Kirobo vs ZALA 421-12

Side-by-side comparison of Kirobo (Toyota) and ZALA 421-12 (ZALA Aero) — specs, pricing, Robo Index, and verified deployments. Updated daily.

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KiroboAA

ZALA 421-12BB

Layer 1: Identity & Trust

Manufacturer Country

KiroboJapan
ZALA 421-12Russia

Year First Available

Kirobo2013
ZALA 421-122015

Verified Deployments

Kirobo0 Deployments
ZALA 421-120 Deployments

Layer 2: Operational

Battery / Shift Runtime

Kirobo2.5 hrs
ZALA 421-127 hrs

Availability Status

KiroboACTIVE
ZALA 421-12ACTIVE

Layer 3: Category Specific

Payload Capacity

Kirobo—
ZALA 421-125 kg

Max Speed

Kirobo—
ZALA 421-1230.6 m/s

	KiroboresearchToyota AARobo Index	ZALA 421-12researchZALA Aero BBRobo Index
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country (values differ)	Japan	Russia
Year First Available (values differ)	2013	2015
Verified Deployments	0 Deployments	0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ)	2.5 hrs	7 hrs
Availability Status	ACTIVE	ACTIVE
Layer 3: Category Specific
Payload Capacity (values differ)	—	5 kg
Max Speed (values differ)	—	30.6 m/s

Insufficient data for full comparison

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

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	Kirobo	ZALA 421-12
Investment	No price	No price
Payback period	—	—
Net savings (5 yr)	—	—
ROI (5 yr)	—	—

Kirobo, ZALA 421-12 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 Kirobo and ZALA 421-12?

Kirobo is made by Toyota, based in JP. ZALA 421-12 is made by ZALA Aero, based in RU.

When were Kirobo and ZALA 421-12 launched?

Kirobo launched in 2013. ZALA 421-12 launched in 2015.

How do Kirobo and ZALA 421-12 compare on the Robo Index?

Kirobo grades AA on the Robo Index. ZALA 421-12 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 Kirobo and ZALA 421-12 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 Kirobo and ZALA 421-12?

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

Kirobo vs ZALA 421-12 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.