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In developmentPilot partnersHumanoidBipedalindustrialRID-000011

Sanctuary AI Phoenix

Sanctuary AI

A general-purpose humanoid in prototype and paid pilot deployments, built around some of the most dexterous hands in any humanoid program.

Origin
Vancouver, Canada
Announced
May 2023 (sixth-generation platform)
Configurations
varies
Price (estimated)
est.$100,000 to $250,000

Commercial record

What it actually costs.

Pricing is presented in full, not flattened to one number. Figures vary by configuration and by where the unit is purchased.

Estimated range (no official price)

est.$100,000 to $250,000

Sanctuary AI publishes no price, and Phoenix is currently not available for purchase. Independent estimates place unit cost at approximately $100,000 to $250,000. Every figure shown here is an estimate, not an official price.[2]

Configuration tier

From

  • Independent estimate (not an official price)

    Estimates range from $100,000 to $250,000. Phoenix is not openly for sale.

    $100,000

Specifications

The full technical record.

Specifications vary by configuration. Each value is attributed to its source; figures marked for EDU configurations differ from the base unit.

Dimensions

Height
170cm(5 ft 7 in)[1]

Mass & Payload

Weight
70kg(154 lb)[1]
Payload
25kg(55 lb)[1]

Manipulation

Hand DoF (cited, lower)
20 per hand[2]
Hand DoF (cited, higher)
21 per hand[1]
Actuation
Hydraulic[1]
Tactile sensitivity
~5millinewtons[1]

Mobility

Speed
~3km/h(1.9 mph)[1]

Control

Control system
Carbon (proprietary)[1]
Approach
Symbolic reasoning + LLMs + deep and reinforcement learning[1]
Design goal
Explainable, auditable decisions[1]
Operation modes
Direct pilot, pilot-assist, supervised autonomy[1]

Neutral analysis

The record, in plain terms.

Overview

Phoenix is Sanctuary AI's sixth-generation general-purpose humanoid, unveiled in May 2023. Its defining feature is its hydraulic hands, with tactile sensors sensitive to approximately 5 millinewtons, among the most dexterous in any humanoid program. Phoenix is operated through Sanctuary's proprietary Carbon control system, which combines symbolic reasoning, large language models, and deep and reinforcement learning, with teleoperation used as a training mechanism toward supervised autonomy. The platform is in prototype and paid pilot deployments, including retail pilots, and Sanctuary AI holds a strategic partnership with Magna International and has raised more than $140 million. It is not in mass production and is currently not available for purchase.

Strengths

  • Hydraulic hands with approximately 5 millinewton tactile sensitivity, among the most dexterous in any humanoid program.
  • Carbon control system designed for explainable, auditable decisions.
  • Three operation modes spanning direct teleoperation to supervised autonomy.
  • Paid pilot deployments, including retail work.
  • Strategic partnership with Magna International and more than $140 million raised.

Considerations

  • A prototype and pilot-stage platform: not in mass production and currently not available for purchase. An independent review noted that hardware shown is largely hand-built prototypes.[3]
  • No public pricing, battery specification, or independently verified lab specifications exist.[2]
  • Operation relies on teleoperation, used as a training mechanism toward autonomy.[1]
  • Leadership changes were reported in late 2024.[2]
  • Sources disagree on headquarters location: most list Vancouver, Canada, while some list the United Kingdom.[2]
  • Hand degree-of-freedom figures differ across sources, 20 versus 21 per hand.[2]

The flywheel

Owner records.

Owner records are not open for the Sanctuary AI Phoenix. The platform is not openly for sale; units are deployed with pilot partners. If that changes, this record will begin accepting owner-reported data.

Verifiable

Sources.

We are sourced, and verifiable. Every cited figure above ties back to a numbered reference here.

  1. [1]
    Sanctuary AI, Official Site

    https://www.sanctuary.ai/

    Manufacturer specifications and claims.

  2. [2]
    IEEE Spectrum, Robots Guide

    https://robotsguide.com/

    Independent robotics reference; source for estimates and the noted discrepancies.

  3. [3]
    Independent Review (IEEE Spectrum)

    https://spectrum.ieee.org/

    Independent review noting prototype status of shown hardware.

Cite this record

The Rivet Index. "Sanctuary AI Phoenix." RID-000011. https://rivetindex.com/r/RID-000011