Alex
About
About Alex
Alex is IHMC's current full-size humanoid research platform for highly mobile operation in buildings and outdoor environments. It builds on the earlier Nadia programme while bringing computation, perception and power onboard. The aim is to develop autonomous and semi-autonomous behaviours that let a robot function as a human teammate in surroundings designed for people.
The robot has 29 joints powered by custom quasi-direct-drive actuators. These use cycloidal transmissions to combine high power and backdrivability with a modular mechanical design. IHMC develops the hardware alongside its control software, with movement through structures and unstructured terrain guiding the joint layout. Research support includes the Office of Naval Research, Army Research Laboratory and Army Data Analysis Center. Alex is developed as a research platform for mobility and autonomous or semi-autonomous behaviour in demanding human environments.
Capabilities
Source-backed capabilities
- Operating environments: Maryland demonstration site for the Office of Naval Research, Research door-traversal and two-table manipulation experiments
- Control modes: Autonomous
- Multi-terrain locomotion
Demonstrated - Walk over rocky gravel, slick surfaces and uneven pavements in an off-tether demonstration. - environment: Maryland demonstration site for the Office of Naval Research
Source - Doors and articulated objects
Research demonstration - 2026-09-01 - Open and traverse doors using a whole-body behaviour sequence with operator supervision. - environment: Research door-traversal and two-table manipulation experiments
Source - Object sorting and classification
Research demonstration - 2026-09-01 - Walk between two tables and sort coloured balls into matching containers in a research demonstration. - environment: Research door-traversal and two-table manipulation experiments
Source
Observed use
Exact-product configurations are shown without inferring supply, purchase, customer status, standard fit, deployment or partnership.
- Ability Hand
Research Experiment - Mounted - Physical - IHMC Alex used PSYONIC Ability Hands in the thesis's physical loco-manipulation experiments.
Source
Research
- A System for Fast, Resilient, and Adaptable Loco-Manipulation Behaviors on Humanoid Robots
2026-06-24 - Research Publication - Humanoid robots could take on physically demanding, hazardous, and repetitive work in spaces built for humans. However, a useful robot for these spaces must coordinate locomotion, whole body motion, perception, contact, and operator supervision.
Source - IHMC Alex robot models and ROS 2 SDK
Research Publication - IHMC publishes Alex robot descriptions, V2 segment models, per-unit hardware configuration and ROS 2 command/state messages. The SDK includes generated single-file URDFs, collision meshes, hand variants and tools for maintaining the robot description.
Source
Timeline
- IHMC completes Alex's first off-site, untethered demonstration
2026-05-27 - Demonstration - The robot traversed rocky gravel, slick surfaces and uneven pavement during the demonstration. The programme is backed by a multi-year, multimillion-dollar Office of Naval Research contract for outdoor and urban robotic operations. Development builds on Nadia's mechanical design and control software, with building entry and hazardous-area assessment among the longer-term goals.
Source - IHMC introduces Alex humanoid for testing beyond the laboratory
2025-11-19 - Product Launch - The Office of Naval Research funds the multi-year, multimillion-dollar project led by senior research scientist Robert Griffin. Custom high-power actuators target a battery-equipped weight of about 85 kg, compared with roughly 100 kg for predecessor Nadia. The research programme includes outdoor controllers, building-exploration behaviours, behaviour cloning and improved simulation.
Source