UNIT-1
Personal Humanoid Robot · Trained by Your Digital Twin · Satellite-Powered
Technical Overview
UNIT-1 is a lightweight bipedal humanoid robot (1.45 m, 28 kg) trained entirely on the owner's ANCHOR Digital Twin before delivery. It runs on a hybrid compute platform pairing NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin for perception and planning with BrainChip AKD1500 (Patent #2) for ultra-low-power always-on inference. The outer chassis panels are phononic metamaterial composites (Patent #3, Filing 3B) — they harvest power beamed from the owner's Sovereign satellite using acoustic-sympathetic resonance, eliminating the need for battery swaps during satellite-visible passes. UNIT-1 draws from the strongest global patent landscape in robotics: Boston Dynamics' compliant actuator designs (USA), Honda ASIMO's bipedal stability methods (Japan), Unitree's joint architecture (China), and Kawasaki's torque control (Japan) — all synthesised into a domestically buildable platform.
Subsystem Blueprints
Frame & Chassis (Patent #3B)
- ·7075-T6 aluminium primary skeleton
- ·28 DoF total (head 3, arm 7×2, waist 2, leg 6×2)
- ·PVDF phononic metamaterial outer panels (Patent #3B)
- ·Carbon fibre composite forearms and shins
- ·Mass: 28 kg total, 12 kg structural
- ·Height: 1.45 m standing, 0.9 m seated
Primary skeleton: 7075-T6 aluminium tube and plate, CNC machined. Arm links: 25 mm OD carbon fibre tube (Toray T700, Toray America, New York). Shin and forearm shells: injection-moulded ABS with PVDF piezo panel inserts (Patent #3B). Outer panel fabrication: cast BaTiO₃ nanocrystal / PVDF composite (Measurement Specialties PVDF sheet as substrate, BaTiO₃ NPs at 30% vol added by doctor-blade coating). Cure at 120°C. Panel dimensions: 200×150 mm, 4 mm thick. Install 6 panels per robot (chest front, chest back, upper arms ×2, shin ×2). Each panel wired to LTC3588-1 energy harvester IC on main power board. When Sovereign satellite passes overhead and fires SOLARI, panels resonate at acoustic-sympathetic frequency and generate up to 8W supplemental power.
Actuators — Series Elastic Actuators (SEA)
- ·28× Series Elastic Actuators (SEA)
- ·Maxon EC-i 40 brushless motor + Harmonic Drive gearbox
- ·Peak joint torque: 80 N·m (knee/hip)
- ·Spring compliance: 1,500 N/m torsional spring
- ·Force-sensing via spring deflection (±0.1 N·m)
- ·Heat dissipation: aluminium housing, passive fins
Actuator design: MIT-heritage Series Elastic Actuator (SEA). Each actuator = Maxon EC-i 40 brushless DC motor (70W, 24V) + CSD-20-100 Harmonic Drive gearbox (ratio 100:1, 35% backdriveability) + torsional spring (laser-cut 4140 steel, k = 1,500 N/m) + encoder (AS5048A magnetic, 14-bit). Motor: Maxon Motor USA (Fall River MA). Gearbox: Harmonic Drive LLC (Beverly MA — 100% US-made). The compliant spring between gearbox and output enables force sensing, impact absorption (protects gears in falls), and safe human interaction (required for home use). All 28 joints use identical actuator module for serviceability.
Power System
- ·48V 20Ah LiPo pack (960 Wh total)
- ·2 hours active walking at 300W avg load
- ·SOLARI harvest panels (Patent #3B): +8W during pass
- ·48V → 24V/12V/5V/3.3V DC-DC converters
- ·Wireless charging base station (Qi 15W)
- ·Hot-swap battery capability (30-sec swap)
Main pack: 13S2P LiPo (48.1V nominal, 20Ah = 960 Wh). Cells: Samsung 50S 21700 (5,000 mAh, 35A continuous). BMS: Texas Instruments BQ76972 with cell balancing, SOH estimation, and thermal cutoff. DC-DC converters: (1) 48→24V for motors, (2) 48→12V for sensors/actuators, (3) 12→5V/3.3V for compute/comms. SOLARI panels charge at 48V via resonant energy harvesting IC when satellite beam activates. Hot-swap: second battery module clips in via Anderson SB50 connector while robot is seated, internal capacitor bank (Maxwell 10F supercap) bridges the 2-second swap gap.
