Armar 6 vs MagicBot Z1
Side-by-side comparison of Armar 6 (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) and MagicBot Z1 (Magiclab Robotics Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Optimized for Manufacturing buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Armar 6Germany
- MagicBot Z1China
Year First Available
- Armar 62017
- MagicBot Z12025
Verified Deployments
- Armar 60 Deployments
- MagicBot Z10 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price Range (USD)
- Armar 6$87 USD
- MagicBot Z1$35,600 USD
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Armar 62 hrs
- MagicBot Z12 hrs
Availability Status
- Armar 6ACTIVE
- MagicBot Z1ACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- Armar 6192 mm
- MagicBot Z1136.9 mm
Weight
- Armar 6150 kg
- MagicBot Z140 kg
Mobility Type
- Armar 6bipedal
- MagicBot Z1bipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- Armar 6full bipedal
- MagicBot Z1full bipedal
Walking Speed
- Armar 63.6 m/s
- MagicBot Z1—
Stair Climbing
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1production ready
Terrain
- Armar 6flat indoor
- MagicBot Z1flat_indoor
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- Armar 610 kg
- MagicBot Z12 kg
Payload (Peak)
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z13 kg
Total DOF
- Armar 627
- MagicBot Z124
Arm DOF
- Armar 68
- MagicBot Z15
Hand DOF
- Armar 64
- MagicBot Z111
Arm Reach
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z150 cm
Bimanual Coordination
- Armar 6Yes
- MagicBot Z1independent
Tool Use
- Armar 6vendor demo
- MagicBot Z1—
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- Armar 6Various computers for processing tasks
- MagicBot Z18-core high-performance CPU
Compute Platform
- Armar 6Intel Core i7-6700
- MagicBot Z18-core high-performance CPU
VLM Capable
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1onboard small
Foundation Models
- Armar 6false
- MagicBot Z1—
Imitation Learning
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1multi task
Teleoperation
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z1joystick
Programming
- Armar 6ArmarX (custom software)
- MagicBot Z1code_python, teleoperation
Battery & Power
Runtime
- Armar 62.5 hrs
- MagicBot Z12 hrs
Charging Method
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z1manual swap
Battery Swap
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1Yes
Safety
Fall Recovery
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z1Yes
Human Detection Method
- Armar 6vision human
- MagicBot Z1multi modal
Software
SDK Languages
- Armar 6Python
- MagicBot Z1Python
ROS Support
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1Yes
Open API
- Armar 6No
- MagicBot Z1limited rest
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- Armar 6prototype
- MagicBot Z1beta pilot
Commercial
Price (USD)
- Armar 6$87 USD
- MagicBot Z1$35,600 USD
Price Tier
- Armar 6<10K
- MagicBot Z140-80K
Pricing Model
- Armar 6capex
- MagicBot Z1capex
Developer Unit Price
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z1$35,600
Warranty
- Armar 6—
- MagicBot Z11 yrs
Applications
- Armar 6eldercare_assistance, hospitality
- MagicBot Z1research
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | Germany | China |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2017 | 2025 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price Range (USD) (values differ) | $87 USD | $35,600 USD |
| Battery / Shift Runtime | 2 hrs | 2 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 192 mm | 136.9 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 150 kg | 40 kg |
| Mobility Type | bipedal | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 3.6 m/s | — |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | No | production ready |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat indoor | flat_indoor |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 10 kg | 2 kg |
| Payload (Peak) (values differ) | — | 3 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 27 | 24 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | 8 | 5 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | 4 | 11 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | — | 50 cm |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | Yes | independent |
| Tool Use (values differ) | vendor demo | — |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | Various computers for processing tasks | 8-core high-performance CPU |
| Compute Platform (values differ) | Intel Core i7-6700 | 8-core high-performance CPU |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | No | onboard small |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | false | — |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | No | multi task |
| Teleoperation (values differ) | — | joystick |
| Programming (values differ) | ArmarX (custom software) | code_python, teleoperation |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 2.5 hrs | 2 hrs |
| Charging Method (values differ) | — | manual swap |
| Battery Swap (values differ) | No | Yes |
| Safety | ||
| Fall Recovery (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | vision human | multi modal |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | Python | Python |
| ROS Support (values differ) | No | Yes |
| Open API (values differ) | No | limited rest |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | prototype | beta pilot |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $87 USD | $35,600 USD |
| Price Tier (values differ) | <10K | 40-80K |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | capex | capex |
| Developer Unit Price (values differ) | — | $35,600 |
| Warranty (values differ) | — | 1 yrs |
| Applications (values differ) | eldercare_assistance, hospitality | research |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Running Capable, Grip Strength, Manipulation Repeatability, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Avg Power Consumption, Force-Limited Arms, Fall Detection Response, Emergency Stops, Safe Speed Near Humans, Simulation Platforms, Air-Gap Capable, MTBF, Task Success Rate, IP Rating, Noise Level, RaaS / Month, Delivery Lead Time, Production Pilots
best in categoryweakest in categoryvalues differ
Trade-offs at a glance
Frequently asked
Who makes Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1?
Armar 6 is made by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, based in DE. MagicBot Z1 is made by Magiclab Robotics Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., based in CN.
When were Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1 launched?
Armar 6 launched in 2017. MagicBot Z1 launched in 2025.
How much does Armar 6 cost compared to MagicBot Z1?
Armar 6 is listed at $87. MagicBot Z1 is listed at $35,600.
How do Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1 compare on the Robo Index?
Armar 6 scores 100/100. MagicBot Z1 scores 82/100. The Robo Index blends specs, pricing transparency, verified deployments, and independent media coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
What is the payload difference between Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1?
Armar 6 carries up to 10 kg. MagicBot Z1 carries up to 2 kg.
Are Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1 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 Armar 6 and MagicBot Z1?
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
Armar 6 vs MagicBot Z1 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.