Digit vs Kaleido 9: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2022)
Agility Robotics (Amazon) 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.
Digit
Agility Robotics (Amazon)
Kaleido 9
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
DNA Fingerprint Overlay
Digit Kaleido 9
Specifications
$250,000PriceResearch only, not for sale
175 cmHeight190 cm
65 kgWeight99 kg
16DOF—
16 kgPayload30 kg
4hRuntime—
1.5 m/sSpeed—
YesStairsYes
YesLiDARYes
N/AComputeProprietary
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
—
Kaleido 9
ROS2 compatible, Python SDK. Closed source. Limited public docs.
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)
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 Digit and Kaleido 9 compare on price?
Digit: $250,000. 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: Digit or Kaleido 9?
Kaleido 9 rates a higher payload at 30 kg vs 16 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Is Digit or Kaleido 9 actually available to buy?
Digit 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: Digit or Kaleido 9?
Digit 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: 2022