Quick Start

This guide covers unboxing, basic operation, safety precautions, and secondary development for the BXI Elf3 humanoid robot.

Read and follow the Robot Safety Notice and Safety Guidelines before operating the robot.

Unboxing Instructions

Placement and unboxing: Open the box face up, remove the surrounding foam, and lift the robot out with at least two people.
- Pay close attention to cable positions while lifting the robot out to avoid crushing or tearing them.
- After taking the robot out, it is recommended to suspend it from a hanger or lay it flat on the ground.
Backplate layout:
- Upper display screen: Shows voltage, reference battery level, and temperature. Press the button on the right side of the screen to wake it; it turns off automatically after 10 seconds.
  - Use the voltage value as the main battery-state reference. The percentage / battery bars are for reference only and may not match the actual remaining capacity.
- Lower right: Power switch button for the main battery.
- Upper body: Charging port.
Host system information:
- Host operating system: Ubuntu 22
- Username: bxi
- Password: please contact HumansX.

Power-on and Operation Steps

1. Turn on Battery Power and Host Power

Press the battery power button. The battery supplies power and the host powers on at the same time. Check the voltage value on the backplate display. The percentage / battery bars may be inaccurate, so use the voltage value as the reference.
Voltage notes:
1. New 58V machines: The backplate display shows the current battery-pack voltage. Fully charged, it is about 58.8V, and it gradually decreases during use. If the voltage is clearly low (below 50V), stop and charge the robot first.
2. Older 48V machines: The backplate display shows the current battery-pack voltage. Fully charged, it is about 48.8V, and it gradually decreases during use. If the voltage is clearly low (below 40V), stop and charge the robot first.

Charging notes

Verify the charger output voltage: Connect the charger directly to a power source (without connecting the robot) and check that the charger display is within the specified range:

Older machines with 48V batteries: The recommended voltage is 48.8V. If it differs, adjust it before connecting the robot.
New machines with 58V batteries: The recommended voltage is 58.8V. If it differs, adjust it before connecting the robot.

Note: The percentage / battery bars may be inaccurate. Before powering on or moving the robot, use the voltage value as the primary battery-state reference.

The charger connects to the charging port on the robot's backplate.

2. Connect the Remote Controller

The remote controller connects to the robot PC via Bluetooth and is pre-paired at the factory.

Long-press the Xbox button.
Wait until the indicator light below the button stays solid; this means the controller is connected to the robot PC.

3. Run the Control Program

Watch the operation instruction video carefully before proceeding.

The robot's built-in control program has multiple modes, including Walking, Zero Torque, Initial Posture, Zero-position, High-speed Run, Medium-speed Run, Dance, Recovery, Front Flip (run without dummy hands installed), Clap, and Wave. Modes will continue to be added through updates.

Important: Pre-movement preparation

To prevent accidental falls, make sure the robot is hung from a gantry crane with a lanyard, sitting on a chair, or sitting upright on the ground. It is strongly recommended to use a hanger and suspend the robot at an appropriate height.
Remove all cables from the body (such as the charging cable) to prevent tangling during movement.
Make sure the battery voltage is sufficient (55V or above is recommended; use the backplate display voltage, not the percentage / battery bars) so the robot does not fall because it lacks the power to complete a motion.
Always prioritize safety. No one may enter the robot's range of motion; take care not to be struck by swinging joints.

3.1 Start the Program

Important: Check before switching to Initial Posture

Make sure the robot's limbs are not in a posture that could cause motor stalling when switching to the initial posture.

(Keeping the robot suspended is recommended.) After the robot powers on, wait about 30 seconds for the system to finish starting up, then press the right stick (RS/R3) to start the robot. If the chest light turns on, the control program is running. The robot enters Zero Torque mode by default. After the chest light turns on, wait about 10 seconds for the self-check to complete before switching to Initial Posture, Walking, or other modes.

3.2 Initial Posture Initialization

(Keeping the robot suspended is recommended.)