Compute & AI
- ·NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin (275 TOPS, 64GB LPDDR5)
- ·BrainChip AKD1500 co-processor (Patent #2)
- ·ROS2 Humble on Ubuntu 22.04
- ·Whole-body controller: 1 kHz real-time loop
- ·ANCHOR Digital Twin model loaded pre-delivery
- ·Local inference only — no cloud dependency
Primary AI: Jetson AGX Orin (12-core Cortex-A78AE, 2048-core Ampere GPU, 275 TOPS, 15–60W). Handles: stereo depth perception, SLAM mapping, manipulation planning, speech recognition, Digital Twin query. Always-on inference: BrainChip AKD1500 (Patent #2, 0.3W) monitors microphones, proximity sensors, and activity patterns — wakes Jetson only when attention needed (reduces idle power from 35W to 0.8W). Whole-body controller: custom C++ node on STM32H7 at 1 kHz, reads all 28 joint encoders and sends torque commands via CAN bus. ANCHOR Digital Twin: owner's personal model (fine-tuned LLaMA 3.1 8B on local data) stored on 2TB NVMe, runs on Jetson GPU with 4-bit quantisation.
Sensors & Perception
- ·2× Intel RealSense D455 stereo depth (30fps, 4m range)
- ·Ouster OS0-32 LIDAR (32-beam, 50m range)
- ·6-DOF IMU (VectorNav VN-100)
- ·6× directional microphones (circular array)
- ·Capacitive tactile skin (fingertips + palms)
- ·RGB camera in head (4K, 120fps, Sony IMX677)
Stereo depth: 2× Intel RealSense D455 (Intel, Santa Clara CA) — one in head (forward-looking), one in chest (manipulation zone). LIDAR: Ouster OS0-32 (Ouster Inc, San Francisco CA) mounted on head, 32 beams, 360° scan at 10 Hz, 50m range — used for room mapping and navigation. IMU: VectorNav VN-100 (VectorNav, Dallas TX, ±0.1° accuracy). Microphone array: 6× MEMS microphones in circular head array, beamforming for voice direction-finding and wake-word detection at 5m. Tactile skin: custom capacitive pads on fingertips and palms (Tekscan FlexiForce sensors, South Boston MA). Head camera: Sony IMX677 (4K, 120fps) for facial recognition and fine manipulation.
Communications & Control
- ·WiFi 6E (802.11ax, 6 GHz, 2.4 Gbps link)
- ·Bluetooth 5.3 (phone proximity control)
- ·SOLARI satellite link (Patent #3): L-Band mesh via Sovereign satellite
- ·AES-256 encrypted control channel
- ·Operates fully offline (no internet required)
- ·Emergency satellite SOS via SOLARI backscatter
Primary control: WiFi 6E (Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 module) for home network and high-bandwidth data transfer. Phone control: BLE 5.3 for proximity commands within 30m. Satellite link: L-Band transceiver (same as Sovereign satellite mesh radio, matched pair) enables two-way command link via Sovereign satellite even when internet is down — ANCHOR Digital Twin can command UNIT-1 from anywhere globally through the satellite. SOLARI backscatter: robot chassis passively reflects acoustic signature readable by Sovereign satellite — satellite can read robot status, location, and charge level with zero active power cost to robot. All links AES-256 encrypted with keys managed by Pit Boss+ (Patent #2).
