A2 vs Kaleido 9: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2024)
AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics) vs Kawasaki Heavy Industries — 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.
A2
AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics)
Kaleido 9
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
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A2 Kaleido 9
Specifications
$100,000PriceResearch only, not for sale
169 cmHeight190 cm
69 kgWeight99 kg
40DOF—
15 kgPayload30 kg
2hRuntime—
3.3 m/sSpeed—
YesStairsYes
YesLiDARYes
200 TOPSComputeProprietary
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
60
A2
/100
—
Kaleido 9
AimRT framework (ROS2/gRPC/MQTT). Chinese docs primarily.
Pros and cons at a glance
A2
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
- 40 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Short runtime (120 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
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
Frequently asked questions
How do A2 and Kaleido 9 compare on price?
A2: $100,000. Kaleido 9: Research only, not for sale. Only one of the two has a public unit price; the other publishes a range or enterprise-only terms.
Which has higher payload: A2 or Kaleido 9?
Kaleido 9 rates a higher payload at 30 kg vs 15 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Is A2 or Kaleido 9 actually available to buy?
A2 is shipping to customers. Kaleido 9 is in active development without commercial availability. 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: A2 or Kaleido 9?
A2 has ros2; Kaleido 9 has no ROS support. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2024