Nori Robotics A3: A Low-Cost Bimanual Humanoid for Development

The NORI A3 is an affordable bimanual robot for home development

Nori Robotics (YC S26) has unveiled the NORI A3, a low-cost humanoid robot designed to bring bimanual manipulation and home automation development to a sub-$2,000 price point. Priced at $1,688 with no deposit required, the robot is intended for developers and hobbyists to train and deploy skills for everyday home tasks. The NORI A3 is assembled in San Francisco and is scheduled to ship in Fall 2026.

Technical Specifications

The NORI A3 integrates a variety of sensors and actuators to balance cost and capability:

Arms: Bimanual configuration with 7+1 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) per arm and a 1.5kg payload capacity per arm.
Vision: Four 720p RGB cameras (up to 30 fps) positioned on the grippers, head, and neck.
Sensing: A Lidar system with a 12m range, 8-12Hz scanning frequency, and 0.72° angular resolution at 10Hz.
Audio: Integrated speaker and microphone for voice-command processing.
Power: Battery life ranging from 6 to 8 hours.
Control: Managed via the Nori Lab laptop application for training, operation, and management.

Developer Ecosystem and Software

Nori Robotics provides an open SDK that includes tools for teleoperation and demonstration, allowing users to train the robot at home and share those skills via a "Skills Marketplace." The business model relies on hardware sales at $1,688, with optional paid software offered as an add-on.

Community Analysis and Technical Critique

Following the launch, the developer community on Hacker News raised several technical concerns and suggestions regarding the hardware and software implementation:

Actuator Precision and Motion

A primary critique centers on the use of RC-style servos, which some users argue limits the robot's precision and smoothness. One contributor noted:

The biggest problem is they are using RC style servos. This is why all the arm motions are jerky and lack precision. What this means: No force feedback on positioning... Jerky motion due to actuator steps.

Compute and Control

There is skepticism regarding the onboard compute power, specifically the use of a Raspberry Pi 5. Some developers suggested that a Jetson Orin Nano would be more appropriate for handling the sensor load and control tasks without relying heavily on WiFi offloading to a computer.

Practical Utility and Reliability

Users questioned the transparency of the promotional videos, asking whether the tasks shown (such as tidying up) were staged or cherry-picked. Other concerns included:

Durability: The high number of moving parts increases the likelihood of mechanical failure, leading to requests for iFixit-style repair guides and standardized parts for easy replacement.
Safety: Some users viewed the wheeled base as a safety feature, noting that wheeled humanoids are less likely to suffer the "catastrophic" falls associated with bipedal robots like the Unitree G1.
Privacy: Potential buyers expressed concerns over telemetry, data privacy, and whether the robot requires a constant internet connection to function.

Use-Case Potential

Despite the critiques, users identified several niche applications for the low price point, including using the robot as a tabletop game character, a home automation agent for picking up toys, or a low-cost platform for testing bimanual manipulation algorithms.