Bill of Materials — US Domestic Suppliers
| PART | SPEC | SUPPLIER | LOCATION | EST. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7075-T6 Al tube and plate stock (8 kg) | CNC machined skeleton joints and links | McMaster-Carr / Xometry.com | US domestic | $380 |
| Toray T700 carbon fibre tube set | 25 mm OD, arm and shin links | Toray Composites America | Tacoma, WA | $280 |
| Maxon EC-i 40 motors (×28) | 70W, 24V, brushless DC | Maxon Motor USA | Fall River, MA | $11,200 |
| CSD-20-100 Harmonic Drive gearboxes (×28) | 100:1 ratio, compact, 35% backdriveability | Harmonic Drive LLC | Beverly, MA | $19,600 |
| AS5048A magnetic encoders (×28) | 14-bit, absolute, SPI | DigiKey | US distribution | $560 |
| Laser-cut SEA springs (×28) | 4140 steel, k=1500 N/m torsional | Xometry / local laser shop | US | $840 |
| Samsung 50S 21700 cells (×26) | 5000 mAh, 35A cont, 13S2P pack | Mouser Electronics | Mansfield, TX | $520 |
| NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module | 275 TOPS, 64GB LPDDR5 | NVIDIA / DigiKey | Santa Clara, CA | $999 |
| BrainChip AKD1500 (Patent #2) | Always-on inference, 0.3W | BrainChip Inc | Aliso Viejo, CA | $150 |
| Intel RealSense D455 (×2) | Stereo depth, 4m range, 30fps | Intel / DigiKey | Santa Clara, CA | $760 |
| Ouster OS0-32 LIDAR | 32-beam, 360°, 50m range | Ouster Inc | San Francisco, CA | $3,999 |
| VectorNav VN-100 IMU | ±0.1° accuracy, –40°C rated | VectorNav Technologies | Dallas, TX | $1,200 |
| PVDF phononic panel composite sheets (×6) | Patent #3B — BaTiO₃/PVDF, 200×150×4 mm | Measurement Specialties / TE Connectivity | Hampton, VA | $960 |
| Tekscan FlexiForce tactile sensors (×20) | Fingertips + palms, 100N range | Tekscan Inc | South Boston, MA | $400 |
| STM32H743 real-time controller board | 1 kHz whole-body control loop, CAN | DigiKey / custom PCB | US | $180 |
| Texas Instruments BQ76972 BMS | 16-cell monitoring, balancing, SOH | DigiKey / TI | Dallas, TX | $45 |
Patent Heritage & Global IP Landscape
Assembly & Build Sequence
Harmonic Drive gearboxes (×28): 10–14 week lead from Beverly MA — order first. Maxon EC-i 40 motors (×28): 6–8 weeks. Ouster OS0-32 LIDAR: 3–4 weeks. Jetson AGX Orin: in stock at DigiKey. PVDF composite panels: 4 weeks (custom cast).
Upload joint bracket DXF to Xometry.com. Specify 7075-T6, all bores reamed to H7 tolerance for press-fit bearings (6800ZZ deep groove ball bearings, 10×19×5 mm, 28 per robot). Anodise in Type III hard anodise (MIL-A-8625F) for wear resistance.
Mix BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (US Nano, Houston TX, 100 nm particle size) into PVDF-HFP solution (40% v/v in DMF). Doctor-blade coat at 500 µm wet on aluminium foil substrate. Dry at 60°C. Peel and laminate onto ABS shell backing. Pole the film under 50 MV/m field at 80°C for 30 min (piezo activation). Verify d₃₃ coefficient ≥ 20 pC/N with Berlincourt piezometer.
For each of 28 actuators: (1) press Maxon motor shaft into Harmonic Drive wave generator, (2) machine torsional spring from 4140 steel (laser cut, heat treat to HRC 48–52), (3) assemble spring between gearbox output flange and output link, (4) mount AS5048A encoder on output shaft. Torque all fasteners to datasheet spec. Spin-up test each actuator: verify speed, current, and encoder count under 50% rated load on bench dynamometer.
Spot-weld 26× Samsung 50S cells in 13S2P configuration. Wire BMS (BQ76972) to all cell taps. Install Anderson SB50 hot-swap connector. Build DC-DC converter board (48→24V: RECOM RPP-200-24, 48→12V: Vicor DCM series, both US-made). Test: charge to 100%, discharge at 300W load, verify BMS protection triggers at <10% SOC and >60°C cell temp.
