What Hebi Robotics does

HEBI Robotics is a Pittsburgh-based robotics hardware company founded in 2014 as a spin-out from Carnegie Mellon University's Biorobotics Lab. The company designs and assembles a modular robotics platform built around smart series-elastic actuators (T-Series, R-Series, H-Series, Track Actuator, plus legacy X-Series) that integrate brushless motors, geartrains, encoders, IMUs, current sensing, and network-connected control electronics into sealed (IP54-IP67) modules. Each actuator is paired with cross-platform software (ROS, Python, C++, Matlab APIs) and pre-built applications (Scope, Mobile I/O, Inspector, Gains, Trajectory, Controller, Robot Manager), enabling customers to assemble custom robots in days rather than months.

The company's customer base spans research institutions (Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Caltech, Georgia Tech, CSIRO, NUS), large industrial operators (Chevron, Bosch, GE), and government/defense agencies (NASA, U.S. Army). Customers include Facebook/Meta, which uses HEBI hexapod platforms for AI/ML research. The platform supports multiple robot form factors through plug-and-play components, with pre-assembled kits (5-DoF T-Series arms, Daisy hexapod, Tready, Treadward) and fully custom solutions (Inchworm, CHISLR, Pipe Crawler, MAPS NDT positioning system). The HEBI Haptic Controller enables bilateral force-feedback teleoperation for hazardous industrial environments.

HEBI generates revenue through three streams: one-time hardware sales of actuators and kits via direct e-commerce and quotes; professional engineering services for custom robot development tailored to industrial and government applications; and bundled software/API access. Distribution combines self-serve online purchasing for researchers with consultative enterprise and government sales for custom solutions, augmented by SBIR grant funding (approximately $1.25 million from NASA and the U.S. Army between 2024 and 2026). Following a January 2023 leadership transition that promoted Bob Raida to CEO and Dave Rollinson to CTO, the company has been executing an explicit pivot from serving primarily researchers to delivering solutions to industrial end-users, evidenced by new product launches (H-Series, Track Actuator, CHISLR, Haptic Controller) and expanded government partnerships.

Name

Hebi Robotics

Legal name

HEBI Robotics, Inc.

Website

https://hebirobotics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEBI Robotics, a Carnegie Mellon spin-out based in Pittsburgh, designs modular smart actuators and cross-platform software (ROS, Python, C++, Matlab) that let researchers, industrial operators, and government agencies rapidly assemble custom robots for inspection, teleoperation, and field automation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Robotics

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK), Industrial & Warehouse Robotics (HDAAAIAA), Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots (HDAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Modular robotics
• Smart actuators
• Robotics platform
• Industrial automation
• Custom robotics

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of modular smart actuators (X-Series, T-Series, R-Series, H-Series), track modules, and robot kits. Revenue is one-time per unit with no recurring hardware costs for the customer.
2. Custom Robot Development: Professional engineering services for designing and building custom robotic systems tailored to specific customer applications in industrial, research, and government sectors.
3. Software Licensing: Access to cross-platform APIs (ROS, Python, C++, Matlab) and pre-built software applications included with hardware purchase, enabling customers to program and operate Hebi robots.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HEBI Robotics provides a modular robotics development platform consisting of smart actuators (T-Series, R-Series, H-Series, and Track Actuator product lines), standardized building blocks, and cross-platform software tools (C++, Python, MATLAB, ROS APIs plus Scope and Mobile I/O apps). The platform enables rapid creation of custom robots for research, industrial, and government applications. The company also offers pre-assembled robot kits, accessories, and custom robot development services.

Product overview

HEBI Robotics offers a modular robotics development platform consisting of smart actuators (T-Series, R-Series, H-Series, and Track Actuator product lines), standardized building blocks, and cross-platform software tools (C++, Python, MATLAB, ROS APIs, plus Scope and Mobile I/O apps). The platform enables rapid creation of custom robots for research and industrial applications without requiring years of technical training. Pre-assembled robot kits include robotic arms, mobile platforms (treaded, hexapod), and specialized solutions like Tready, Treadward, Inchworm, CHISLR, Pipe Crawler, and the MAPS NDT inspection system. Supporting accessories include inspection cameras, batteries, grippers, I/O boards, and the HEBI Haptic Controller for teleoperation. The company also provides custom robot development services for industrial customers with specific automation challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Track Actuator: Robotic actuator designed for building fast, powerful tracks in robust mobile manipulation applications. Sealed to IP54 and compatible with the HEBI Robotics Platform.
• MAPS
• Haptic Controller