Press RB + B together to put the robot into the initial posture.
Check that the robot is normal: Briefly observe the motors for any anomalies (such as no response or abnormal noises).
Stand the robot up: If everything is normal, stand the robot up in this state with both feet on the ground. The operator should help maintain the initial-posture standing state so that external forces do not disturb posture initialization.

3.3 Switch to Motion State

(Initial-posture initialization is now complete. Keeping the robot suspended is still recommended; release the lanyard only after the switch has succeeded and the robot is stable.)

Walking state: Press RB + X together. The robot enters the walking state and can move omnidirectionally on flat ground.

Shutdown and De-energization

4.1 Termination Shutdown (De-energization Button)

Press Start. The control program exits automatically and the robot motors de-energize immediately. The robot will collapse under gravity.
Restart: Return to Section 3.1 to restart the program.

Note: Before shutdown, place a chair under the robot or hang it on a hanger so that it does not fall hard onto the ground.

Gamepad Motion Control

Controller power indicator colors: A solid light means the controller is connected. White indicates a 2.4G wireless connection, blue indicates Bluetooth, and green indicates a USB wired connection. A flashing red battery indicator means the battery is low.

Controller mode switch: Located on the bottom/back of the controller near the USB-C port. It has three positions: USB, BT, and RF.

USB: USB wired mode, connecting to the PC with a USB-C data cable.
BT: Bluetooth mode, used to connect to the robot PC via Bluetooth.
RF: 2.4G wireless mode, used with a 2.4G USB receiver. The receiver is stored in the controller box by default.

Movement Direction Control

In Walking, High-speed Run, and Medium-speed Run modes, use the following inputs to move the robot:

Control	Operation	Effect
Right stick	Push forward or backward	Forward / Backward
Left stick	Push left or right	Left translation / Right translation
D-pad	Press `←` or `→`	Turn left / Turn right

Speed: Robot speed depends on how far the stick is pushed: a larger stick input gives faster movement, and a smaller input gives slower movement.

Mode List

Mode Level	Mode Name	Button Combination	Switchable Modes	Notes
Normal	Walking	RB + X	All modes except Recovery	Omnidirectional movement, with some obstacle-crossing ability (10–15 cm steps)
Normal	Zero Torque	RB + A	Initial Posture / Zero-position	Joints output no torque and can be rotated freely
Normal	Initial Posture	RB + B	Walking / Zero Torque / Zero-position / Recovery	Joints hold the initial posture
Normal	Zero-position	RB + Y	Initial Posture / Zero Torque	All joints hold the zero position
Advanced	Dance	LB + X	Walking / Zero Torque / press `X` to pause or resume	Automatically returns to Walking after completion. While paused, the robot may move to keep its balance (make sure there are no obstacles within 1 m of the robot)
Advanced	Recovery	LB + A	Zero Torque	Use only when the robot is lying face down or on its back. After standing up, it automatically returns to Walking (make sure there are no obstacles within 1 m of the robot)
Advanced	High-speed Run	LB + Y	Walking	Up to about 4 m/s, no obstacle-crossing ability
Advanced	Medium-speed Run	LB + B	Walking	Up to about 2 m/s, no obstacle-crossing ability
Advanced	Front Flip	LT + Y	Zero Torque	Keep 3 m in front of the robot clear of obstacles. Automatically returns to Walking after completion. Run without dummy hands installed
Normal	Clap	RT + B	Walking / press `X` to pause or resume	Automatically returns to Walking after completion
Normal	Wave	RT + A	Walking / press `X` to pause or resume	Does not automatically return to Walking

Advice for beginners: When operating for the first time, hold the lanyard at all times to prevent falls. Become familiar with the controller button positions before operating. If any anomaly occurs, press the stop button immediately.

Custom Program (SDK) Control

For developers who want to control the robot with custom algorithms, ROS, or other programs.

The operating environment and low-level programs are pre-configured and work out of the box.

SDK and ROS 2 example: (provided by HumansX to system users)

Packing and Transportation

Avoid limits: Do not leave joints in mechanical dead zones or at extreme limit positions.
Isolation protection: Insert the original foam cushioning to prevent direct contact between metal casings during transport, especially between two motor housings.

See the Packaging Instructions page for the full packing procedure.