navel robotics

navel robotics GmbH is a German robotics company based in Munich that develops empathetic social robots designed for human interaction, with a strong focus on care settings such as nursing homes, elderly homes and children's hospitals. The company was founded in May 2017 by Claude Toussaint, who serves as CEO and previously worked as a managing partner at the international consulting agency designaffairs, bringing around 20 years of experience in user experience design, product strategy and management consulting. The management team also includes Dino Dario Monopoli as CCO, with international leadership experience in business development and sales. The company's flagship offering is Navel, a social robot described as an "empathy robot for good care." Navel is designed to activate and engage care receivers: it addresses each person individually by name, remembers previous conversations, chats about everyday topics such as cooking, crafts, countries, history, art and technology, and tells jokes and poems. It uses lively eyes and facial expressions to create a good atmosphere, asks how people are doing, reacts empathetically even when the mood is not good, and always tries to find a positive side. Powered by AI (GPT), Navel is presented as constantly learning new skills through regular updates, with customer feedback shaping the functions that help most in care. Navel is positioned not as a toy but as a socially intelligent robotic being. According to the company, the robot understands spoken language as well as non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures, establishes eye contact before speaking, and shows empathy through facial expressions and an emotional voice. The company's mission is to make the potential of robots and artificial intelligence available to everyone, especially in social areas, by combining deep tech, design and psychology in an interdisciplinary team. The company's roadmap shows a long research and development phase. After its foundation in 2017, navel robotics participated in the BMBF-funded VIVA research project from August 2018 to December 2021, followed by the BayTOU research project from February 2021 to June 2023. A first working prototype and Wizard-of-Oz tests in nursing homes and children's hospitals were completed in December 2020. A second prototype generation on a wheel platform followed in July 2021, a third prototype generation in Q2 2022, and small batch production with sales to research institutions and care facilities in Q4 2023. Series production is planned for 2026. Navel has been tested and used by care organizations and institutions in Germany, including Johanniter elderly homes, Evangelische Heimstiftung, Keppler Stiftung, Rummelsberger Diakonie and Korian Deutschland. Customer testimonials highlight its ability to create a good atmosphere, improve quality of life, and serve as a crisis manager for challenging behavior and sadness. The robot is also described as easy to use even by a 95-year-old resident.

navel robotics GmbH was founded in May 2017 in Munich, Germany, by Claude Toussaint, who became CEO. Toussaint had previously been a managing partner at the international consulting agency designaffairs and brought around 20 years of experience in user experience design, product strategy and management consulting for global corporations. The company was established with the mission of creating empathetic robotic beings — social robots that people enjoy interacting with — and making the potential of robots and artificial intelligence available to everyone, especially in social areas such as care. From August 2018 to December 2021, navel robotics participated in the BMBF-funded VIVA research project. In December 2020, the company completed its first working prototype and conducted Wizard-of-Oz tests in nursing homes and children's hospitals. A second prototype generation on a wheel platform followed in July 2021, developed during the BayTOU research project, which ran from February 2021 to June 2023. A third prototype generation was completed in Q2 2022. In Q4 2023, navel robotics moved into small batch production, selling Navel robots to research institutions and care facilities. The company plans series production for 2026. Throughout its development, Navel has been tested and used by care organizations in Germany, including Johanniter elderly homes, Evangelische Heimstiftung, Keppler Stiftung, Rummelsberger Diakonie and Korian Deutschland. Feedback from these customers is used to develop the functions that help most in care. The company describes its team as highly interdisciplinary, combining deep tech, design and psychology. Its robot Navel is powered by AI (GPT) and is designed to understand spoken language as well as non-verbal cues like facial expressions and gestures, establish eye contact before speaking, and show empathy through facial expressions and an emotional voice. Navel addresses each person individually by name, remembers previous conversations, chats about everyday topics, tells jokes and poems, and reacts empathetically. The company positions Navel not as a toy but as a socially intelligent robotic being that can improve quality of life in care settings.

• 2026

  Planned series production

• 2023

  Small batch production; sale to research institutions and care facilities

• 2022

  Third prototype generation

• 2021

  Start of BayTOU research project (until June 2023)

• 2021

  Second prototype generation on wheel platform

• 2020

  First working prototype and Wizard-of-Oz tests in nursing homes and children's hospitals

• 2018

  Start of BMBF-funded VIVA research project (until December 2021)

• 2017

  Foundation of navel robotics GmbH

Empathetic social robots for care, combining AI, design and psychology to make robots accessible to everyone in social areas.

• Navel

  AI-powered empathy robot for care that addresses people by name, remembers conversations, chats about everyday topics, tells jokes and poems, and reacts empathetically.

1. 1Navel – the new empathy robot for good carenavelrobotics.com
2. 2About Us - navelnavelrobotics.com
3. 3navel roboticswikidata.org