NAO
It taught more kids to code robotics than any other robot — in 70+ countries.
In one sentence
NAO is a 58-cm humanoid robot used in classrooms worldwide to teach kids and PhD students how to programme robots — and it plays football too.
The wow factor
Three things that make NAO genuinely impressive.
Plays in the official RoboCup Standard Platform League — fully autonomous robot football.
Over 13,000 NAOs in 70+ countries — the most-deployed humanoid in education.
Used in autism-therapy programmes around the world to help children connect.
How it works
A step-by-step breakdown, in plain English.
- 1Two HD cameras and four microphones build a 360° view.
- 225 joint actuators produce smooth walking, dancing, and gesture motion.
- 3Choregraphe, a visual programming tool, lets even beginners script NAO.
- 4Python and C++ APIs give researchers deep control.
- 5Sonar rangefinders prevent collisions; touch sensors detect interaction.
Where you've probably seen it
NAO is the official robot of RoboCup Standard Platform League. It appears in dozens of TED talks and university robotics demos.
The team behind it
Aldebaran Robotics in Paris, founded by Bruno Maisonnier in 2005, built NAO. SoftBank Robotics took over after acquiring Aldebaran in 2012.
The full story
NAO is a 58 cm tall programmable humanoid robot launched by Aldebaran Robotics (France) in 2008 and later acquired by SoftBank. Designed as an open programmable platform, NAO became the standard educational humanoid worldwide — found in 13,000+ schools, universities, and research labs across 70 countries. NAO is also the official robot for the RoboCup Standard Platform League, where teams program NAOs to play autonomous football.
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NAO in 2 minutes
Learn the science behind NAO
Three Atlas entries that explain how NAO actually works.
Mind-blowing facts
NAOs play in the official RoboCup Standard Platform League.
Over 13,000 NAOs are used in schools and labs in 70+ countries.
NAO speaks 20 languages, including Mandarin and Arabic.