Digit vs Sophia: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2022)
Agility Robotics (Amazon) vs Hanson Robotics — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Digit leads in higher payload, while Sophia leads in more DOF. The two robots are evenly matched, each excelling in different areas.
Digit
Agility Robotics (Amazon)
Sophia
Hanson Robotics
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Digit Sophia
Specifications
$250,000PriceContact (R&D version available)
175 cmHeight167 cm
65 kgWeight20 kg
16DOF83
16 kgPayload1.2 kg
4hRuntime—
1.5 m/sSpeed—
YesStairsNo
YesLiDARNo
N/AComputeIntel 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
55
Digit
/100
40
Sophia
ROS2 compatible, Python SDK. Closed source. Limited public docs.
Hanson AI SDK + OpenCog. Ubuntu. Partial ROS. Niche community.
Pros and cons at a glance
Digit
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
Cons
- Premium pricing at $250,000 — enterprise budgets only
- Limited articulation (16 DOF)
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 Digit and Sophia compare on price?
Digit: $250,000. 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: Digit or Sophia?
Digit rates a higher payload at 16 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.
Are both Digit and Sophia 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: Digit or Sophia?
Digit has ros2; Sophia has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Does Digit or Sophia use LiDAR?
Digit ships with LiDAR for depth sensing; Sophia does not. LiDAR adds cost and complexity but improves obstacle detection in low-light or low-contrast environments.
Last updated: 2022