UCLA researchers develop PhoneBot humanoid using smartphones

Researchers at UCLA’s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory have developed PhoneBot, a small humanoid robot designed to repurpose existing smartphone hardware to drastically reduce robotics costs. Standing 48.3 centimeters tall and weighing 1.8 kilograms, the robot utilizes an Android smartphone as its primary processing unit, sensor suite, and interface.

By recycling components such as the camera, gyroscope, accelerometer, and processor, the project aims to bypass the need for expensive, specialized hardware. The robot features 13 motorized joints, including a rotating torso that allows the smartphone’s camera to track individuals visually without requiring full-body movement.

PhoneBot was trained using reinforcement learning in a digital simulation environment. It is capable of walking, following people, and autonomously righting itself after falling forward. The hardware cost for the mechanical structure is approximately 400 dollars, excluding the mobile device itself. The research was presented in a preprint on arXiv in October 2026.