R1 vs NAO V6: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2025)
Unitree Robotics vs Aldebaran (Maxvision) — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
R1 leads in more DOF, faster speed, lower price, while NAO V6 leads in longer runtime. Overall, R1 has an edge in 3 out of 4 compared categories.
R1
Unitree Robotics
NAO V6
Aldebaran (Maxvision)
DNA Fingerprint Overlay
R1 NAO V6
Specifications
$5,900Price$16,990
123 cmHeight58 cm
29 kgWeight5.6 kg
26DOF25
—Payload—
1hRuntime1h
2.5 m/sSpeed0.5 m/s
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARNo
8-core CPU; NVIDIA Jetson Orin (EDU)ComputeIntel Atom (upgraded in V6)
Ecosystem Openness
72
R1
/100
70
NAO V6
ROS2 support, newer platform — ecosystem growing.
NAOqi + Choregraphe. Massive academic community. Future uncertain post-bankruptcy.
Pros and cons at a glance
R1
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Affordable at $5,900 — accessible to research labs and SMEs
Cons
- Short runtime (60 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
NAO V6
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Affordable at $16,990 — accessible to research labs and SMEs
Cons
- Short runtime (75 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper: R1 or NAO V6?
R1 is cheaper at $5,900 vs $16,990 for NAO V6. Note that lower price does not imply lower total cost of ownership — see the TCO calculator on the Explore page for utilisation-adjusted figures.
Are both R1 and NAO V6 shipping to customers?
Yes. Both are commercially available as of the last review. Delivery timelines and customer geographies vary per vendor — check the manufacturer page for each.
Which is better for ROS-based development: R1 or NAO V6?
R1 has ros2; NAO V6 has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2025