Robots/Parts/Senses
Motion sensor (IMU)
A small chip that senses movement and tilt. It measures how fast the robot is speeding up or turning and which way is down, much like the balance organ in a person's inner ear. Walking robots rely on it to stay upright. Agility and Nvidia both list one but do not say which model or who makes it.
- 2 of 10
- robots in the database
- Not named
- made by
- Senses
- brain layer
- Not public
- price
Key numbers
- Model
- not named by the robot makers
- On Agility Digit 5
- listed as inertial measurement units, used to move about safely
- On Unitree H2 Plus
- listed by Nvidia for motion tracking
Source: Agility, Agility Unveils Digit 5 Humanoid Robot Built for Cooperatively Safe Work at Scale (agilityrobotics.com)
Strengths and trade-offs
Our analysisStrengths
Tells the robot instantly if it is tipping, faster than a camera can.
Works in the dark and does not need to see anything.
Tiny, light and cheap.
Almost every walking robot has one, so the software for it is well known.
Trade-offs
Small errors build up over time, so it cannot track position on its own for long.
Shaking from motors and footsteps adds noise.
Unnamed, so its quality cannot be compared between robots.
Why robot makers choose it
Our readBalance is the first thing a walking robot has to get right, and it needs an answer hundreds of times a second. A motion sensor gives that answer cheaply and without needing light, so every legged robot carries at least one.
This is our reasoning from the public facts. No maker has confirmed it.
Robots using it
Agility DigitConfirmedHumanoid, digit 5Digit 5 has motion sensors that feel tilt and acceleration, which help it keep its balance.
Unitree H2ConfirmedHumanoid, h2 plusA motion sensor tracks how the H2 Plus body tilts and moves, which helps it keep its balance.
This list covers only the robots researched so far. A robot missing here may still use this part.
Numbers and listed prices on this page come from the sources shown. Anything marked as our analysis, our read or our estimate is our own view and has not been confirmed by any company. Last checked 14 Oct 2026. How we verify