Darwin-OP vs RH5 Manus
Side-by-side comparison of Darwin-OP (ROBOTIS Co., Ltd.) and RH5 Manus (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Agriculture buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Darwin-OPSouth Korea
- RH5 Manus—
Year First Available
- Darwin-OP2010
- RH5 Manus2022
Verified Deployments
- Darwin-OP0 Deployments
- RH5 Manus0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- Darwin-OP$12,000 USD
- RH5 ManusResearch platform
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Darwin-OP0.5 hrs
- RH5 Manus—
Availability Status
- Darwin-OPACTIVE
- RH5 ManusACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- Darwin-OP45.72 cm
- RH5 Manus187 mm
Weight
- Darwin-OP9.1 kg
- RH5 Manus36 kg
Mobility Type
- Darwin-OPbipedal
- RH5 Manusbipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- Darwin-OPfull bipedal
- RH5 Manusfull bipedal
Walking Speed
- Darwin-OP0.2 m/s
- RH5 Manus0.5 m/s
Running Capable
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manusstatic walk
Stair Climbing
- Darwin-OPNo
- RH5 Manusnone
Terrain
- Darwin-OPflat indoor
- RH5 Manusflat_indoor
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manus4 kg
Total DOF
- Darwin-OP20
- RH5 Manus19
Arm DOF
- Darwin-OP3
- RH5 Manus7
Hand DOF
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manus4
Bimanual Coordination
- Darwin-OPNo
- RH5 Manusfull bimanual
Tool Use
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manusvendor demo
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- Darwin-OPIntel Atom N2600 @1.6 GHz dual core
- RH5 ManusDFKI electronic stack with FPGA for motor control
VLM Capable
- Darwin-OPNo
- RH5 Manusnone
Foundation Models
- Darwin-OPfalse
- RH5 Manus—
Imitation Learning
- Darwin-OPNo
- RH5 Manussingle task
Teleoperation
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manusvr_headset, full_body_suit
Programming
- Darwin-OPcode_python, code_ros
- RH5 Manusteleoperation
Battery & Power
Runtime
- Darwin-OP0.5 hrs
- RH5 Manus—
Charging Method
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manustethered
Battery Swap
- Darwin-OPNo
- RH5 Manus—
Safety
Force-Limited Arms
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 ManusYes
Fall Recovery
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 ManusYes
Human Detection Method
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manusgeneric obstacle
Safe Speed Near Humans
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 Manusnone
Software
SDK Languages
- Darwin-OPC++
- RH5 ManusPython, C++, ROS2
ROS Support
- Darwin-OPYes
- RH5 Manusros2 community
Simulation Platforms
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 ManusMARS
Open API
- Darwin-OPYes
- RH5 Manusopen rest
Air-Gap Capable
- Darwin-OP—
- RH5 ManusYes
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- Darwin-OPcommercial
- RH5 Manusprototype
Commercial
Price (USD)
- Darwin-OP$12,000 USD
- RH5 ManusResearch platform
Price Tier
- Darwin-OP10-20K
- RH5 Manus—
Pricing Model
- Darwin-OPpurchase
- RH5 Manus—
Warranty
- Darwin-OP1 yrs
- RH5 Manus—
Applications
- Darwin-OPeducation, research
- RH5 Manusassembly
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | South Korea | — |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2010 | 2022 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $12,000 USD | Research platform |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Agriculture buyers) (values differ) | 0.5 hrs | — |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 45.72 cm | 187 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 9.1 kg | 36 kg |
| Mobility Type | bipedal | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.2 m/s | 0.5 m/s |
| Running Capable (values differ) | — | static walk |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | No | none |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat indoor | flat_indoor |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | — | 4 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 20 | 19 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | 3 | 7 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | — | 4 |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | No | full bimanual |
| Tool Use (values differ) | — | vendor demo |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | Intel Atom N2600 @1.6 GHz dual core | DFKI electronic stack with FPGA for motor control |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | No | none |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | false | — |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | No | single task |
| Teleoperation (values differ) | — | vr_headset, full_body_suit |
| Programming (values differ) | code_python, code_ros | teleoperation |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 0.5 hrs | — |
| Charging Method (values differ) | — | tethered |
| Battery Swap (values differ) | No | — |
| Safety | ||
| Force-Limited Arms (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Fall Recovery (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | — | generic obstacle |
| Safe Speed Near Humans (values differ) | — | none |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | C++ | Python, C++, ROS2 |
| ROS Support (values differ) | Yes | ros2 community |
| Simulation Platforms (values differ) | — | MARS |
| Open API (values differ) | Yes | open rest |
| Air-Gap Capable (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | commercial | prototype |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $12,000 USD | Research platform |
| Price Tier (values differ) | 10-20K | — |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | purchase | — |
| Warranty (values differ) | 1 yrs | — |
| Applications (values differ) | education, research | assembly |
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, Compute Platform, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Avg Power Consumption, Fall Detection Response, Emergency Stops, MTBF, Task Success Rate, IP Rating, 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 | RH5 Manus |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $12,000 | No price |
| Payback period | 2.9 mo | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $238,000 | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | +1983% | — |
RH5 Manus 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 Darwin-OP and RH5 Manus?
Darwin-OP is made by ROBOTIS Co., Ltd., based in KR. RH5 Manus is made by German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH.
When were Darwin-OP and RH5 Manus launched?
Darwin-OP launched in 2010. RH5 Manus launched in 2022.
How do Darwin-OP and RH5 Manus compare on the Robo Index?
Darwin-OP grades AA on the Robo Index. RH5 Manus grades B. 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 RH5 Manus 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 RH5 Manus?
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 RH5 Manus 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.