4NE-1 vs CHARLI
Side-by-side comparison of 4NE-1 (NEURA Robotics) and CHARLI (UCLA and RoMeLa) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- 4NE-1Germany
- CHARLIUnited States
Year First Available
- 4NE-12026
- CHARLI2011
Verified Deployments
- 4NE-10 Deployments
- CHARLI0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- 4NE-1$21,500–$105,000 USD
- CHARLIContact for quote
Battery / Shift Runtime
- 4NE-1—
- CHARLI0.5 hrs
Availability Status
- 4NE-1ACTIVE
- CHARLIACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- 4NE-1180 mm
- CHARLI141 mm
Weight
- 4NE-180 kg
- CHARLI12.1 kg
Mobility Type
- 4NE-1bipedal
- CHARLIbipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- 4NE-1full bipedal
- CHARLIfull bipedal
Walking Speed
- 4NE-10.8 m/s
- CHARLI2.1 m/s
Running Capable
- 4NE-1—
- CHARLIdynamic walk
Stair Climbing
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Terrain
- 4NE-1home, healthcare, customer service
- CHARLIrough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- 4NE-115 kg
- CHARLI—
Total DOF
- 4NE-112
- CHARLI20
Arm DOF
- 4NE-1—
- CHARLI4
Hand DOF
- 4NE-112
- CHARLI1
Bimanual Coordination
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- 4NE-1NEURA Cognitive Technology Platform
- CHARLISingle-board computer with 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU
VLM Capable
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Foundation Models
- 4NE-1false
- CHARLIfalse
Imitation Learning
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Programming
- 4NE-1NEURA Ai API
- CHARLIUbuntu Linux OS and custom operation and control program coded in C++
Battery & Power
Runtime
- 4NE-1—
- CHARLI0.5 hrs
Battery Swap
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Software
SDK Languages
- 4NE-1Python
- CHARLIC++
ROS Support
- 4NE-1No
- CHARLINo
Open API
- 4NE-1Yes
- CHARLINo
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- 4NE-1commercial
- CHARLIprototype
Commercial
Price (USD)
- 4NE-1$21,500–$105,000 USD
- CHARLIContact for quote
Price Tier
- 4NE-180-150K
- CHARLI—
Pricing Model
- 4NE-1purchase
- CHARLI—
Production Pilots
- 4NE-1—
- CHARLIRoboCup
Applications
- 4NE-1home_assistance, healthcare_support, customer_service
- CHARLIresearch
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | Germany | United States |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2026 | 2011 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $21,500–$105,000 USD | Contact for quote |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ) | — | 0.5 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 180 mm | 141 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 80 kg | 12.1 kg |
| Mobility Type | bipedal | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.8 m/s | 2.1 m/s |
| Running Capable (values differ) | — | dynamic walk |
| Stair Climbing | No | No |
| Terrain (values differ) | home, healthcare, customer service | rough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 15 kg | — |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 12 | 20 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | — | 4 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | 12 | 1 |
| Bimanual Coordination | No | No |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | NEURA Cognitive Technology Platform | Single-board computer with 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU |
| VLM Capable | No | No |
| Foundation Models | false | false |
| Imitation Learning | No | No |
| Programming (values differ) | NEURA Ai API | Ubuntu Linux OS and custom operation and control program coded in C++ |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | — | 0.5 hrs |
| Battery Swap | No | No |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | Python | C++ |
| ROS Support | No | No |
| Open API (values differ) | Yes | No |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | commercial | prototype |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $21,500–$105,000 USD | Contact for quote |
| Price Tier (values differ) | 80-150K | — |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | purchase | — |
| Production Pilots (values differ) | — | RoboCup |
| Applications (values differ) | home_assistance, healthcare_support, customer_service | research |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Payload (Peak), Arm Reach, Grip Strength, Manipulation Repeatability, Tool Use, Compute Platform, Teleoperation, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Charging Method, Avg Power Consumption, Force-Limited Arms, Fall Recovery, Fall Detection Response, Emergency Stops, Human Detection Method, Safe Speed Near Humans, Simulation Platforms, Air-Gap Capable, MTBF, Task Success Rate, IP Rating, Noise Level, RaaS / Month, Developer Unit Price, Delivery Lead Time, Warranty
ROI Comparison
Same operating assumptions across every robot — the only difference is price. Set your numbers once to see which pays back fastest.
Annual labor displaced (per robot): $50,000
| Metric | 4NE-1 | CHARLI |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $63,250 | No price |
| Payback period | 15.2 mo | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $186,750 | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | +295% | — |
CHARLI has no listed price, so payback can't be computed. Contact the manufacturer for a quote.
Estimates labor-cost displacement only — not a full total cost of ownership. Actual ROI depends on integration, maintenance, training, downtime, and task fit. Converted currencies are indicative; USD is the price of record.
Trade-offs at a glance
Frequently asked
Who makes 4NE-1 and CHARLI?
4NE-1 is made by NEURA Robotics, based in DE. CHARLI is made by UCLA and RoMeLa, based in US.
When were 4NE-1 and CHARLI launched?
4NE-1 launched in 2026. CHARLI launched in 2011.
How do 4NE-1 and CHARLI compare on the Robo Index?
4NE-1 grades A on the Robo Index. CHARLI grades A. The Robo Index is a credibility grade (AAA … C) that blends commercial maturity, verified deployments, company standing, and independent coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
Are 4NE-1 and CHARLI in the same category?
Both robots are classified as Humanoid on Robolist. Filters and ranking treat them as direct alternatives.
What is the realistic total cost of ownership for Humanoid robots?
Hardware cost is one input. Humanoid TCO also includes integration, training, downtime, and end-of-life. Our breakdown: Humanoid TCO: Hardware, Cloud Subscriptions, and the Cost of Teleop Time.
What should a buyer ask vendors when choosing between 4NE-1 and CHARLI?
Spec sheets only show part of the story. Useful vendor questions cover support, lifecycle, integration cost, and references. We have a buyer-focused checklist: Vendor Selection for Humanoids: The 10 Questions You Must Ask.
Going deeper — picking the right robot
Humanoid TCO: Hardware, Cloud Subscriptions, and the Cost of Teleop Time
8 min readHumanoid Robots
Vendor Selection for Humanoids: The 10 Questions You Must Ask
10 min readHumanoid Robots
Running a Humanoid Pilot: Scope, Success Criteria, and Exit Options
9 min readHumanoid Robots
Build vs buy vs lease: which model fits a first deployment
8 min readChoosing Your First Robot
The hidden specs vendors hope you'll miss
10 min readReading the Spec Sheet
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About this comparison
4NE-1 vs CHARLI compares two robots in the humanoid category. All data is sourced from manufacturer spec sheets, verified deployments, and third-party filings; see our methodology for how the Robo Index is calculated.