Kilobot vs Thymio

Side-by-side comparison of Kilobot (Harvard) and Thymio (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) — 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.

KilobotAA

ThymioBB

Layer 1: Identity & Trust

Manufacturer Country

KilobotSwitzerland
Thymio—

Year First Available

Kilobot2014
Thymio2014

Verified Deployments

Kilobot0 Deployments
Thymio0 Deployments

Layer 2: Operational

Battery / Shift Runtime

Kilobot4 hrs
Thymio3 hrs

Availability Status

KilobotACTIVE
ThymioACTIVE

Layer 3: Category Specific

Max Speed

Kilobot0 m/s
Thymio0.1 m/s

Autonomy Level

Kilobotfully autonomous
Thymio—

	KilobotresearchHarvard AARobo Index	ThymioresearchSwiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne BBRobo Index
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country (values differ)	Switzerland	—
Year First Available	2014	2014
Verified Deployments	0 Deployments	0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ)	4 hrs	3 hrs
Availability Status	ACTIVE	ACTIVE
Layer 3: Category Specific
Max Speed (values differ)	0 m/s	0.1 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, Payload Capacity, 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	Thymio
Investment	No price	No price
Payback period	—	—
Net savings (5 yr)	—	—
ROI (5 yr)	—	—

Kilobot, Thymio 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 Thymio?

Kilobot is made by Harvard, based in CH. Thymio is made by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

When were Kilobot and Thymio launched?

Kilobot launched in 2014. Thymio launched in 2014.

How do Kilobot and Thymio compare on the Robo Index?

Kilobot grades AA on the Robo Index. Thymio 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 Thymio 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 Thymio?

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 Thymio 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.