RB-Y1 is a mobile humanoid from South Korea's Rainbow Robotics: a dual-arm torso on a 6-DoF "leg" mounted on a wheeled base. It went on sale in August 2024 as a platform for manipulation, teleoperation and learning-from-demonstration research. Rainbow Robotics has been a Samsung Electronics subsidiary since December 2024.
History and launch
Rainbow Robotics grew out of the KAIST lab that built HUBO, Korea's first bipedal robot, in 2004; a modified DRC-HUBO won the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals in 2015. The company later focused mainly on cobots (the RB series from 2019), and the RB-Y1, launched in August 2024, marks its return to humanoids in wheeled form.
Rainbow has released several hardware revisions (1.0 to 1.3), differing among other things in wrist design and mobile base type.
Design and hardware
Rainbow lists the RB-Y1 at 600 x 690 x 1400 mm (W x D x H). Each 7-DoF arm carries 3 kg with cobot-grade ±0.05 mm repeatability. The torso sits on a 6-DoF leg that lets it bend and change height, and the head has 2 DoF. The A version with a differential base has 20 DoF in total; the M version with mecanum wheels has 26.
It is heavy: the upper body is 38 kg (11 kg per arm, 16 kg torso), the lower body 42 kg, and the base 51 kg (A) or 90 kg (M), for 131 or 170 kg overall. Top driving speed is 1.5 m/s. The 50 V battery holds 1,250 Wh (A) or 2,500 Wh (M). The shell is aluminium, joints have brakes that hold position on power loss, and version 1.2 includes force-torque sensors in both arms.
Software and AI
The robot uses two computers: a Robot PC runs the 500 Hz real-time control loop and safety functions, and a User PC hosts researchers' applications in C++, Python and ROS 2 via the RB-Y1 SDK, which is open-sourced on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 licence. Rainbow does not prescribe a control method, so users can build their own impedance, optimal or whole-body controllers.
Rainbow supplies URDF, MJCF and USD models for simulation and hardware for collecting learning-from-demonstration data: leader arms (including a stand-mounted version) and VR teleoperation. Version 1.3 uses a more human-like wrist layout to make teleoperation easier.
Applications and deployments
Rainbow positions the RB-Y1 for research in teleoperation, human-robot interaction, real-world manipulation and AI training. It does not publish customer names or unit numbers.
Manufacturer
Rainbow Robotics was founded in February 2011 under KAIST professor Oh Jun-ho and listed on KOSDAQ in February 2021. Samsung Electronics made a strategic investment in January 2023, and Rainbow became a Samsung subsidiary in December 2024. It also makes cobots, RBM mobile robots and RBQ quadrupeds, and moved its headquarters to Sejong in 2026.
Price and availability
The RB-Y1 is on sale, but Rainbow does not list a price; orders go through the company and its distributors.
Timeline
- 2004 KAIST lab builds HUBO, Korea's first bipedal robot
- 2011-02 Rainbow Robotics founded
- 2015-06 DRC-HUBO wins the DARPA Robotics Challenge
- 2021-02 KOSDAQ listing
- 2023-01 Strategic investment from Samsung Electronics
- 2024-08 RB-Y1 launched
- 2024-12 Rainbow Robotics becomes a Samsung Electronics subsidiary
Sources
- RB-Y1 mobile humanoid product page (specifications), Rainbow Robotics (2026)
- Heritage story and company history, Rainbow Robotics (2026)
- rby1-sdk: official Python and C++ SDK for RB-Y1 (Apache-2.0), Rainbow Robotics (GitHub) (2026)
Updated: 2026-10-10
Verification and limitations
This entry requires an up-to-date manufacturer specification check.
MERA field measurement report: not published. Demonstration footage and manufacturer specifications are not a MERA test under event conditions.
Data and provenance for AI agents ↗Compared with the catalogue
- At 140 cm the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1 is taller than 13% of the humanoids in the catalogue (median: 170 cm).
- It has 20 degrees of freedom against a catalogue median of 28; more degrees of freedom usually means finer arm and hand movement.
- Its weight of 131 kg (catalogue median: 65 kg) matters for transport and for working around people.
- It is the only Rainbow Robotics model in the catalogue and one of 9 humanoids from South Korea.
Capabilities
Frequently asked questions
How much does the RB-Y1 weigh?
131 kg for the A version and 170 kg for the mecanum-wheel M version.
Does the RB-Y1 walk?
No. Its 6-DoF leg adjusts height and lean, but it moves on wheels.
How much can the RB-Y1 lift?
3 kg per arm.
Does the RB-Y1 support ROS 2?
Yes, applications are written in C++, Python and ROS 2 through Rainbow's SDK.
Who owns Rainbow Robotics?
It has been a Samsung Electronics subsidiary since December 2024.
How much does the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1 cost?
The manufacturer has not published a price for the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1. You can send a purchase enquiry through MERA Robotics.
Is the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1 available to buy?
Status: Shipping: the manufacturer sells and ships this robot.
How tall and heavy is the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1?
Height: 140 cm, weight: 131 kg, degrees of freedom: 20.
How do I buy the Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1 through MERA Robotics?
Click “I want to buy” or fill in the form on this page. MERA Robotics will reply whether and on what terms the model is available and can help deploy it with the MERA OS conversation system.
Data: Rainbow Robotics. Specs from the manufacturer; they may change, always confirm with the manufacturer before buying.
