What InMoov does

InMoov is a personal open-source project founded by French sculptor and designer Gaël Langevin in January 2012, initially as the first open-source 3D-printed prosthetic hand and later expanded into the first open-source 3D-printed life-size humanoid robot. The platform is built around a modular architecture: STL files for every body part (hands, arms, torso, back, head, neck, jaw, eyes, legs) are freely distributed and replicable on any home 3D printer with a 12x12x12cm print area, with a total build cost of approximately $1,000-$1,500 per robot. Hardware control runs on Arduino microcontrollers (Mega2560, UNO) coordinated through the open-source MyRobotLab framework, which provides a Python-based scripting layer, a web GUI (NIXIE), and integrations with sensors including Microsoft Kinect, Leap Motion, PIR, ultrasonic, and Neopixel LEDs. The product portfolio has expanded to include the i2Head facial expression module with silicone skin (2024), Eyes i2 (2024), and reduced-scale derivatives MinMoov and Very Mini InMoov.

The business model is community-driven and bootstrapped: STL files and software are free under open-source licensing, while monetization comes from an online shop selling pre-printed components and Nervo Board electronics, supplemented by voluntary community donations. Go-to-market relies on earned media (coverage in Makezine, CNN, Popular Science, The Guardian, Le Parisien, BBC), Maker Faire appearances across Europe and North America, multilingual forums (French, English, Russian), and a Discord server. The customer base consists of individual makers and hobbyists building personal projects, universities and laboratories using InMoov as a robotics development and education platform, and derivative initiatives such as E-Nable and Bionico applying the prosthetic hand designs to assistive technology. InMoov operates as an individual founder-owned venture with no institutional funding, no disclosed headcount, and no formal enterprise sales motion.

Name

InMoov

Legal name

InMoov

Website

https://inmoov.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

InMoov is a French founder-owned open-source project providing the first 3D-printed life-size humanoid robot platform, serving makers, hobbyists, universities, and laboratories through freely distributed STL files, an Arduino + MyRobotLab control stack, and a component and electronics online shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open-Source 3D Printable Humanoid Robotics

akta.pro primary industry

Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots (HDAAAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK), Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Open-source robotics
• 3D printed humanoid
• DIY robot platform
• Humanoid robot kits
• Maker robotics

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Component Sales: Sale of pre-printed InMoov parts and components through the InMoov online shop. Provides builders with ready-made parts when they don't have access to 3D printers.
2. Electronics Sales: Sale of Nervo Boards and electronic components needed for robot assembly, including servo controllers and wiring harnesses.
3. Community Donations: Voluntary contributions from the global community of builders and supporters who benefit from the open-source project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

InMoov provides an open-source 3D printable life-size humanoid robot platform: STL design files for modular body parts (hands, arms, torso, head, legs) are shared free of charge, with pre-printed parts, the custom Nervo Board controller, and supporting electronics sold through an online shop. Robot control is delivered through InMoov2 software (bundled with MyRobotLab NIXIE) supporting Python scripting, Arduino integration, speech recognition, and computer vision, enabling a buildable humanoid for approximately $1000-$1500 on a home 3D printer with a 12x12x12cm print area.

Product overview

InMoov is an open-source 3D printed life-size humanoid robot created by French designer Gaël LANGEVIN. The product portfolio centers on the InMoov Robot itself — a modular, 3D printable humanoid platform with interchangeable body parts (hands, arms, torso, head, legs) that can be built for approximately $1500 using any home 3D printer with a 12x12x12cm print area. The ecosystem includes software components: InMoov2 (bundled with MyRobotLab NIXIE) for robot control via web GUI and Python scripting, and the i2Head — an upgraded facial expression head module with silicone skin. MyRobotLab serves as the primary control platform, enabling voice commands, face tracking via Kinect, gesture control via Leap Motion, and servo automation. The platform is designed for universities, research laboratories, and maker communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• i2Head: New version of InMoov head released in 2024 with silicone skin, facial expressions, and enhanced servo mechanisms
• i2Eyes
• MinMoov
• Very Mini InMoov

Products and services

• InMoov Robot (modular 3D printable body-part assemblies) The InMoov Robot is an open-source 3D printed life-size humanoid platform composed of modular, individually buildable body-part assemblies — Finger Starter, Hand and Forearm, Bicep, Shoulder, Torso, Back, Head, Neck and Jaw, Eye Mechanism, Top/Mid/Low Stomach, and non-motorized Legs — designed for makers, hobbyists, universities, and laboratories to assemble incrementally using readily available components for approximately $1000-$1500.
• InMoov2 Software (MyRobotLab NIXIE) InMoov2 is the updated control software for InMoov robots, bundled with MyRobotLab NIXIE and providing a web-based GUI, an updated UI-driven configuration system, and Python script support for programming robot behaviors such as gestures, voice responses, and sensor-driven actions.
• i2Head i2Head is a redesigned expressive head module for the InMoov humanoid platform, featuring silicone skin cast in 3D printable molds and 17 servos driving facial movements; available in male and female versions and compatible with the existing InMoov body and neck.

Quantifiable outcome

• Inspired prosthetic projects E-Nable and Bionico that create low-cost 3D printed prosthetic hands for people with limb differences
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robotis (OLLO, Bioloid, THOR): Established Korean robotics company producing modular educational and humanoid robot kits (Bioloid, THOR-OP). Comparable in serving the university and hobbyist humanoid robotics market with modular kits, though proprietary and commercial.
• Boston Dynamics: Leading humanoid and legged robotics company behind Atlas. Comparable end product category (humanoid robots) but operates at industrial/research scale with proprietary technology rather than open-source maker focus.
• Figure AI: Well-funded humanoid robotics startup (Figure 01/02) targeting commercial deployment. Operates in the same humanoid end market but as a venture-backed commercial platform rather than an open-source maker platform.
• Tesla Optimus: Tesla's humanoid robot program aiming at mass-market deployment. Comparable in targeting the humanoid robotics market, though with vastly greater capital resources and a closed/commercial approach.
• Arduino: Open-source microcontroller platform that InMoov's robots run on. Comparable as the foundational open-source hardware ecosystem enabling maker robotics and serving overlapping educational and hobbyist segments.

Direct peers

• EZ-Robot: Consumer robotics platform offering modular humanoid kits (like JD and Six) for hobbyists and educators. Comparable to InMoov in target customer (makers, schools) and modular hardware approach, though proprietary rather than fully open-source.
• Poppy Project: Open-source 3D-printable humanoid robot platform developed in France by the Flowers lab at INRIA. Directly comparable to InMoov as a community-driven, low-cost humanoid for education and research, using similar modular 3D-printed body parts and open-source software.

Regional players

• Thymio: Swiss open-source educational robot used widely in European schools and universities. Comparable in target use case (STEM/robotics education) and open-source ethos, but focused on wheeled educational robots rather than full humanoids.

Emerging players

• HACKberry bionic arm: Open-source 3D-printed prosthetic arm project initiated in Japan, with a similar social-impact mission to InMoov's E-Nable and Bionico derivatives. Comparable in that it leverages open-source hardware for accessible assistive technology.

Others

• MyRobotLab: Open-source robotics control framework that actually powers InMoov's robot. Adjacent/integrated rather than competitive — they are partners in the same stack, but also develop their own non-InMoov robot projects so share the maker-and-research target market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inmoov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@inmoov
• Facebookfacebook.com/715067495226633

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 InMoov