Saildrone Explorer vs SPLITTER
Side-by-side comparison of Saildrone Explorer (Saildrone Inc.) and SPLITTER (University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - RoMeLa) — specs, pricing, Robo Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
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Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- Saildrone ExplorerUnited States

- SPLITTER—

Year First Available
- Saildrone Explorer2015

- SPLITTER2025

Verified Deployments
- Saildrone Explorer1 Deployment

- SPLITTER—

Layer 2: Operational
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Saildrone Explorer8,760 hrs

- SPLITTER—

Availability Status
- Saildrone ExplorerACTIVE

- SPLITTERACTIVE

Layer 3: Category Specific
Payload Capacity
- Saildrone Explorer20 kg

- SPLITTER—

Reach
- Saildrone Explorer900 mm

- SPLITTER—

Max Speed
- Saildrone Explorer8 m/s

- SPLITTER2.1 m/s

Autonomy Level
- Saildrone Explorerfully autonomous

- SPLITTER—

![]() | ![]() | |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | United States | — |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2015 | 2025 |
| Verified Deployments (values differ) | 1 Deployment | — |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Battery / Shift Runtime (values differ) | 8,760 hrs | — |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Payload Capacity (values differ) | 20 kg | — |
| Reach (values differ) | 900 mm | — |
| Max Speed (values differ) | 8 m/s | 2.1 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, 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 | SPLITTER |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | No price | No price |
| Payback period | — | — |
| Net savings (5 yr) | — | — |
| ROI (5 yr) | — | — |
Saildrone Explorer, SPLITTER 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 SPLITTER?
Saildrone Explorer is made by Saildrone Inc., based in US. SPLITTER is made by University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - RoMeLa.
When were Saildrone Explorer and SPLITTER launched?
Saildrone Explorer launched in 2015. SPLITTER launched in 2025.
How do Saildrone Explorer and SPLITTER compare on the Robo Score?
Saildrone Explorer scores 66.5 on the Robo Score. SPLITTER scores 31.3. 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 SPLITTER 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 SPLITTER?
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
The real cost of a research platform
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The research-robot procurement RFP: questions and red flags
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A 90-day playbook to stand up a new platform in a lab
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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
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About this comparison
Saildrone Explorer vs SPLITTER 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.