Darwin-OP vs iR18 - 1000
Side-by-side comparison of Darwin-OP (ROBOTIS Co., Ltd.) and iR18 - 1000 (Unical Robot) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Home & Household buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Darwin-OPSouth Korea
- iR18 - 1000Thailand
Year First Available
- Darwin-OP2010
- iR18 - 1000—
Verified Deployments
- Darwin-OP0 Deployments
- iR18 - 10000 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- Darwin-OP$12,000 USD
- iR18 - 1000$53,134 USD
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Darwin-OP0.5 hrs
- iR18 - 1000—
Availability Status
- Darwin-OPACTIVE
- iR18 - 1000ACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Weight
- Darwin-OP9.1 kg
- iR18 - 100057.2 kg
Height
- Darwin-OP45.72 cm
- iR18 - 100050 cm
Mobility Type
- Darwin-OPbipedal
- iR18 - 1000static
Humanoid Subtype
- Darwin-OPfull bipedal
- iR18 - 1000other
Walking Speed
- Darwin-OP0.2 m/s
- iR18 - 1000—
Stair Climbing
- Darwin-OPNo
- iR18 - 1000No
Terrain
- Darwin-OPflat indoor
- iR18 - 1000factory, warehouse
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 100015 kg
Payload (Peak)
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 100017.5 kg
Total DOF
- Darwin-OP20
- iR18 - 10006
Arm DOF
- Darwin-OP3
- iR18 - 10006
Arm Reach
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 100095 cm
Manipulation Repeatability
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 1000±0.05 mm
Bimanual Coordination
- Darwin-OPNo
- iR18 - 1000No
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- Darwin-OPIntel Atom N2600 @1.6 GHz dual core
- iR18 - 1000—
VLM Capable
- Darwin-OPNo
- iR18 - 1000No
Foundation Models
- Darwin-OPfalse
- iR18 - 1000false
Imitation Learning
- Darwin-OPNo
- iR18 - 1000No
Programming
- Darwin-OPcode_python, code_ros
- iR18 - 1000MachineLogic
Battery & Power
Runtime
- Darwin-OP0.5 hrs
- iR18 - 1000—
Battery Swap
- Darwin-OPNo
- iR18 - 1000No
Avg Power Consumption
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 1000350 W
Software
SDK Languages
- Darwin-OPC++
- iR18 - 1000Python
ROS Support
- Darwin-OPYes
- iR18 - 1000No
Open API
- Darwin-OPYes
- iR18 - 1000No
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- Darwin-OPcommercial
- iR18 - 1000commercial
IP Rating
- Darwin-OP—
- iR18 - 1000IP65
Commercial
Price (USD)
- Darwin-OP$12,000 USD
- iR18 - 1000$53,134 USD
Price Tier
- Darwin-OP10-20K
- iR18 - 1000under_50k
Pricing Model
- Darwin-OPpurchase
- iR18 - 1000outright purchase
Warranty
- Darwin-OP1 yrs
- iR18 - 10001 yrs
Applications
- Darwin-OPeducation, research
- iR18 - 1000warehouse_transport, assembly, inspection
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | South Korea | Thailand |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2010 | — |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $12,000 USD | $53,134 USD |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Home & Household buyers) (values differ) | 0.5 hrs | — |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Weight (priority for Home & Household buyers) (values differ) | 9.1 kg | 57.2 kg |
| Height (values differ) | 45.72 cm | 50 cm |
| Mobility Type (values differ) | bipedal | static |
| Humanoid Subtype (values differ) | full bipedal | other |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.2 m/s | — |
| Stair Climbing | No | No |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat indoor | factory, warehouse |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | — | 15 kg |
| Payload (Peak) (values differ) | — | 17.5 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 20 | 6 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | 3 | 6 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | — | 95 cm |
| Manipulation Repeatability (values differ) | — | ±0.05 mm |
| Bimanual Coordination | No | No |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | Intel Atom N2600 @1.6 GHz dual core | — |
| VLM Capable | No | No |
| Foundation Models | false | false |
| Imitation Learning | No | No |
| Programming (values differ) | code_python, code_ros | MachineLogic |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 0.5 hrs | — |
| Battery Swap | No | No |
| Avg Power Consumption (values differ) | — | 350 W |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | C++ | Python |
| ROS Support (values differ) | Yes | No |
| Open API (values differ) | Yes | No |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity | commercial | commercial |
| IP Rating (values differ) | — | IP65 |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $12,000 USD | $53,134 USD |
| Price Tier (values differ) | 10-20K | under_50k |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | purchase | outright purchase |
| Warranty | 1 yrs | 1 yrs |
| Applications (values differ) | education, research | warehouse_transport, assembly, inspection |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Running Capable, Hand DOF, Grip Strength, Tool Use, Compute Platform, Teleoperation, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Charging Method, 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, 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 | Darwin-OP | iR18 - 1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $12,000 | $53,134 |
| Payback period | 2.9 mo | 12.8 mo |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $238,000 | $196,866 |
| ROI (5 yr) | +1983% | +371% |
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 Darwin-OP and iR18 - 1000?
Darwin-OP is made by ROBOTIS Co., Ltd., based in KR. iR18 - 1000 is made by Unical Robot, based in TH.
How much does Darwin-OP cost compared to iR18 - 1000?
Darwin-OP is listed at $12,000. iR18 - 1000 is listed at $53,134.
How do Darwin-OP and iR18 - 1000 compare on the Robo Index?
Darwin-OP grades AA on the Robo Index. iR18 - 1000 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 Darwin-OP and iR18 - 1000 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 Darwin-OP and iR18 - 1000?
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
Darwin-OP vs iR18 - 1000 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.