Products and services

• HEBI Robotics Platform A modular robotics development platform consisting of smart actuators, standardized building blocks, and cross-platform software tools that enable rapid creation of custom robots for research and industrial applications.
• T-Series Actuators Series-elastic actuators integrating brushless motor, geartrain, spring, encoders, and control electronics. Support simultaneous position, velocity, and torque control with three-axis inertial measurement. Available in T5, T8, and T25 sizes (T+ versions with improved performance).
• R-Series Actuators Sealed actuators (IP67) designed for deployment in wet, dirty, or outdoor environments. Features include force-sensing, three-axis IMU, internal pressure sensor, 24V-48V DC operation, and 100Mbps Ethernet communication. Available in R8 and R25 sizes (R+ versions).
• H-Series Actuators High-torque actuators (140 Nm continuous, zero backlash) designed for challenging field environments. IP65 sealed, with onboard IMU, current sensing, and over-temperature protection. Purpose-built for industrial applications requiring power and precision.
• Track Actuator Actuator designed specifically for track-based robots in robust mobile manipulation applications. IP54 sealed with brushless motor, gear reduction, encoders, and control electronics integrated into a compact package.
• Tready Compact treaded mobile base capable of navigating difficult terrain, climbing stairs, and accessing confined spaces. Versatile platform for inspection and maintenance tasks in challenging environments.
• Treadward Heavy-duty mobile manipulator with flipper-tracked design for rugged terrain. Developed for oil and gas applications including sediment sampling in hazardous areas.
• Inchworm Robot Mobile manipulator that traverses environments end-over-end using feet with suction, magnets, or grippers. Enables movement on and within complex shapes including storage tanks, hulls, and pipeline exteriors.
• CHISLR Custom industrial robot using H-Series actuators designed to reduce operator fatigue and provide safer conditions in dangerous factory conditions. Includes teleoperation capabilities.
• Pipe Crawler Robot designed for inspecting decommissioned pipe sections of varying sizes and geometries. Features quick integration with third-party scanner technology.
• HEBI Haptic Controller Haptic feedback control system for robots that enables teleoperation with force feedback. Withstands harsh conditions while preserving operator control. Compatible with various arm and robot configurations.
• MAPS (Modular Absolute Positioning System) Universal encoder arm enabling NDT technicians to generate better inspection data faster. Mounts to fixed surfaces, trains by pointing probe at reference points, then conducts scans with real-time 3D c-scan feedback via tablet interface.
• Robotic Arm Kits Pre-assembled robotic arms using HEBI actuators. Includes 5-DoF T-Series arms and other configurations for research and industrial applications.
• Mobile Platform Kits Pre-assembled mobile bases including treaded platforms like Tready and walking robots like Daisy (18-DoF hexapod). All powered by HEBI's modular robotics platform.
• HEBI Scope Desktop application for configuring, commanding, and updating HEBI modules on the network. Provides real-time monitoring, actuator command control, controller configuration, update management, and data plotting. Cross-platform on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• HEBI Mobile I/O Mobile application (iOS and Android) that transforms mobile devices into digital and analog input controllers for HEBI robots. Provides digital sliders, buttons, and virtual joysticks that can be read as feedback via HEBI APIs.
• HEBI Inspector iOS application for inspections that collects data using an attached robotic arm and probe, sends information to connected external flaw detectors, and stores thickness measurements on device with metadata and review functionality.
• CR1 Inspection Camera Sealed and ruggedized high-definition camera module for seamless integration with HEBI platform. Designed for robotic tele-operation and visual inspection applications. Available in IP67 and IP69 sealed configurations.
• WATTMAN Battery Mobile power solution built for deployed robotic systems. Compact enough for airline carry-on requirements while powerful and stackable for industrial mobile platforms. Features integrated control board with remote charge state monitoring.
• HEBI Gripper Lightweight two-finger gripper with continuous rotation capability and customizable fingers. Cable-driven design with remote actuation enables higher payload while maintaining high grip strength. Compatible with R-Series and T-Series actuators.
• HEBI I/O Board Module for integrating low-level sensors (load cells, pressure sensors, limit switches) into HEBI's APIs. Provides general-purpose analog and digital inputs, digital and PWM outputs, and encoder inputs.
• Passive Encoder Knuckles 2 DoF continuous rotation absolute encoders with accuracy of +/- 0.1 degrees. Developed for MAPS system but available for creating passive arms for position detection and master control arms for tele-op systems.
• HEBI Cross-Platform APIs (C++, Python, MATLAB, ROS, C) Cross-platform APIs supporting C++, Python, MATLAB, ROS, and C. Provide both high-level kinematics/trajectory control and low-level joint-level control for HEBI hardware components.
• Custom Robot Development Services Professional engineering services for designing and building bespoke robotic systems tailored to specific customer applications in industrial, research, and government sectors.

