66.8
Category
Research & Prototype
Read the guide →Research platforms and prototype robots not commercially available
100+ robots ranked in this category
At a glance
Research & Prototype buying guides
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Research & Lab Robots
The research-robot procurement RFP: questions and red flags
A structured RFP for research robot procurement covers SDK openness, ROS 2 support, spare parts, export control, and end-of-life risk. This is the checklist tha…
May 29, 202611 minBy Robolist Editorial
Research & Lab Robots
A 90-day playbook to stand up a new platform in a lab
Most research robot deployments fail at the handoff: the student who set it up leaves, and no one can reproduce the environment. This 90-day playbook builds rep…
May 29, 20268 minBy Robolist Editorial
Research & Lab Robots
Matching research robot platform to research goal
The wrong platform for a research domain creates years of friction. This domain-by-domain breakdown maps hardware categories to research goals and evaluates ROS…
May 29, 202610 minBy Robolist Editorial
Top research & prototype robots
All research & prototype robots
190 of 190 shown
research
66.6
66.6
66.6
65.0
61.8
60.6
58.6
58.2
58.2
58.1
Salamandra robotica II
Biorobotics Laboratory at EPFL · CHPayload 10 kg · Speed 1.4 m/s
Price on request2012
57.0
56.9
56.7
research
56.6
56.5
55.9
55.5
55.5
53.7
LAURON VI
FZI Research Center for Information Technology · DEPayload 12 kg · Speed 0.5 m/s
$150,000est2024
50.4
research
50.1
49.8
49.8
49.6
49.6
48.9
48.7
research
48.5
48.1
48.1
47.9
46.7
46.5
46.3
45.6
45.2
45.2
44.4
43.8
43.3
43.2
43.0
42.7
![TurtleBot 3 Waffle Pi RPi4 2GB [US]](https://6ghmbypo0r48iweh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/robots/turtlebot-3-waffle-pi-rpi4-2gb-us/4869b1cd2cfe8f56/w1600.webp)
42.5
![TurtleBot 3 Waffle Pi RPi4 4GB [US]](https://6ghmbypo0r48iweh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/robots/turtlebot-3-waffle-pi-rpi4-4gb-us/e506f6b01caa0d00/w1600.webp)
42.5
![TurtleBot 3 Burger RPi4 2GB [US]](https://6ghmbypo0r48iweh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/robots/turtlebot-3-burger-rpi4-2gb-us/3880b6b97ca9cde7/w1600.webp)
42.5
![TurtleBot 3 Burger RPi4 4GB [US]](https://6ghmbypo0r48iweh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/robots/turtlebot-3-burger-rpi4-4gb-us/561bcdec19ca930d/w1600.webp)
42.5
research
42.2
42.2
42.0
42.0
41.7
41.3
41.3
41.2
41.0
Colias
Computer Intelligence Lab at the University of LincolnPayload 5 kg · Speed 0.4 m/s
Price on request2018
40.9
40.7
40.7
40.7
40.5
40.3
40.2
40.2
40.2
40.1
40.0
39.9
39.9
39.9
research
39.9
39.8
39.7
39.6
Oculus Prime Pi Explorer
Xaxxon Technologies · USPayload 3 kg · Speed 0.4 m/s
Price on requestShipping
39.6
Oculus Prime SLAM Navigator
Xaxxon Technologies · USPayload 2.5 kg · Speed 0.4 m/s
Price on requestShipping
39.5
39.5
39.4
39.4
39.3
39.3
39.2
39.2
39.2
39.1
39.1
39.0
38.9
38.9
38.7
38.7
38.6
38.5
38.5
research
38.3
38.2
38.0
38.0
38.0
38.0
research
37.9
BepiColombo
European Space Agency (ESA) & Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyPayload 1,400 kg
Price on request2018
37.9
37.8
37.7
37.6
37.6
37.6
37.4
37.3
37.0
37.0
research
37.0
36.9
36.9
36.8
36.8
36.7
36.6
36.4
36.2
36.2
36.2
36.1
36.0
research
36.0
Care-O-bot 3
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation · DEPayload 5 kg
