Palm-Sized Four-Legged Robot "Q8botOne" Opens for Backing on Crowd Supply: Assembled Unit About ¥95,000 ($599), Shipping Planned for March 2027
This smartphone-sized four-legged robot can walk, run and jump. It's a "learn by programming it yourself" type with open design data, and no sales in Japan have been announced.
Key Points of This News
- US-based ZeroWire Robotics has opened backing for its four-legged robot "Q8botOne" on Crowd Supply. The campaign launch was announced on October 6, 2026 [1]
- The assembled unit costs about ¥95,000 ($599) and the build kit about ¥31,000 ($199) (8 actuators sold separately). Both are listed with free worldwide shipping [1]
- The campaign ends on November 19, 2026 (US Pacific Time), with shipping scheduled for March 24, 2027 [1]
- There is no official announcement of sales in Japan, Japanese-language support, or Japan radio certification (Giteki) (as of Oct 11, 2026)
ZeroWire Robotics is a robot development team based in Cupertino, California [1]. The company has opened backing for its palm-sized four-legged robot "Q8botOne" on "Crowd Supply," a crowdfunding site for electronics projects [1]. Q8botOne is the next-generation model of "Q8bot," which the company had previously released as open source [2].
Backing tiers and schedule
The Crowd Supply page lists the following two tiers [1].
- Assembled Robot: about ¥95,000 ($599). Pre-assembled, with battery and controller
- Robot Kit: about ¥31,000 ($199). Includes body, battery, leg linkages and controller. Assembly required; 8 actuators (motors that move the joints) sold separately
Both are labeled "Free Worldwide Shipping," with fulfillment handled by Mouser Electronics [1]. The goal is about ¥1.58 million ($10,000), and as of our check on October 11, 2026, 12 backers had pledged about ¥570,000 ($3,588, 36% of the goal) [1]. The campaign ends at 3:59 p.m. on November 19, 2026 (US Pacific Time), and the page states "order now and it ships March 24, 2027" [1].
What kind of robot is Q8botOne?
Here is what the Crowd Supply page and the official website say [1][2].
- Size: 120×70×70mm, weight 250g [1]
- Movement: the maker says it can run fast, jump, and carry a payload twice its own weight [1]
- Wireless construction: motors mount directly to a central board, so no cables need to be connected during assembly [2]
- Components: ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4 microcontroller, 8 ROBOTIS "DYNAMIXEL XL330-M077-T" actuators, and two 14500-size lithium-ion batteries [1]
- Control: the included controller connects automatically on power-up. It can also be controlled via a PC app, an Xbox controller, or an API (your own programs) [1]
- Expansion: supports Qwiic/STEMMA QT sensors and camera boards such as the ESP32-CAM [1]
- Open source: design data, firmware and software are published on GitHub [1][2]
The maker targets hobbyists, educators and researchers [2]. It has no face or expressions, and out of the box it does not use cameras or sensors to perceive its surroundings and move on its own [1]. In robopetlife's classification, it is a "hobby & programming" robot rather than a "comfort & family" type like LOVOT or Moflin.
- Name
- Q8botOne[1]
- Maker
- ZeroWire Robotics (Cupertino, California, US) [1]
- Sales method
- Crowdfunding on Crowd Supply (ends November 19, 2026) [1]
- Price
- Assembled about ¥95,000 ($599) / kit about ¥31,000 ($199) (actuators sold separately). Both listed with free worldwide shipping [1]
- Planned shipping
- March 24, 2027 [1]
- Size & weight
- 120×70×70mm、250g[1]
- Main components
- ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4, DYNAMIXEL XL330-M077-T ×8, 14500 lithium-ion battery ×2 [1]
- Intended users
- Hobbyists, educators, researchers [2]
- Availability in Japan
- Not sold in Japan. No official announcement on sales in Japan, Japanese-language support, or Giteki (as of Oct 11, 2026)
Coverage in Japanese
When we searched for "Q8botOne" on the Japanese edition of Google News on October 11, 2026, the only Japanese-language article was one from electronics maker media FabScene (dated June 10, 2026, introducing the upcoming release) [5]. We found no Japanese articles reporting this campaign launch, the prices or the ship date. We cannot guarantee completeness.
Product covered: Q8botOne
Sources & primary information
Yen conversions are estimates based on exchange rates as of October 12, 2026 (1 euro ≈ ¥177, 1 dollar ≈ ¥158, 1 yuan ≈ ¥23.6). Actual prices vary with exchange rates, taxes and shipping.
- Primary sourceZeroWire Robotics, "Q8botOne" (Crowd Supply campaign page)
Crowd Supply pageChecked: October 11, 2026 (price, funding status, deadline, planned shipping, specs, location; photo source) - Primary sourceZeroWire Robotics official website
ZeroWire RoboticsChecked: October 11, 2026 (next-generation Q8bot model, wireless construction, intended users) - ReportCNX Software, "Q8botOne – A palm-sized open-source quadruped robot with ESP32-C3, DYNAMIXEL smart actuators" (October 8, 2026)
CNX Software articleChecked: October 11, 2026 (confirmed price and shipping timing match the primary source) - ReportYanko Design, "A $599 robot dog that fits on your desk…" (October 10, 2026)
Yanko Design articleChecked: October 11, 2026 (where we found the story; facts in the article verified with primary sources) - ReportFabScene, "Q8botOne: an open-source quadruped robot you can buy without assembly" (June 10, 2026; Japanese)
FabSceneGoogle News search results only (article body not checked)
Update history October 11, 2026: Published