4NE-1 vs Sophia: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2023)
NEURA Robotics vs Hanson Robotics — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
4NE-1 leads in higher payload, while Sophia leads in more DOF. The two robots are evenly matched, each excelling in different areas.
4NE-1
NEURA Robotics
Sophia
Hanson Robotics
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4NE-1 Sophia
Specifications
$105,000PriceContact (R&D version available)
180 cmHeight167 cm
80 kgWeight20 kg
55DOF83
15 kgPayload1.2 kg
7hRuntime—
1.39 m/sSpeed—
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARNo
NEURA multimodal cognitive stackComputeIntel Core i7, 32 GB RAM
Task Capabilities
✓Pick up a box from shelf?
✓Open a door handle?
✓Pour liquid into cup?
◔Use a power tool?
◔Type on keyboard?
✓Climb stairs with load?
◔Walk on uneven terrain?
✕Run (>3 m/s)?
◔Crouch under obstacle?
✓Navigate in crowd?
✓Recognize & locate objects?
✓Respond to voice commands?
✓Detect humans nearby?
✓Work 8-hour shift?
✓Hot-swap battery?
✓Operate 24/7 (with charging)?
✕Work in rain (IP65+)?
?Work below 0°C?
✕Work in dusty environment?
✓Work safely alongside humans?
Ecosystem Openness
15
4NE-1
/100
40
Sophia
NEURA API. Neuraverse fleet learning. Limited public info.
Hanson AI SDK + OpenCog. Ubuntu. Partial ROS. Niche community.
Pros and cons at a glance
4NE-1
Pros
- Long runtime (7h per charge) for full-shift operation
- 55 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Still in development, no commercial availability
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
Sophia
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- 83 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Low rated payload (1.2 kg) — research or light-handling tasks only
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
How do 4NE-1 and Sophia compare on price?
4NE-1: $105,000. Sophia: Contact (R&D version available). Only one of the two has a public unit price; the other publishes a range or enterprise-only terms.
Which has higher payload: 4NE-1 or Sophia?
4NE-1 rates a higher payload at 15 kg vs 1.2 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Is 4NE-1 or Sophia actually available to buy?
4NE-1 is in active development without commercial availability. Sophia 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: 4NE-1 or Sophia?
4NE-1 has no ROS support; Sophia has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2023