RH5 Manus vs RoboThespian
Side-by-side comparison of RH5 Manus (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH) and RoboThespian (Engineered Arts) — specs, pricing, Robolist Product Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- RH5 Manus—
- RoboThespianUnited Kingdom
Year First Available
- RH5 Manus2022
- RoboThespian2011
Verified Deployments
- RH5 Manus0 Deployments
- RoboThespian0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price Range (USD)
- RH5 ManusContact for quote
- RoboThespian$88,000
Availability Status
- RH5 ManusACTIVE
- RoboThespianACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- RH5 Manus187 mm
- RoboThespian1775 mm
Weight
- RH5 Manus36 kg
- RoboThespian44 kg
Mobility Type
- RH5 Manusbipedal
- RoboThespianbipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- RH5 Manusfull bipedal
- RoboThespianfull bipedal
Walking Speed
- RH5 Manus0.5 m/s
- RoboThespian—
Running Capable
- RH5 Manusstatic walk
- RoboThespian—
Stair Climbing
- RH5 Manusnone
- RoboThespian—
Terrain
- RH5 Manusflat_indoor
- RoboThespianboth
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- RH5 Manus4 kg
- RoboThespian—
Total DOF
- RH5 Manus19
- RoboThespian27
Arm DOF
- RH5 Manus7
- RoboThespian—
Hand DOF
- RH5 Manus4
- RoboThespian—
Bimanual Coordination
- RH5 Manusfull bimanual
- RoboThespian—
Tool Use
- RH5 Manusvendor demo
- RoboThespian—
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- RH5 ManusDFKI electronic stack with FPGA for motor control
- RoboThespianTritium
VLM Capable
- RH5 Manusnone
- RoboThespian—
Imitation Learning
- RH5 Manussingle task
- RoboThespian—
Teleoperation
- RH5 Manusvr_headset, full_body_suit
- RoboThespian—
Programming
- RH5 Manusteleoperation
- RoboThespiantouchscreen, web browser, API
Battery & Power
Charging Method
- RH5 Manustethered
- RoboThespian—
Safety
Force-Limited Arms
- RH5 ManusYes
- RoboThespian—
Fall Recovery
- RH5 ManusYes
- RoboThespian—
Human Detection Method
- RH5 Manusgeneric obstacle
- RoboThespian—
Safe Speed Near Humans
- RH5 Manusnone
- RoboThespian—
Software
SDK Languages
- RH5 ManusPython, C++, ROS2
- RoboThespiantouchscreen, web browser, API
ROS Support
- RH5 Manusros2 community
- RoboThespian—
Simulation Platforms
- RH5 ManusMARS
- RoboThespian—
Open API
- RH5 Manusopen rest
- RoboThespianYes
Air-Gap Capable
- RH5 ManusYes
- RoboThespian—
Reliability
Deployment Maturity
- RH5 Manusprototype
- RoboThespiancommercial
Commercial
Price (USD)
- RH5 ManusContact for quote
- RoboThespian$88,000
Warranty
- RH5 Manus—
- RoboThespian1 yrs
Applications
- RH5 Manusassembly
- RoboThespianentertainment, education, corporate events, exhibitions
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | — | United Kingdom |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2022 | 2011 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price Range (USD) (values differ) | Contact for quote | $88,000 |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 187 mm | 1775 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 36 kg | 44 kg |
| Mobility Type | bipedal | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.5 m/s | — |
| Running Capable (values differ) | static walk | — |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | none | — |
| Terrain (values differ) | flat_indoor | both |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 4 kg | — |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 19 | 27 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | 7 | — |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | 4 | — |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | full bimanual | — |
| Tool Use (values differ) | vendor demo | — |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | DFKI electronic stack with FPGA for motor control | Tritium |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | none | — |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | single task | — |
| Teleoperation (values differ) | vr_headset, full_body_suit | — |
| Programming (values differ) | teleoperation | touchscreen, web browser, API |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Charging Method (values differ) | tethered | — |
| Safety | ||
| Force-Limited Arms (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Fall Recovery (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | generic obstacle | — |
| Safe Speed Near Humans (values differ) | none | — |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | Python, C++, ROS2 | touchscreen, web browser, API |
| ROS Support (values differ) | ros2 community | — |
| Simulation Platforms (values differ) | MARS | — |
| Open API (values differ) | open rest | Yes |
| Air-Gap Capable (values differ) | Yes | — |
| Reliability | ||
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | prototype | commercial |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | Contact for quote | $88,000 |
| Warranty (values differ) | — | 1 yrs |
| Applications (values differ) | assembly | entertainment, education, corporate events, exhibitions |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: Battery / Shift Runtime, Payload (Peak), Arm Reach, Grip Strength, Manipulation Repeatability, Compute Platform, Foundation Models, Runtime, Battery Capacity, Charging Time, Battery Swap, Avg Power Consumption, Fall Detection Response, Emergency Stops, MTBF, Task Success Rate, IP Rating, Noise Level, Price Tier, RaaS / Month, Pricing Model, Developer Unit Price, Delivery Lead Time, Production Pilots
best in categoryweakest in categoryvalues differ
Trade-offs at a glance
Frequently asked
Who makes RH5 Manus and RoboThespian?
RH5 Manus is made by German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH. RoboThespian is made by Engineered Arts, based in GB.
When were RH5 Manus and RoboThespian launched?
RH5 Manus launched in 2022. RoboThespian launched in 2011.
How do RH5 Manus and RoboThespian compare on the Robolist Product Score?
RH5 Manus scores 46/100. RoboThespian scores 60/100. The Product Score blends specs, pricing transparency, verified deployments, and independent media coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
Are RH5 Manus and RoboThespian 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 RH5 Manus and RoboThespian?
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
About this comparison
RH5 Manus vs RoboThespian 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 Robolist Product Score is calculated.