 lb) |
| Degrees of freedom | 16 |
| Actuators | Koala BEAR proprioceptive actuators |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh lithium |
| Battery life | ~20 minutes (continuous dynamic motion) |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled knee actuators |
| Price | ~$16,000 |
BRUCE is one of the few humanoid platforms in its size class capable of jumping, a capability enabled by the explosive power and dynamic performance of the Koala BEAR actuators combined with liquid-cooled knee joints. The robot has been adopted by multiple universities, research laboratories, and leading companies as an open platform for reinforcement learning, bipedal locomotion research, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education.[20]
The open-platform design means that researchers have full access to BRUCE's hardware specifications, control software, and simulation models, enabling them to develop and test custom control algorithms, locomotion strategies, and machine learning policies. The experience gained from developing, manufacturing, and deploying BRUCE at scale provided Westwood Robotics with critical insights into actuator reliability, control software architecture, and the practical requirements of robotic systems operating outside of laboratory settings.
DAnTE (Digital Adaptive Nerve-connected Tactile End-effector) is an open-source robotic hand developed by Westwood Robotics. The current version, DAnTE V2, features three underactuated fingers (designated THUMB, INDEX, and INDEX_M), each with three joints and two degrees of freedom. Each finger is driven by one Koala BEAR V2 actuator. The INDEX and INDEX_M fingers are mirrored and coupled, driven by a single Dynamixel servo motor so they can rotate along an axis perpendicular to the palm. A two-fingered variant (DAnTE-2F) has also been developed for specific customer applications. The hand is controlled by a Raspberry Pi Zero W or Banana Pi M2 Zero by default. All controller software is available on GitHub under an open-source license.[6]
THEMIS is Westwood Robotics' flagship full-size humanoid robot platform, designed for general-purpose applications in research, logistics, manufacturing, and service environments. The name follows in the tradition of RoMeLa's humanoid platforms, all of which have been given distinctive acronyms or names from mythology.
The original THEMIS was unveiled at ICRA 2024 in Yokohama, Japan, where it performed a remote-controlled walking demonstration. This first version showcased Westwood Robotics' ability to scale its BEAR actuator technology from the kid-size BRUCE platform to a full-size humanoid capable of dynamic bipedal locomotion. THEMIS was introduced as a general-purpose humanoid powered by proprietary BEAR series actuators, integrated sensing, long-lasting batteries, and advanced control algorithms augmented with reinforcement learning.[7]
THEMIS V2, introduced in April 2025, was a substantially upgraded version that brought improvements across manipulation, sensing, and onboard computing. Standing 1.6 meters (5 feet 3 inches) tall and weighing 36 kilograms (79 pounds), THEMIS V2 features 40 degrees of freedom, enhanced 6-DOF arms, advanced 7-DOF three-fingered end-effectors with force control and optional touch sensing, body-mounted stereo cameras, up to 200 TOPS of AI computing power via an AMD Ryzen 7840HS processor, and hot-swappable lithium-ion batteries providing up to three hours of continuous operation.[21]
THEMIS V2 can run at speeds up to 10 km/h (6.2 mph) and has a maximum payload capacity of 15 kilograms. Its sensing suite includes stereo vision cameras on both the head (mounted on a 2-DOF pan-tilt mechanism) and body, a MicroStrain 3DM-CV7-AHRS inertial measurement unit operating at 1 kHz, and integrated force sensors in every BEAR actuator joint.[22]
Announced on January 29, 2026, THEMIS Gen 2.5 focused on enabling simultaneous locomotion and manipulation, a capability Westwood Robotics identified as critical for practical deployment. The company described it as "the first commercially viable humanoid to reliably work on the move," noting that most competing humanoids at the time followed a "stop, think, act" sequence rather than performing manipulation while walking.[9]
Key hardware improvements included a structural redesign delivering approximately 40% greater impact resistance, arms upgraded from 6 to 7 degrees of freedom per arm with peak payload exceeding 5 kg per arm, and new Mountain BEAR actuators in the hip joints providing over 120% more torque capacity while generating roughly 80% less heat than previous designs.[23]
The Gen 2.5 update also introduced AOS (AI-Augmented Humanoid Operating System), a comprehensive software framework discussed in the Technology section below.
