Kilobot vs Sea Hunter

Side-by-side comparison of Kilobot (Harvard) and Sea Hunter (Leidos) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.

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KilobotAA

Sea HunterBB

Layer 1: Identity & Trust

Manufacturer Country

KilobotSwitzerland
Sea HunterUnited States

Year First Available

Kilobot2014
Sea Hunter2021

Verified Deployments

Kilobot0 Deployments
Sea Hunter0 Deployments

Layer 2: Operational

Battery / Shift Runtime

Kilobot4 hrs
Sea Hunter—

Availability Status

KilobotACTIVE
Sea HunterACTIVE

Layer 3: Category Specific

Payload Capacity

Kilobot—
Sea Hunter907.2 kg

Max Speed

Kilobot0 m/s
Sea Hunter20.6 m/s

Autonomy Level

Kilobotfully autonomous
Sea Hunter—

	KilobotresearchHarvard AARobo Index	Sea HunterresearchLeidos BBRobo Index
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country (values differ)	Switzerland	United States
Year First Available (values differ)	2014	2021
Verified Deployments	0 Deployments	0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ)	4 hrs	—
Availability Status	ACTIVE	ACTIVE
Layer 3: Category Specific
Payload Capacity (values differ)	—	907.2 kg
Max Speed (values differ)	0 m/s	20.6 m/s
Autonomy Level (values differ)	fully autonomous	—

Insufficient data for full comparison

The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Price, Reach, IP Rating

best in categoryweakest in categoryvalues differ

ROI Comparison

Same operating assumptions across every robot — the only difference is price. Set your numbers once to see which pays back fastest.

Robots (fleet)

Hours / day

Labor $/hr (USD)

Days / year

Annual labor displaced (per robot): $50,000

Metric	Kilobot	Sea Hunter
Investment	No price	No price
Payback period	—	—
Net savings (5 yr)	—	—
ROI (5 yr)	—	—

Kilobot, Sea Hunter have 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 Kilobot and Sea Hunter?

Kilobot is made by Harvard, based in CH. Sea Hunter is made by Leidos, based in US.

When were Kilobot and Sea Hunter launched?

Kilobot launched in 2014. Sea Hunter launched in 2021.

How do Kilobot and Sea Hunter compare on the Robo Index?

Kilobot grades AA on the Robo Index. Sea Hunter grades BB. 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 Kilobot and Sea Hunter in the same category?

Both robots are classified as Research on Robolist. Filters and ranking treat them as direct alternatives.

What is the realistic total cost of ownership for Research robots?

Hardware cost is one input. Research TCO also includes integration, training, downtime, and end-of-life. Our breakdown: The real cost of a research platform.

What should a buyer ask vendors when choosing between Kilobot and Sea Hunter?

Spec sheets only show part of the story. Useful vendor questions cover support, lifecycle, integration cost, and references. We have a buyer-focused checklist: The research-robot procurement RFP: questions and red flags.

Going deeper — picking the right robot

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About this comparison

Kilobot vs Sea Hunter compares two robots in the research 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.