The NAO robot was initially developed by Aldebaran Robotics, a French company founded in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier. Aldebaran gained significant recognition for its humanoid robots. In 2013, SoftBank Mobile acquired Aldebaran for US$100 million, and by 2015, it was rebranded as SoftBank Robotics. SoftBank Robotics aimed to be a global leader in robotics.

However, in July 2022, SoftBank Robotics Europe was sold to United Robotics Group. More recently, in June 2025, Aldebaran entered receivership in France, raising concerns about its robot platforms. The following month, Maxvision Technologies, a Chinese company, acquired Aldebaran’s assets and established Maxtronics to continue development.

Development of the NAO robot began in 2004 under “Project Nao.” Six prototypes were designed between 2005 and 2007. The first production version, the Nao RoboCup Edition, was released in March 2008, followed by the Nao Academics Edition for educational and research institutions. NAO gained international attention in 2010 with a synchronized dance routine at the Shanghai Expo.

Subsequent versions included the Nao Next Gen (December 2011), with hardware and software enhancements, and the Nao Evolution (June 2014), featuring improved durability, multilingual speech, and facial detection. A key milestone was the release of NAO’s controlling source code as open-source software in May 2011. The robot has been continuously used in academic and research settings globally.

NAO is a medium-sized humanoid robot, typically 58 cm tall and weighing 4.3 kg. It has 25 degrees of freedom (DOF), with 11 DOF in the lower body and 14 in the upper body, enabling smooth, precise movements. Its walking speed is comparable to a 2-year-old child, around 0.6 km/h. The robot’s modular design allows for interchangeable parts. Actuators use Maxon coreless brush DC motors with spur and planetary gears.

The computer architecture includes an x86 AMD GEODE 500 MHz CPU motherboard with 256 Mb SDRAM and 1Gb Flash memory. Connectivity is via WiFi 802.11g and Ethernet. An ARM7-60MHz microcontroller manages information distribution to actuator modules, controlled by Microchip 16-bit dsPIC microcontrollers.

NAO is controlled by NAOqi OS, a specialized embedded GNU/Linux distribution developed to meet the robot’s specific needs. NAOqi OS manages the robot’s multimedia system, including audio, video, and WiFi. It supports programming in various languages, including Python (2 and 3), C++, Java, MATLAB, and LabVIEW, with drag-and-drop interfaces for educational purposes. The Linux-based operating system is modifiable, offering flexibility for researchers and developers.

NAO robots are widely deployed in education for teaching programming, STEM subjects, and mathematics. In healthcare, NAO is used in therapy for autistic children, and pilot studies in 2025 explored its potential in assisting with rehabilitation exercises. Research institutions globally utilize NAO for human-robot interaction studies. Notably, in 2024, studies indicated that NAO could perform as effectively as, or even better than, human instructors in language teaching.

The NAO robot is a premium educational and research tool. A NAO Standard Pack typically costs around $19,900.00, with starter packs ranging from approximately $19,990.00 to $32,990.00. The NAO AI Edition Robot is priced at about $16,990.00. These prices generally do not include tariffs, and final costs can vary.

NAO gained global recognition for its synchronized dance performance at the Shanghai Expo in 2010. It has been widely adopted by universities and research institutions worldwide for advanced robotics research. The release of NAO’s source code as open-source software in 2011 fostered a vibrant developer community. Its consistent use in RoboCup competitions highlights its capabilities. Recent achievements include demonstrating efficacy as a language instructor and showing promise in rehabilitation assistance.

Despite its successes, NAO faces criticisms. Its high cost and complexity can be prohibitive. A significant concern, noted in 2025, is the lack of major hardware upgrades since 2018, raising questions about its long-term competitiveness. Technical shortcomings include limitations in speech recognition, a lack of advanced touch sensitivity, and potential power-demand and maintenance issues. Some usability issues have also been identified.

The future of the NAO robot is shaped by corporate transitions and ongoing development. Aldebaran’s receivership in 2025 and subsequent acquisition by Maxvision Technologies (Maxtronics) mark a new chapter. Efforts are underway to enhance NAO, with research in 2025 highlighting an “Enhanced NAO” with upgraded microphones, RGB-D, and thermal cameras. The continued NAO Challenge (e.g., 2024) underscores its role in robotics education. The “NAO AI Edition Robot” suggests a focus on integrating advanced AI capabilities to improve user interaction and expand its utility into new application areas.