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3 robots selected.

The comparison cards start below. Open the editor only when you need to swap the shortlist.

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KATA Friends iCub Reachy 2
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412 robots 9 categories 173 priced

Comparing 3 robots

Green cells flag numeric leaders, while AI, sensors, and capability rows keep the real buying tradeoffs visible.

KATA FriendsiCubReachy 2
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Sources and record checks

Record checks are not independent testing or confirmation of every claim. Official sites provide manufacturer context; source context explains the record.

KATA Friends

Record last checked: 2026-05-14

Official site Source context

iCub

Record last checked: 2026-05-25

Official site Source context

Reachy 2

Record last checked: 2026-05-25

Official site Source context
Each row compares one spec across your shortlist. Green marks the best value.
KATA Friends KATA Friends iCub iCub Reachy 2 Reachy 2

Price

KATA Friends
$699 USD
Price details

Official US SwitchBot product JSON lists Noa and Niko variants as available at $699.00; the product-page selector and launch coverage show $699.99. Companion Care is separate after the free/complimentary period, with Essential at $14.99/month, Premium at $399.99/year, or a $999.99 one-time plan option.

iCub
€250,000 EUR
Price details

Research platform: official IIT product catalog lists indicative non-profit build fees of €250,000 for a full iCub, €200,000 for the upper body, and €40,000 for the head; official quotation required.

Reachy 2
$70,000 USD
Price details

Official Hugging Face/Pollen Robotics acquisition post says Reachy 2 can be ordered for $70,000 by emailing Pollen Robotics sales.

Height

KATA Friends
Not officially disclosed
iCub
104cm
Reachy 2
Adjustable (torso on mobile base tripod)Not safely comparable as a typed unit

Weight

KATA Friends
Not officially disclosed
iCub
22kg
Reachy 2
50kg

Battery Life

KATA Friends
Not officially disclosed
iCub
Battery backpack included on iCub 2.5/later full iCub versions; runtime not publicly disclosedNot safely comparable as a typed unit
Reachy 2
8 hours (mobile base, per official hardware docs)

Max Speed

KATA Friends
Not officially disclosed
iCub
Not disclosed
Reachy 2
2.5 m/s (mobile base)

AI

KATA Friends
On-device LLM with local visual processing for speech, gesture comprehension, face recognition, emotion cues, diary memories, and real-time companion behavior
iCub
YARP middleware + open-source ML frameworks
Reachy 2
ROS 2 + Python SDK, compatible with Hugging Face LeRobot, Pollen-Vision for perception

Sensors

KATA Friends
Cameras, Microphones, Touch sensors in ears, hands, tummy, and back, Obstacle-avoidance sensors, Laser distance/radar sensor (reported by CNET), Docking sensor (reported by CNET)
iCub
Stereo Cameras, Microphones, Hall-Effect Joint Sensors, Force/Torque Sensors, Tactile Skin (capacitive), Gyroscope, Accelerometer
Reachy 2
Stereo RGB Cameras (fish-eye), Time-of-Flight Depth Sensor (OAK-FFC ToF 33D), RGB-D Camera (Orbbec Gemini 336), Lidar, IMU, Microphones

Connectivity

KATA Friends
SwitchBot companion app, On-device/offline AI interaction for core responses
iCub
Gigabit Ethernet, CANBus (internal)
Reachy 2
Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, ROS 2

Status

KATA Friends
Available
iCub
Active
Reachy 2
Active

Category

KATA Friends
Companions
iCub
Research
Reachy 2
Research
More specifications (4)

Includes rows even when values are not recorded.

Charging Time

KATA Friends
Not officially disclosed; CNET reports an 8-hour sleep/charge scheduleNot safely comparable as a typed unit
iCub
N/A
Reachy 2
Not disclosed

Degrees of Freedom

KATA Friends
N/A
iCub
N/A
Reachy 2
N/A

Voice Assistants

KATA Friends
None
iCub
None
Reachy 2
None

Manufacturer

KATA Friends
SwitchBot
iCub
Italian Institute of Technology
Reachy 2
Pollen Robotics

Capabilities

KATA Friends

AI pet companionshipAutonomous indoor movementCompanion Care service plansDancing and expressive LCD-eye reactionsFace recognition for household membersGesture recognitionInterchangeable outfits and accessoriesObstacle avoidanceOn-device chat and diary generationPersonalized memory and behavior developmentPhoto capture and local app album storageSelf-dockingTouch-responsive behaviorVoice emotion recognitionVoice-command interaction

iCub

Archery (learned via reinforcement learning)Bipedal WalkingCollision AvoidanceCrawlingEmbodied Cognition ResearchFacial Expressions (LED-based)Force-Controlled ManipulationObject GraspingVisual Tracking

Reachy 2

AI-driven perception (object detection, pose estimation)Autonomous navigationEmotion display via head antennas and motionLearning from demonstrationObject manipulation (pick and place)Simulation support (Gazebo, MuJoCo)Speech interactionVR teleoperation

How to Compare Robots

Use this flow to get to a clean shortlist fast. The route works best as a dense research workbench, not a marketing page.

