Kirobo Mini vs R1 Lite
Side-by-side comparison of Kirobo Mini (Toyota) and R1 Lite (Galaxea AI) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Prices in
View savedOptimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Cleaning & Facilities buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Kirobo MiniJapan
- R1 LiteChina
Year First Available
- Kirobo Mini2016
- R1 Lite2024
Verified Deployments
- Kirobo Mini0 Deployments
- R1 Lite0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price
- Kirobo Mini$474 USD
- R1 LiteContact for quote
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Kirobo Mini2.5 hrs
- R1 Lite—
Availability Status
- Kirobo MiniACTIVE
- R1 LiteACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Weight
- Kirobo Mini0.2 kg
- R1 Lite96 kg
Height
- Kirobo Mini10 cm
- R1 Lite156 mm
Mobility Type
- Kirobo Ministatic
- R1 Litewheeled
Humanoid Subtype
- Kirobo Minifull bipedal
- R1 Litefull bipedal
Running Capable
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Literun capable
Stair Climbing
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Lite—
Terrain
- Kirobo Miniflat indoor
- R1 Liteflat_indoor
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite3.5 kg
Payload (Peak)
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite5 kg
Total DOF
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite15
Arm DOF
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite6
Hand DOF
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite1
Arm Reach
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite60 cm
Grip Strength
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite350 N
Manipulation Repeatability
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite±1 mm
Bimanual Coordination
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Liteindependent
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite200 TOPS
Compute Platform
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 LiteIntel i9
VLM Capable
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Liteonboard small
Foundation Models
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 LiteVLA model (G0), Diffusion Policy, Open-World Dataset
Imitation Learning
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Lite—
Teleoperation
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Litejoystick
Programming
- Kirobo Minidedicated app
- R1 Liteteach_pendant, code_python, code_ros
Battery & Power
Runtime
- Kirobo Mini2.5 hrs
- R1 Lite—
Battery Capacity
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite0.7 kWh
Charging Method
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Litetethered
Battery Swap
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 LiteNo
Safety
Force-Limited Arms
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 LiteYes
Fall Recovery
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 LiteYes
Emergency Stops
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite1
Human Detection Method
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Litemulti modal
Safe Speed Near Humans
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Litesoftware_defined
Software
SDK Languages
- Kirobo MiniJapanese
- R1 LitePython, C++, ROS2
ROS Support
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Literos2 vendor
Open API
- Kirobo MiniNo
- R1 Liteopen rest
Air-Gap Capable
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 LiteYes
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- Kirobo Minicommercial
- R1 Liteproduction pilot
Commercial
Price (USD)
- Kirobo Mini$474 USD
- R1 LiteContact for quote
Price Tier
- Kirobo Miniunder_50k
- R1 Lite20-40K
Pricing Model
- Kirobo Minioutright purchase
- R1 Litepurchase
Warranty
- Kirobo Mini—
- R1 Lite1 yrs
Applications
- Kirobo Minieldercare_assistance, hospitality
- R1 Literesearch, manufacturing_assembly
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | Japan | China |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2016 | 2024 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price (values differ) | $474 USD | Contact for quote |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Cleaning & Facilities buyers) (values differ) | 2.5 hrs | — |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Weight (priority for Cleaning & Facilities buyers) (values differ) | 0.2 kg | 96 kg |
| Height (values differ) | 10 cm | 156 mm |
| Mobility Type (values differ) | static | wheeled |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Running Capable (values differ) | — | run capable |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | No | — |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat indoor | flat_indoor |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | — | 3.5 kg |
| Payload (Peak) (values differ) | — | 5 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | — | 15 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | — | 6 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | — | 1 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | — | 60 cm |
| Grip Strength (values differ) | — | 350 N |
| Manipulation Repeatability (values differ) | — | ±1 mm |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | No | independent |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | — | 200 TOPS |
| Compute Platform (values differ) | — | Intel i9 |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | No | onboard small |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | — | VLA model (G0), Diffusion Policy, Open-World Dataset |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | No | — |
| Teleoperation (values differ) | — | joystick |
| Programming (values differ) | dedicated app | teach_pendant, code_python, code_ros |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 2.5 hrs | — |
| Battery Capacity (values differ) | — | 0.7 kWh |
| Charging Method (values differ) | — | tethered |
| Battery Swap | No | No |
| Safety | ||
| Force-Limited Arms (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Fall Recovery (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Emergency Stops (values differ) | — | 1 |
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | — | multi modal |
| Safe Speed Near Humans (values differ) | — | software_defined |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | Japanese | Python, C++, ROS2 |
| ROS Support (values differ) | No | ros2 vendor |
| Open API (values differ) | No | open rest |
| Air-Gap Capable (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | commercial | production pilot |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $474 USD | Contact for quote |
| Price Tier (values differ) | under_50k | 20-40K |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | outright purchase | purchase |
| Warranty (values differ) | — | 1 yrs |
| Applications (values differ) | eldercare_assistance, hospitality | research, manufacturing_assembly |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Walking Speed, Tool Use, Charging Time, Avg Power Consumption, Fall Detection Response, Simulation Platforms, MTBF, Task Success Rate, IP Rating, Noise Level, RaaS / Month, Developer Unit Price, Delivery Lead Time, Production Pilots
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.
Annual labor displaced (per robot): $50,000
| Metric | Kirobo Mini | R1 Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $474 | No price |
| Payback period | < 1 mo | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | $249,526 | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | +52643% | — |
R1 Lite 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 Kirobo Mini and R1 Lite?
Kirobo Mini is made by Toyota, based in JP. R1 Lite is made by Galaxea AI, based in CN.
When were Kirobo Mini and R1 Lite launched?
Kirobo Mini launched in 2016. R1 Lite launched in 2024.
How do Kirobo Mini and R1 Lite compare on the Robo Index?
Kirobo Mini grades AA on the Robo Index. R1 Lite 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 Kirobo Mini and R1 Lite 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 Kirobo Mini and R1 Lite?
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
Want to be notified when specs or pricing change for these robots? Drop your email.
About this comparison
Kirobo Mini vs R1 Lite 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.