Saildrone Explorer vs Sandflea
Side-by-side comparison of Saildrone Explorer (Saildrone Inc.) and Sandflea (Boston Dynamics, Inc. (Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary)) — specs, pricing, Robo Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Optimized for Home & Household buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Saildrone ExplorerUnited States
- SandfleaUnited States
Year First Available
- Saildrone Explorer2015
- Sandflea2012
Verified Deployments
- Saildrone Explorer0 Deployments
- Sandflea0 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Saildrone Explorer8,760 hrs
- Sandflea4 hrs
Availability Status
- Saildrone ExplorerACTIVE
- SandfleaACTIVE
Layer 3: Category Specific
Payload Capacity
- Saildrone Explorer20 kg
- Sandflea50 kg
Reach
- Saildrone Explorer900 mm
- Sandflea2,300 mm
Max Speed
- Saildrone Explorer8 m/s
- Sandflea1.5 m/s
Autonomy Level
- Saildrone Explorerfully autonomous
- Sandflea—
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country | United States | United States |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2015 | 2012 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Home & Household buyers) (values differ) | 8,760 hrs | 4 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Payload Capacity (values differ) | 20 kg | 50 kg |
| Reach (values differ) | 900 mm | 2,300 mm |
| Max Speed (values differ) | 8 m/s | 1.5 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, IP Rating
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 | Saildrone Explorer | Sandflea |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | No price | No price |
| Payback period | — | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | — | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | — | — |
Saildrone Explorer, Sandflea 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 Saildrone Explorer and Sandflea?
Saildrone Explorer is made by Saildrone Inc., based in US. Sandflea is made by Boston Dynamics, Inc. (Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary), based in US.
When were Saildrone Explorer and Sandflea launched?
Saildrone Explorer launched in 2015. Sandflea launched in 2012.
How do Saildrone Explorer and Sandflea compare on the Robo Score?
Saildrone Explorer scores 66.5 on the Robo Score. Sandflea scores 43.4. The Robo Score is a 0–100 credibility figure blending commercial maturity, verified deployments, company standing, and independent coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
Are Saildrone Explorer and Sandflea 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 Saildrone Explorer and Sandflea?
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.
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Build vs buy vs lease: which model fits a first deployment
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The hidden specs vendors hope you'll miss
10 min readReading the Spec Sheet
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About this comparison
Saildrone Explorer vs Sandflea 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 Score is calculated.