System Tour and Architecture
How Asimov 1 modules, structure, power, control, compute, and sensing fit together.
Asimov 1 is organized into modules that can be prepared, assembled, inspected, and serviced as distinct parts of the robot.
Upper Body
1. Head
The head carries the robot's main audiovisual peripherals and onboard compute. Two powered neck joints provide yaw and pitch movement. A monocular camera supplies video, while the microphone array captures audio. The Rasberry Pi 5 handles all the peripherals and combines them to be streamed to external system for teleoperation or to capture data.
2. Torso
The torso is the central upper-body enclosure and integration point for the robot. It provides mounting and routing space for the battery, speaker, IMU, motion control compute board to control the actuators.
3. Arms
Each arm has five powered joints:
- shoulder pitch
- shoulder roll
- shoulder yaw
- elbow
- wrist yaw
The standard arm ends at the wrist mounting interface. Hands and grippers are optional extensions rather than part of the base robot.
Lower Body
4. Pelvis
The pelvis joins the torso to both legs and carries the waist-yaw and hip interfaces. It transfers upper-body loads into the legs while providing the central transition between torso and lower-body wiring.
5. Legs
Each leg has six powered joint axes:
- hip pitch
- hip roll
- hip yaw
- knee
- ankle pitch
- ankle roll
The ankle uses two coupled actuators and a parallel linkage to produce pitch and roll movement in a compact package.
6. Feet
Each foot connects to a parallel ankle linkage driven by two actuators. Together, the actuators produce ankle pitch and roll movement.
Module Map
| Module | Main contents | Connects to |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Camera, microphone array, two neck joints | Torso |
| Torso | Battery, compute, control electronics, IMU, speaker | Head, both arms, pelvis |
| Pelvis | Powered waist-yaw actuator and hip interfaces | Torso, both legs |
| Left and right arms | Five powered joints per arm | Torso |
| Left and right legs | Six powered joints per leg | Pelvis, feet |
| Feet | Parallel ankle linkage | Legs, ground |
These module boundaries also organize the preparation and assembly chapters. Before assembly begins, parts, actuators, fasteners, and premade wiring will be grouped by the module where they are used.
System Architecture
Asimov 1 combines four physical system layers: mechanical structure, actuation and power, motion control, and media and networking.
Architecture at a Glance
| Layer | Primary role |
|---|---|
| Mechanical structure | Carries loads and constrains each joint's movement |
| Actuation and power | Supplies electrical power and produces joint torque |
| Motion control | Exchanges commands and telemetry with actuators and the IMU |
| Media and networking | Handles camera, microphone, speaker, and network connectivity |
Mechanical Structure and Actuation
The frame organizes Asimov into head, torso, pelvis, arm, leg, and foot modules. Powered joints connect these modules and provide the robot's controlled movement.
Most joints use a dedicated rotary actuator. The ankle is different: two actuators work through a parallel linkage to produce ankle pitch and roll.
The overview intentionally omits joint IDs, limits, actuator models, and linkage equations. Those values are available in Joint Design and Actuation.
Power and Robot Communications
The battery supplies the robot power system, which distributes power to compute, electronics, and six CAN branches. Actuators exchange commands and telemetry with the motion control system over these branches.
Within a limb or body section, connections continue from the body outward through the module. Some routes pass through joints or enclosed structures, so installation order matters. Manufacturer-prepared wiring and the small number of user-completed connections are accounted for during build preparation.
Detailed connector signals, routing constraints, branch topology, and battery limits belong in the Electronics and Wiring and Battery references.
Onboard Compute
Asimov divides onboard responsibilities between two computers:
| Computer | System-level responsibility |
|---|---|
| Radxa CM5 motion control board | Motor communications, low-level robot state, and motion-control integration |
| Raspberry Pi 5 edge computer | Camera, audio, networking, and edge services |
This separation keeps high-bandwidth media and network services away from the lower-level actuator communication path.
Raspberry Pi 5 is the only officially supported edge computer. Other Raspberry Pi models may work, but they have not been tested or validated for Asimov 1.
Software Scope
The Asimov API reference documents low-level control, telemetry, media, and protocol interfaces for supported robot software releases. End-to-end platform connection, application setup, physical commissioning, and first-operation procedures remain pending in Connect and Operate.
How is this guide?