# AhaRobot: A Low-Cost Open-Source Bimanual Mobile Manipulator for Embodied AI

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.10070 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.10070/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 31 of its 47 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 13 Mar 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 31)

- [OpenVLA: An Open-Source Vision-Language-Action Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.09246/) (2024)
- [Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.04137/) (2023)
- [Learning Fine-Grained Bimanual Manipulation with Low-Cost Hardware](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.13705/) (2023)
- [Octo: An Open-Source Generalist Robot Policy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.12213/) (2024)
- [DROID: A Large-Scale In-The-Wild Robot Manipulation Dataset](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.12945/) (2024)
- [RDT-1B: a Diffusion Foundation Model for Bimanual Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.07864/) (2024)
- [Temporal Difference Learning for Model Predictive Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.04955/) (2022)
- [Universal Manipulation Interface: In-The-Wild Robot Teaching Without In-The-Wild Robots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.10329/) (2024)
- [NaVid: Video-based VLM Plans the Next Step for Vision-and-Language Navigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.15852/) (2024)
- [GELLO: A General, Low-Cost, and Intuitive Teleoperation Framework for Robot Manipulators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.13037/) (2023)
- [OmniH2O: Universal and Dexterous Human-to-Humanoid Whole-Body Teleoperation and Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.08858/) (2024)
- [Precise and Dexterous Robotic Manipulation via Human-in-the-Loop Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.21845/) (2024)
- [Open-TeleVision: Teleoperation with Immersive Active Visual Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.01512/) (2024)
- [NavGPT-2: Unleashing Navigational Reasoning Capability for Large Vision-Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.12366/) (2024)
- [Bunny-VisionPro: Real-Time Bimanual Dexterous Teleoperation for Imitation Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.03162/) (2024)
- [OPEN TEACH: A Versatile Teleoperation System for Robotic Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.07870/) (2024)
- [AirExo: Low-Cost Exoskeletons for Learning Whole-Arm Manipulation in the Wild](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14975/) (2023)
- [The Design of Stretch: A Compact, Lightweight Mobile Manipulator for Indoor Human Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.10892/) (2021)
- [OK-Robot: What Really Matters in Integrating Open-Knowledge Models for Robotics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.12202/) (2024)
- [ACE: A Cross-Platform Visual-Exoskeletons System for Low-Cost Dexterous Teleoperation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.11805/) (2024)
- [Adaptive Mobile Manipulation for Articulated Objects In the Open World](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.14403/) (2024)
- [Bimanual Dexterity for Complex Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.13677/) (2024)
- [TidyBot++: An Open-Source Holonomic Mobile Manipulator for Robot Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.10447/) (2024)
- [Learning to Open and Traverse Doors with a Legged Manipulator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.04882/) (2024)
- [A Mobile Manipulation System for One-Shot Teaching of Complex Tasks in Homes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.00127/) (2019)
- [Demonstrating Mobile Manipulation in the Wild: A Metrics-Driven Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.01474/) (2024)
- [Whole-Body Teleoperation for Mobile Manipulation at Zero Added Cost](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.15095/) (2024)
- [NimbRo wins ANA Avatar XPRIZE Immersive Telepresence Competition: Human-Centric Evaluation and Lessons Learned](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.12238/) (2023)
- [Design of Stickbug: a Six-Armed Precision Pollination Robot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.03489/) (2024)
- [Coupled Active Perception and Manipulation Planning for a Mobile Manipulator in Precision Agriculture Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.16778/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [EveryDayVLA: A Vision-Language-Action Model for Affordable Robotic Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.05397/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Scaling Vision-Language-Action models for embodied manipulation demands large volumes of diverse manipulation data, yet the high cost of commercial mobile manipulators and teleoperation interfaces that are difficult to deploy at scale remain key bottlenecks. We present AhaRobot, a low-cost, fully open-source bimanual mobile manipulator tailored for Embodied-AI. The system contributes: (1) a SCARA-like dual-arm hardware design that reduces motor torque demands while maintaining a large vertical reachable workspace, (2) an optimized control stack that improves precision via dual-motor backlash mitigation and static-friction compensation through dithering, and (3) RoboPilot, a teleoperation interface featuring a novel 26-faced marker handle for precise, long-horizon remote data collection. Experimental results show that our hardware-control co-design achieves 0.7 mm repeatability at a total hardware cost of only 1,000. The proposed 26-faced handle reduces tracking error by 80% over a 6-faced baseline and improves data-collection efficiency by 30%, while robustly handling singularities and supporting extremely long-horizon tasks in fully remote settings. Despite its low cost, AhaRobot enables imitation learning of complex household behaviors involving bimanual coordination, upper-body mobility, and contact-rich interaction, with data quality comparable to VR-based collection. All software, CAD files, and documentation are available at https://aha-robot.github.io.