With the THEMIS Gen 2.5 release, Westwood Robotics introduced AOS (AI-Augmented Humanoid Operating System), a software framework built on top of ROS (Robot Operating System) that tightly integrates perception, planning, and control. AOS comprises three core components:
| Component | Function | Key technology |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-body loco-manipulation controller | Maintains balance and precision while the robot walks and handles objects simultaneously | Sensor-fusion-based state estimation; real-time coordination of legs, torso, and arms |
| Navigation module | Enables the robot to navigate complex indoor environments | Multi-layer mapping; semantic environmental understanding; obstacle avoidance |
| Interaction module | Links visual perception directly to physical actions for task planning and execution | OC-VAM (Object-Centric Vision-Action Model); object identification and manipulation strategy selection |
The whole-body loco-manipulation controller is the most technically distinctive element, as it solves the fundamental challenge of coordinating lower-body locomotion with upper-body manipulation in real time. This controller ensures that reaching for or carrying an object does not destabilize the robot's gait, and conversely that walking motions do not disrupt the precision of ongoing manipulation tasks.[9]
THEMIS' control system combines model-based controllers with reinforcement learning for real-time adaptation to changing environments and task requirements. According to CEO Xiaoguang Zhang, the system "utilize[s] advanced model-based controllers enhanced with reinforcement learning for real-time adaptation."[8]
The system supports multiple control interfaces:
| Control mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Autonomous operation | The robot plans and executes tasks independently using onboard AI and sensor systems |
| LLM-assisted control | Integration with large language models enables natural language task specification |
| AI-assisted teleoperation | Human operators control the robot remotely while AI handles low-level balance and coordination |
| Direct teleoperation | Full manual control for precise operations or data collection for training AI models |
THEMIS V2 integrates multiple sensing modalities for balance, navigation, and manipulation. The MicroStrain 3DM-CV7-AHRS inertial measurement unit provides tactical-grade orientation data at a 1 kHz output rate, including roll, pitch, and yaw measurements along with real-time acceleration information. The IMU was selected for its precision, compact form factor, and built-in software libraries compatible with ROS.[22]
Stereo vision cameras mounted on both the head and body provide depth perception for object detection, obstacle avoidance, and spatial mapping. The dual camera placement ensures visual awareness of both the robot's surroundings and its immediate workspace during manipulation tasks. The BEAR actuators' proprioceptive sensing provides continuous force feedback at every joint without external sensors, while the hands offer optional touch sensing for adaptive grasping.
Westwood Robotics targets several primary application domains for its THEMIS platform:
The company develops solutions for research institutions and industrial partners in manufacturing, medical, and food sectors.[22]
Westwood Robotics competes in the increasingly crowded full-size humanoid robot market. Its positioning emphasizes agility, lightweight construction, and proprioceptive actuation as differentiators.
| Robot | Manufacturer | Height | Weight | DOF | Max speed | Actuation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THEMIS V2 | Westwood Robotics | 160 cm | 36 kg | 40 | 10 km/h | BEAR (proprioceptive) |
| Atlas | Boston Dynamics | 150 cm | 89 kg | 28 | ~5.3 km/h | Electric (2024+) |
| Optimus | Tesla | 173 cm | 57 kg | 28+ | ~8 km/h | Rotary + linear actuators |
| Figure 03 | Figure AI | 170 cm | 70 kg | 42 | N/A | Proprietary |
| GR-2 | Fourier Intelligence | 175 cm | 63 kg | 53 | 5 km/h | FSA actuators |
| NEO | 1X Technologies | 167 cm | 30 kg | 75 | 12 km/h | Tendon drive |
At 36 kg, THEMIS V2 is lighter than most competing full-size humanoids (with the exception of 1X Technologies' NEO at 30 kg), giving it potential advantages in energy efficiency and agility. Its 10 km/h running speed places it among the faster platforms, and the BEAR actuators' proprioceptive capabilities provide a degree of compliance and force sensing that many competing designs achieve only through additional external sensors.
However, Westwood Robotics is a significantly smaller company than competitors like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Figure AI, which have raised billions of dollars in funding and employ hundreds or thousands of engineers. As of early 2026, publicly available sources estimate Westwood Robotics' team size at between 11 and 50 employees.[24] The company's academic pedigree and deep expertise in actuator technology provide technical differentiation, but scaling production and commercializing the platform will require significant capital and manufacturing infrastructure.
Westwood Robotics maintains several open-source projects on GitHub, reflecting its academic origins and commitment to the robotics research community:
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| PyBEAR | Python driver library for BEAR series actuators |
| DAnTE_V2 | Controller software for the DAnTE V2 robotic hand |
| BRUCE_simulation_models | Simulation models for the BRUCE humanoid robot |
| LabBEAR | Testing and calibration toolkit for BEAR actuators |
These open-source tools lower the barrier to entry for researchers who want to work with BEAR actuators or develop custom robotic systems based on Westwood Robotics' hardware.[19]