DRC-Hubo+ vs HRP-4
Side-by-side comparison of DRC-Hubo+ (KAIST and Rainbow Robotics) and HRP-4 (Kawada Industries) — 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
- DRC-Hubo+South Korea
- HRP-4Japan
Year First Available
- DRC-Hubo+2015
- HRP-42010
Verified Deployments
- DRC-Hubo+0 Deployments
- HRP-40 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- DRC-Hubo+$320,000 USD
- HRP-4$300,000–$305,000 USD
Battery / Shift Runtime
- DRC-Hubo+1 hrs
- HRP-40.4 hrs
Availability Status
- DRC-Hubo+ACTIVE
- HRP-4ACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- DRC-Hubo+175 mm
- HRP-4151 mm
Weight
- DRC-Hubo+55 kg
- HRP-439 kg
Mobility Type
- DRC-Hubo+hybrid
- HRP-4bipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- DRC-Hubo+full bipedal
- HRP-4research platform
Walking Speed
- DRC-Hubo+0.3 m/s
- HRP-40.6 m/s
Running Capable
- DRC-Hubo+static walk
- HRP-4—
Stair Climbing
- DRC-Hubo+production ready
- HRP-4No
Terrain
- DRC-Hubo+rough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured
- HRP-4flat indoor
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- DRC-Hubo+60 kg
- HRP-40.5 kg
Total DOF
- DRC-Hubo+38
- HRP-434
Arm DOF
- DRC-Hubo+7
- HRP-47
Hand DOF
- DRC-Hubo+5
- HRP-42
Arm Reach
- DRC-Hubo+60 cm
- HRP-4—
Grip Strength
- DRC-Hubo+4.9 N
- HRP-4—
Bimanual Coordination
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4Yes
Tool Use
- DRC-Hubo+production validated
- HRP-4—
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4Linux kernel with RT-Preempt patch
Compute Platform
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4Intel Pentium M (1.6 GHz)
VLM Capable
- DRC-Hubo+none
- HRP-4No
Foundation Models
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4false
Imitation Learning
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4No
Programming
- DRC-Hubo+SOLIDWORKS
- HRP-4code_ros
Battery & Power
Runtime
- DRC-Hubo+1.5 hrs
- HRP-40.4 hrs
Battery Swap
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4No
Safety
Human Detection Method
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4vision human
Software
SDK Languages
- DRC-Hubo+SOLIDWORKS
- HRP-4Linux
ROS Support
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4Yes
Open API
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4No
Reliability
IP Rating
- DRC-Hubo+IPX5
- HRP-4—
Deployment Maturity
- DRC-Hubo+prototype
- HRP-4prototype
Commercial
Price (USD)
- DRC-Hubo+$320,000 USD
- HRP-4$300,000–$305,000 USD
Price Tier
- DRC-Hubo+150K+
- HRP-4150K+
Pricing Model
- DRC-Hubo+—
- HRP-4purchase
Applications
- DRC-Hubo+hospitality, eldercare_assistance
- HRP-4research
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | South Korea | Japan |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2015 | 2010 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $320,000 USD | $300,000–$305,000 USD |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ) | 1 hrs | 0.4 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 175 mm | 151 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 55 kg | 39 kg |
| Mobility Type (values differ) | hybrid | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype (values differ) | full bipedal | research platform |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.3 m/s | 0.6 m/s |
| Running Capable (values differ) | static walk | — |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | production ready | No |
| Terrain (values differ) | rough_indoor, outdoor_unstructured | flat indoor |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 60 kg | 0.5 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 38 | 34 |
| Arm DOF | 7 | 7 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | 5 | 2 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | 60 cm | — |
| Grip Strength (values differ) | 4.9 N | — |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Tool Use (values differ) | production validated | — |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | — | Linux kernel with RT-Preempt patch |
| Compute Platform (values differ) | — | Intel Pentium M (1.6 GHz) |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | none | No |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | — | false |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | — | No |
| Programming (values differ) | SOLIDWORKS | code_ros |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 1.5 hrs | 0.4 hrs |
| Battery Swap (values differ) | — | No |
| Safety | ||
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | — | vision human |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | SOLIDWORKS | Linux |
| ROS Support (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Open API (values differ) | — | No |
| Reliability | ||
| IP Rating (priority for Manufacturing buyers) (values differ) | IPX5 | — |
| Deployment Maturity | prototype | prototype |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $320,000 USD | $300,000–$305,000 USD |
| Price Tier | 150K+ | 150K+ |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | — | purchase |
| Applications (values differ) | hospitality, eldercare_assistance | research |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Payload (Peak), Manipulation Repeatability, Teleoperation, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Charging Method, 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, Warranty, 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 | DRC-Hubo+ | HRP-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $320,000 | $302,500 |
| Payback period | 76.8 mo | 72.6 mo |
| Net savings (5 yr) | -$70,000 | -$52,500 |
| ROI (5 yr) | -22% | -17% |
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 DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4?
DRC-Hubo+ is made by KAIST and Rainbow Robotics, based in KR. HRP-4 is made by Kawada Industries, based in JP.
When were DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4 launched?
DRC-Hubo+ launched in 2015. HRP-4 launched in 2010.
How do DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4 compare on the Robo Index?
DRC-Hubo+ grades A on the Robo Index. HRP-4 grades AA. 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.
What is the payload difference between DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4?
DRC-Hubo+ carries up to 10 kg. HRP-4 carries up to 0.5 kg.
Are DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4 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 DRC-Hubo+ and HRP-4?
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
DRC-Hubo+ vs HRP-4 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.