Kaleido 9 vs Astribot S1: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2025)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries vs Stardust Intelligence — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Kaleido 9 leads in higher payload. Overall, Kaleido 9 has an edge in 1 out of 1 compared categories.
Kaleido 9
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Astribot S1
Stardust Intelligence
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Kaleido 9 Astribot S1
Specifications
Research platform, not for sale. Kawasaki roadmap: autonomous factory tasks ~2030, unstructured environments ~2040PriceQuote-only (B2B); official site lists no price. Chinese reports cite ~CNY 500,000 (~$69,000) for the research edition; third-party estimates $96,000–$150,000. Volume shipments in China since late 2025
190 cmHeight170 cm
99 kgWeight80 kg
—DOF23
30 kgPayload5 kg
—Runtime5h
—Speed—
YesStairs—
YesLiDARYes
ProprietaryComputeLinux-based
Pros and cons at a glance
Kaleido 9
Pros
- High rated payload (30 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
Cons
- Still in development, no commercial availability
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
Astribot S1
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
Cons
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Low rated payload (5 kg) — research or light-handling tasks only
Frequently asked questions
How do Kaleido 9 and Astribot S1 compare on price?
Kaleido 9: Research platform, not for sale. Kawasaki roadmap: autonomous factory tasks ~2030, unstructured environments ~2040. Astribot S1: Quote-only (B2B); official site lists no price. Chinese reports cite ~CNY 500,000 (~$69,000) for the research edition; third-party estimates $96,000–$150,000. Volume shipments in China since late 2025.
Which has higher payload: Kaleido 9 or Astribot S1?
Kaleido 9 rates a higher payload at 30 kg vs 5 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Is Kaleido 9 or Astribot S1 actually available to buy?
Kaleido 9 is in active development without commercial availability. Astribot S1 is shipping to customers. Status reflects the vendor's published commercial position as of the last review and can change between announcement and actual delivery.
Which is better for ROS-based development: Kaleido 9 or Astribot S1?
Kaleido 9 has no ROS support; Astribot S1 has ros2. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2025