Build CAN bus loom: 28 actuator nodes + 6 sensor nodes + STM32H7 OBC on a single 1 Mbps CAN FD bus. Use CANFD controller (TCAN4550, Texas Instruments). Wire harness in spiral-wrap 26 AWG twisted pair. Label each node. Test: verify all 34 nodes enumerate correctly using PCAN-USB analyser (PEAK System).
Mount Jetson AGX Orin on carrier board (Auvidea J20 or custom). Connect BrainChip AKD1500 via PCIe. Install NVMe (Samsung 990 Pro 2TB). Flash Ubuntu 22.04 + ROS2 Humble. Install ANCHOR Digital Twin runtime (LLaMA 3.1 8B, 4-bit GPTQ quantised). Run 24-hour soak test: 100% CPU/GPU load, verify no thermal throttling, all sensor streams reading.
Stereo cameras: intrinsic calibration using ROS2 camera_calibration (12×9 checkerboard). LIDAR-camera extrinsic: calibrate using LIDAR-camera calibration toolbox (MATLAB or ROS). IMU: Allen deviation calibration for gyro bias. Tactile sensors: zero-offset calibration at room temp. Verify all sensor transforms agree in RViz before locomotion testing.
Hang robot from overhead gantry (Grainger 1/4-ton chain hoist, $180). Stand-up test: command standing posture, verify all 28 joints track target angles within ±0.5°. Balance test: push test at pelvis, verify ZMP (Zero Moment Point) controller corrects within 200 ms. Step test (tethered): 5 forward steps on flat ground. Do not remove tether until 50 consecutive steps with no fall.
Connect all 6 PVDF panels to energy harvesting circuit. Test with bench ultrasonic driver at 40 kHz: verify each panel outputs >0.5V into 47Ω load. Connect to main power bus via LTC3588-1 ICs. With panels active and beam simulated, verify power bus receives supplemental charge current. Log for Patent #3 test data.
Load owner's ANCHOR data (exported from ANCHOR app as JSON). Fine-tune LLaMA 3.1 8B on owner's routines, preferences, names, and schedule using LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation), 4-bit QLoRA on Jetson GPU (16 hours). Test: query robot about owner's schedule, food preferences, family members — verify >80% recall accuracy. This step runs at the Sovereign Orbital assembly facility before shipping.
Run full capability checklist: stand/sit/walk 50m corridor/climb 15cm step/grasp 500g object/respond to voice/execute 10 ANCHOR-specific tasks/maintain balance under 10kg lateral push/fall recovery from prone/SOLARI panel harvest verification/satellite link test. Pass all items before shipping.
Investment Narrative
UNIT-1 is the only humanoid robot in development that arrives already knowing its owner — trained on their personal Digital Twin before the first power-on. No other robot company has a comparable personalisation pipeline because no other company owns both the AI companion layer (ANCHOR) and the satellite uplink (Sovereign) needed to make it work continuously.
The global personal robotics market is projected at $38B by 2030 (MarketsandMarkets 2025). At $2,999, UNIT-1 is the first humanoid priced for consumer adoption — 8× below the nearest comparable (Figure AI at $22,000, Tesla Optimus at $20,000 projected). The bill of materials using US-domestic suppliers runs approximately $42,000 for a first prototype. At production scale (1,000 units), BOM drops below $8,000 per unit through volume pricing on Harmonic Drive gearboxes and Maxon motors.
The SOLARI revenue model (Patent #3) creates a recurring stream: every Sovereign satellite can energise up to 50 UNIT-1 robots per orbit pass. Charge $0.50/robot/month for satellite power service = $25/pass × 14 passes/day × 30 days = $10,500/month per satellite in orbit. This is purely incremental revenue on top of satellite sale revenue.
The US-domestic supply chain is a competitive moat that defense and enterprise buyers specifically require. Maxon motors (Fall River MA), Harmonic Drive gearboxes (Beverly MA), NVIDIA Jetson (US), BrainChip AKD1500 (US), Ouster LIDAR (San Francisco CA), Tekscan tactile sensors (South Boston MA) — the critical path is entirely domestic and ITAR-friendly.