Price on requestShipping
35.9
research
35.9
35.6
35.5
35.5
Quince
Chiba Institute of Technology and Tohoku UniversityPayload 20 kg · Speed 1.6 m/s
Price on request2011
research
35.4
35.4
research
35.3
35.3
RHex
University of Michigan, McGill University, Kod*Lab, and DARPAPayload 8 kg · Speed 2.3 m/s
Price on request2010
34.8
34.8
34.4
34.3
34.2
33.8
research
33.8
33.4
33.2
33.2
33.2
33.0
32.7
32.5
32.4
32.3
32.3
31.9
31.8
31.7
31.7
31.5
31.5
31.4
31.3
31.3
31.3
31.1
31.0
30.9
30.8
30.8
research
30.8
30.5
30.4
30.2
30.0
29.8
29.8
29.6
29.5
29.3
29.3
research
29.2
29.0
29.0
28.9
28.7
research
28.5
research
27.8
27.7
26.9
research
26.6
22.7
22.6
How this category compares
190 models| Metric | Median | Typical range | Highest | Models |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload | 20 kg | 7.1–88.5 kg | 22,000 kg | 98 of 190 |
| Speed | 1.5 m/s | 0.5–2.1 m/s | 22.35 m/s | 105 of 190 |
| Weight | 30 kg | 3.6–89.1 kg | 16,000 kg | 156 of 190 |
▸Show distributions (3 charts)
Payload
98 of 190 modelsMedian
20 kg
Typical range
7.1–88.5
kg
Highest
22,000 kg
Middle half
12.5×
spread across the middle 50%
0.5 kgMedian 20.0 kg22000.0 kg
| Range | Count |
|---|---|
| 0.5 kg–1.2 kg | 4 |
| 1.2 kg–3.0 kg | 5 |
| 3.0 kg–7.2 kg | 16 |
| 7.2 kg–17.7 kg | 22 |
| 17.7 kg–43.0 kg | 17 |
| 43.0 kg–104.9 kg | 16 |
| 104.9 kg–255.7 kg | 5 |
| 255.7 kg–623.2 kg | 4 |
| 623.2 kg–1519.0 kg | 5 |
| 1519.0 kg–3702.7 kg | 1 |
| 3702.7 kg–9025.4 kg | 2 |
| 9025.4 kg–22000.0 kg | 1 |
Speed
105 of 190 modelsMedian
1.5 m/s
Typical range
0.5–2.1
m/s
Highest
22.35 m/s
Middle half
4.2×
spread across the middle 50%
0.01 m/sMedian 1.50 m/s22.35 m/s
| Range | Count |
|---|---|
| 0.01 m/s–0.02 m/s | 1 |
| 0.02 m/s–0.04 m/s | 0 |
| 0.04 m/s–0.07 m/s | 1 |
| 0.07 m/s–0.13 m/s | 4 |
| 0.13 m/s–0.25 m/s | 3 |
| 0.25 m/s–0.47 m/s | 12 |
| 0.47 m/s–0.90 m/s | 13 |
| 0.90 m/s–1.71 m/s | 31 |
| 1.71 m/s–3.25 m/s | 22 |
| 3.25 m/s–6.18 m/s | 9 |
| 6.18 m/s–11.75 m/s | 3 |
| 11.75 m/s–22.35 m/s | 6 |
Weight
156 of 190 modelsMedian
30 kg
Typical range
3.6–89.1
kg
Highest
16,000 kg
Middle half
24.8×
spread across the middle 50%
0.0 kgMedian 30.0 kg16000.0 kg
| Range | Count |
|---|---|
| 0.0 kg–0.1 kg | 3 |
| 0.1 kg–0.4 kg | 7 |
| 0.4 kg–1.2 kg | 14 |
| 1.2 kg–3.4 kg | 14 |
| 3.4 kg–9.8 kg | 15 |
| 9.8 kg–28.3 kg | 21 |
| 28.3 kg–81.3 kg | 41 |
| 81.3 kg–233.9 kg | 18 |
| 233.9 kg–672.7 kg | 5 |
| 672.7 kg–1934.6 kg | 8 |
| 1934.6 kg–5563.6 kg | 6 |
| 5563.6 kg–16000.0 kg | 4 |
| Model | Score | Payload (kg) | Speed (m/s) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iRobot Create | 66.8 | — | 0.5 | — |
| PR1 | 66.6 | 25 | 0.8 | 30 |
| Kilobot | 66.6 | — | 0.04 | — |
| Saildrone Explorer | 66.6 | 20 | 8 | 750 |
| Aqua2 | 65.0 | 25 | 5 | 37 |
| The Flex Robotic System | 61.8 | 10 | — | 88.5 |
| Dingo-D | 60.6 | 20 | 1.3 | 9.1 |
| Wave Glider | 58.6 | 215 | 1.53 | 155 |
| SmartBird | 58.2 | — | 6.94 | 0.5 |
| Yamaha Fazer R G2 | 58.2 | 50 | 20 | 81 |
| Salamandra robotica II | 58.1 | 10 | 1.42 | 25 |
| LAURON V | 57.0 | — | 0.5 | 43.5 |
| ARM | 56.9 | 2.5 | — | 55 |
| Robear | 56.7 | 40 | 6 | 140.6 |
| Kirobo | 56.6 | — | — | 1 |
| CUE7 | 56.5 | — | — | 91 |
| Telenoid | 55.9 | 2.7 | — | 5 |
| Cassie | 55.5 | — | 1.39 | 31 |
| Saab Skeldar V-150 | 55.5 | 40 | — | 235 |
| LAURON VI | 53.7 | 12 | 0.5 | 43.5 |