1

Choose comparable robots

Start with robots that solve the same job. Use category anchors like Humanoid, Cleaning, Companions, Research before you worry about micro-spec wins.

2

Read the big deltas first

Check price, status, battery, sensors, and capabilities before getting lost in minor spec rows.

3

Switch to differences only

Once you have a shortlist, hide shared rows. That turns the table from a spec dump into a real decision tool.

Cross-category comparisons still have value

A dedicated cleaner versus a home assistant with cleaning features can reveal whether you really need a specialist or just broader household coverage. Compare around the same outcome, not the same marketing language. And when blank-page friction is the problem, use one of the prebuilt quick-start pairings in the workbench above — open one, swap robots, and keep moving.

Making Your Decision

Turn comparison rows into an actual recommendation — not just more reading.

1

Weighted priorities

Not all spec deltas matter equally. Rank your buying criteria before crowning a winner.

  • List must-haves — smart-home platform, clearance, shipping status, or anything that eliminates a robot instantly.
  • Pick your top 3 differentiators — navigation, noise, battery, support, or whatever changes daily use.
  • Score only the finalists against those. The robot that wins your real priorities beats the one with the most green cells.
2

Total cost of ownership

The sticker price is only one row. Subscriptions, consumables, and service access often decide the real winner.

Subscriptions

Cloud AI and premium app tiers can make a cheaper robot more expensive over three years.

Consumables

Brushes, pads, filters, and bags flip the value story on high-frequency robots.

Energy & battery

Large batteries and frequent charging reveal everyday operating demands.

Repair & warranty

Local servicing and spare-parts access are the quietest but most important long-term costs.

3

Environment check

Specs describe ideal conditions. Your rooms, pets, and Wi-Fi determine what actually performs.

  • Floor types — carpet, hardwood, tile, and transition handling.
  • Space layout — open plans vs. multi-room homes with tight doorways.
  • Wi-Fi coverage — cloud-heavy robots need stable signal everywhere.
  • Household — pets, kids, shared spaces, and noise tolerance.

Purchase and deployment access

Available listings: 125. Pre-order listings: 54. Active records: 130. Available indicates an ordering listing, not confirmed stock. Pre-order indicates a reservation listing, not immediate delivery. Active status alone does not confirm public purchase availability or deployment. Other statuses do not establish a current purchase listing. Confirm regional access, stock, reservation terms, and delivery with the manufacturer.

When it's too close to call

If two robots are still neck-and-neck, use softer signals that affect ownership quality more than spec sheets admit.

Return policy User community Ecosystem Aesthetics

Comparison FAQ

Questions buyers ask before the final click

Short answers to the questions that usually show up once the shortlist is live and the tradeoffs feel real.

Frequently Asked Questions

Using the workspace
How many robots can I compare at once?
You can compare up to four robots at once. Two or three is usually the cleanest decision view, but four-way comparisons work well for wider market scans.
What does 'Show differences only' do?
It hides rows where all selected robots share the same value, leaving only the rows that actually change your decision. It is especially useful for same-brand or same-category shortlists.
Can I compare robots from different categories?
Yes. You can compare any of the 412 robots in the database. Cross-category comparisons work best when the robots still compete for the same outcome in your home or workflow.
What makes a good comparison?
The best pairings share at least one real-world anchor: same job, similar price band, same room constraints, or competing brand tier. That keeps the table decision-focused instead of random.
Sharing & shortlisting
How do I share a comparison?
Once you have a live shortlist, a Share this comparison link appears in the workbench. It preserves your selected robots and the differences-only toggle in a permanent URL.
Can I save or bookmark a comparison for later?
Yes. Every live comparison has a stable route, so bookmarking the page preserves the exact configuration you built.
Can I compare by price alone?
Price is one row in the compare table, but if you want pure price sorting first, the all robots page is the better place to shortlist before coming back here.
Data & methodology
Are specifications up to date?
ui44 comparison data is sourced from official manufacturer documentation and re-verified on a rolling basis. Shipping products get the most frequent freshness checks.
What if a spec is missing?
A dash or 'Not specified' usually means the manufacturer has not published the detail clearly. It does not automatically mean the robot lacks the feature.
How should I compare robots at different development stages?
Status labels describe catalog records, not measured operational reliability. Available indicates a purchase listing, not verified stock or shipping dates. Active alone does not confirm public purchase access. Pre-order indicates a reservation listing, not engineering completion or a guaranteed delivery queue position. Development and Prototype identify recorded stages; Discontinued identifies a discontinued listing. Compare documented performance and current manufacturer terms, including any recorded sales notes, for the specific model and region.
Can I compare specific sensors or components more deeply?
Yes. The compare table gives you the side-by-side overview, then the components directory lets you go deeper on shared sensors, radios, and platform pieces across the catalog.