A2-W vs DRC-Hubo+
Side-by-side comparison of A2-W (Agibot Innovation (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd.) and DRC-Hubo+ (KAIST and Rainbow Robotics) — specs, pricing, Robo Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Cleaning & Facilities buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- A2-WChina
- DRC-Hubo+South Korea
Year First Available
- A2-W2023
- DRC-Hubo+2015
Verified Deployments
- A2-W0 Deployments
- DRC-Hubo+0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- A2-W$145,000 USD
- DRC-Hubo+$320,000 USD
Battery / Shift Runtime
- A2-W2 hrs
- DRC-Hubo+1 hrs
Availability Status
- A2-WACTIVE
- DRC-Hubo+ACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Weight
- A2-W69 kg
- DRC-Hubo+55 kg
Height
- A2-W163 mm
- DRC-Hubo+175 mm
Mobility Type
- A2-Wwheeled
- DRC-Hubo+hybrid
Humanoid Subtype
- A2-Wwheeled humanoid
- DRC-Hubo+full bipedal
Walking Speed
- A2-W1.9 m/s
- DRC-Hubo+0.3 m/s
Running Capable
- A2-W—
- DRC-Hubo+static walk
Stair Climbing
- A2-Wnone
- DRC-Hubo+production ready
Terrain
- A2-Wflat_indoor
- DRC-Hubo+rough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- A2-W5 kg
- DRC-Hubo+60 kg
Total DOF
- A2-W22
- DRC-Hubo+38
Arm DOF
- A2-W7
- DRC-Hubo+7
Hand DOF
- A2-W17
- DRC-Hubo+5
Arm Reach
- A2-W—
- DRC-Hubo+60 cm
Grip Strength
- A2-W—
- DRC-Hubo+4.9 N
Bimanual Coordination
- A2-Wcoordinated planning
- DRC-Hubo+—
Tool Use
- A2-W—
- DRC-Hubo+production validated
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- A2-W275 TOPS
- DRC-Hubo+—
VLM Capable
- A2-WNo
- DRC-Hubo+none
Foundation Models
- A2-Wfalse
- DRC-Hubo+—
Imitation Learning
- A2-WNo
- DRC-Hubo+—
Programming
- A2-Wcode_python, visual_block
- DRC-Hubo+SOLIDWORKS
Battery & Power
Runtime
- A2-W5 hrs
- DRC-Hubo+1.5 hrs
Battery Capacity
- A2-W2 kWh
- DRC-Hubo+—
Charging Time
- A2-W2 hrs
- DRC-Hubo+—
Charging Method
- A2-Wmanual swap
- DRC-Hubo+—
Battery Swap
- A2-WYes
- DRC-Hubo+—
Safety
Human Detection Method
- A2-Wmulti modal
- DRC-Hubo+—
Software
SDK Languages
- A2-Wcode_python, visual_block
- DRC-Hubo+SOLIDWORKS
ROS Support
- A2-WNo
- DRC-Hubo+—
Open API
- A2-WNo
- DRC-Hubo+—
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- A2-Wcommercial
- DRC-Hubo+prototype
IP Rating
- A2-W—
- DRC-Hubo+IPX5
Commercial
Price (USD)
- A2-W$145,000 USD
- DRC-Hubo+$320,000 USD
Price Tier
- A2-W80-150K
- DRC-Hubo+150K+
Pricing Model
- A2-Wpurchase
- DRC-Hubo+—
Warranty
- A2-W2 yrs
- DRC-Hubo+—
Applications
- A2-Wcustomer_service, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare
- DRC-Hubo+hospitality, eldercare_assistance
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | China | South Korea |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2023 | 2015 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $145,000 USD | $320,000 USD |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Cleaning & Facilities buyers) (values differ) | 2 hrs | 1 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Weight (priority for Cleaning & Facilities buyers) (values differ) | 69 kg | 55 kg |
| Height (values differ) | 163 mm | 175 mm |
| Mobility Type (values differ) | wheeled | hybrid |
| Humanoid Subtype (values differ) | wheeled humanoid | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 1.9 m/s | 0.3 m/s |
| Running Capable (values differ) | — | static walk |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | none | production ready |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat_indoor | rough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 5 kg | 60 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 22 | 38 |
| Arm DOF | 7 | 7 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | 17 | 5 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | — | 60 cm |
| Grip Strength (values differ) | — | 4.9 N |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | coordinated planning | — |
| Tool Use (values differ) | — | production validated |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | 275 TOPS | — |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | No | none |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | false | — |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | No | — |
| Programming (values differ) | code_python, visual_block | SOLIDWORKS |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 5 hrs | 1.5 hrs |
| Battery Capacity (values differ) | 2 kWh | — |
| Charging Time (values differ) | 2 hrs | — |
| Charging Method (values differ) | manual swap | — |
| Battery Swap (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Safety | ||
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | multi modal | — |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | code_python, visual_block | SOLIDWORKS |
| ROS Support (values differ) | No | — |
| Open API (values differ) | No | — |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | commercial | prototype |
| IP Rating (values differ) | — | IPX5 |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $145,000 USD | $320,000 USD |
| Price Tier (values differ) | 80-150K | 150K+ |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | purchase | — |
| Warranty (values differ) | 2 yrs | — |
| Applications (values differ) | customer_service, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare | hospitality, eldercare_assistance |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Payload (Peak), Manipulation Repeatability, Compute Platform, Teleoperation, Avg Power Consumption, Force-Limited Arms, Fall Recovery, Fall Detection Response, Emergency Stops, Safe Speed Near Humans, Simulation Platforms, Air-Gap Capable, MTBF, Task Success Rate, Noise Level, RaaS / Month, Developer Unit Price, Delivery Lead Time, Production Pilots
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 | A2-W | DRC-Hubo+ |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $145,000 | $320,000 |
| Payback period | 34.8 mo | 76.8 mo |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $105,000 | -$70,000 |
| ROI (5 yr) | +72% | -22% |
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 A2-W and DRC-Hubo+?
A2-W is made by Agibot Innovation (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd., based in CN. DRC-Hubo+ is made by KAIST and Rainbow Robotics, based in KR.
When were A2-W and DRC-Hubo+ launched?
A2-W launched in 2023. DRC-Hubo+ launched in 2015.
How much does A2-W cost compared to DRC-Hubo+?
A2-W is listed at $145,000. DRC-Hubo+ is listed at $320,000.
How do A2-W and DRC-Hubo+ compare on the Robo Score?
A2-W scores 69.0 on the Robo Score. DRC-Hubo+ scores 61.3. The Robo Score is a 0–100 credibility figure blending commercial maturity, verified deployments, company standing, and independent coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
What is the payload difference between A2-W and DRC-Hubo+?
A2-W carries up to 15 kg. DRC-Hubo+ carries up to 10 kg.
Are A2-W and DRC-Hubo+ 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 A2-W and DRC-Hubo+?
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
Want to be notified when specs or pricing change for these robots? Drop your email.
Other comparisons
About this comparison
A2-W vs DRC-Hubo+ 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 Score is calculated.