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NASA Ames Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NASA Ames Research Center entered into a Space Act Agreement with Hebi Robotics to support space robotics research and development. The partnership involves deployment of Hebi robot platforms for simulated space environment testing and contributes to NASA's broader robotics initiatives. Hebi received a NASA SBIR Phase I award as part of this collaboration.
• U.S. Army (DEVCOM ARL / SBIR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The U.S. Army, through its DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL), has awarded Hebi Robotics multiple SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I and Phase II grants to develop robotic systems for defense applications. The Army serves as both a funding partner and a customer, with specific robotic capabilities being co-developed to meet military requirements.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHebi Robotics is a spin-out from Carnegie Mellon University's robotics research programs. CMU's Robotics Institute provided the foundational research and talent pipeline for the company. Hebi maintains ongoing relationships with CMU for research collaboration and as a customer using Hebi platforms in academic programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Robotis (Dynamixel): Robotis makes Dynamixel smart servo actuators and modular robot platforms widely used by research labs and universities. Most direct competitor to HEBI in the modular smart actuator category, with overlapping research/education customer base.
• Clearpath Robotics (Otto Motors): Clearpath produces modular mobile robot platforms and research robot kits (Husky, Jackal, Warthog) used in academic and industrial settings. Directly comparable to HEBI's mobile platform kits (Tready, Daisy hexapod) and serves overlapping university/research customers.
• Maxon Group: Maxon is a Swiss manufacturer of precision DC motors, gearheads and actuators widely used in robotics research and industrial automation. Competes with HEBI at the actuator component level, particularly for high-performance, ruggedized applications.
• Unitree Robotics: Unitree produces affordable quadruped and humanoid robots built on proprietary modular actuator technology. Closest direct competitor to HEBI in combining modular actuator design with complete robot platforms (Go, B2, H1, G1), though Unitree is much more consumer/scale oriented.
• ANYbotics: ANYbotics builds autonomous quadruped inspection robots (ANYmal) for industrial sites including oil & gas and power plants. Directly comparable use cases to HEBI's Tready/Treadward/Inchworm field robotics platforms, though ANYbotics is more productized.
• Sarcos Robotics: Sarcos develops teleoperated and semi-autonomous industrial robots for hazardous environments, including Guardian XO exoskeleton and outdoor manipulation systems. Overlap with HEBI's CHISLR and Haptic Controller teleoperation in heavy industrial settings.
• Harmonic Drive Systems: Harmonic Drive manufactures precision strain wave gearheads and servo actuators used in robotics and aerospace. Competes with HEBI at the high-precision actuator component level for robotics and space applications.
• Ghost Robotics: Ghost Robotics builds quadruped unmanned ground vehicles (Vision 60, Spirit 40) primarily for defense and government customers, including US Army programs. Directly comparable to HEBI's defense/government focus on rugged tracked and legged platforms for hazardous environments.

Emerging players

• Agility Robotics: Agility Robotics builds Digit, a humanoid robot for logistics and industrial applications. Adjacent competitor to HEBI in legged/humanoid robotics, though Agility is more vertically integrated on a finished humanoid platform while HEBI supplies enabling actuator technology.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Dynamics: Boston Dynamics is the established leader in dynamic legged and humanoid robots (Spot, Atlas, Stretch). Much larger and broader portfolio than HEBI, but competes for similar industrial inspection/defense and academic research customers with vertically integrated robots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/hebirobotics
• Xx.com/hebirobotics
• Facebookfacebook.com/935029036549415
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hebi-robotics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hebi Robotics