Friendly New Humanoid Robot Sprout Aims to Change Attitudes Toward Home Robots

Startup Fauna Robotics unveils 3.5-foot-tall robot designed to be approachable and engaging for home, school, and social settings.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 12:55pm

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Fauna Robotics, a stealth startup, has unveiled a new humanoid robot called Sprout that stands 3.5 feet tall and has a soft, padded exterior designed to be approachable and engaging. Unlike intimidating industrial robots, Sprout is meant to spark a new industry of 'friendly' home robots that can interact with people, especially children, in a comfortable way. Sprout is being marketed as a developer platform that can be customized, with an initial price tag of $50,000.

Why it matters

The launch of Sprout represents an effort to change public perceptions about humanoid robots and pave the way for more widespread adoption of robots in homes, schools, and social spaces. Most current humanoid robot prototypes are focused on industrial or warehouse applications, but Fauna believes there is a market for robots designed specifically to be welcoming and interactive for everyday users.

The details

Sprout can perform various tasks like dancing, grabbing objects, and navigating around obstacles. It was developed over two years of secret research and development by Fauna Robotics. The robot is equipped with cameras for eyes, a rectangular head that can nod and move its 'eyebrows,' and grippers for hands. Fauna's founders believe Sprout is the first American-made humanoid robot being actively shipped as a developer platform, aiming to spark a new culture of robot tinkerers and applications similar to the early personal computer and smartphone eras.

  • Fauna Robotics unveiled Sprout to the public on January 27, 2026.

The players

Fauna Robotics

A stealth startup that has developed Sprout, a new 3.5-foot-tall humanoid robot designed to be approachable and engaging for home, school, and social settings.

Rob Cochran

The co-founder and CEO of Fauna Robotics.

Josh Merel

The co-founder and chief technology officer of Fauna Robotics, an expert in robot locomotion who previously worked at Google's DeepMind.

Anthony Moschella

The vice president of hardware at Fauna Robotics, who helped design Peloton's exercise equipment and is an admirer of the abstract designs of Star Wars robots.

Ana Pervan

A research scientist at Fauna Robotics who works on the robot's mapping and navigation, and is a fan of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

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What they’re saying

“You take it out of the box and you can start walking it around immediately. Seeing their robot for the first time really lets you see the future a little bit. And if you squint, you can see how a robot like that would be welcomed into people's homes.”

— Marc Theermann, Chief Strategy Officer, Boston Dynamics

“It's cute, and it's not too humanoid, and I think that actually makes it a lot more fun. It's not verging on creepy or trying to be too human. It's like your buddy, your pal, that's a different thing than you.”

— Ana Pervan, Research Scientist, Fauna Robotics

What’s next

Fauna Robotics plans to continue shipping the initial batch of 50 Sprout robots to early customers, including Disney and Boston Dynamics, as the company works to further develop the platform and build a community of robot developers.

The takeaway

The launch of Sprout represents a shift in the humanoid robot industry, moving away from intimidating industrial designs toward more approachable and engaging robots that could be welcomed into homes, schools, and social spaces. Fauna Robotics aims to spark a new era of robot tinkering and application development, similar to the personal computer and smartphone revolutions.