Atlas (Electric) vs Sophia: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2024)
Boston Dynamics (Hyundai) vs Hanson Robotics — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Atlas (Electric) leads in higher payload, while Sophia leads in more DOF. The two robots are evenly matched, each excelling in different areas.
Atlas (Electric)
Boston Dynamics (Hyundai)
Sophia
Hanson Robotics
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Atlas (Electric) Sophia
Specifications
~$420,000 (enterprise estimate)PriceContact (R&D version available)
152 cmHeight167 cm
89 kgWeight20 kg
28DOF83
50 kgPayload1.2 kg
—Runtime—
—Speed—
YesStairsNo
YesLiDARNo
NVIDIA Jetson ThorComputeIntel Core i7, 32 GB RAM
Ecosystem Openness
25
Atlas (Electric)
/100
40
Sophia
NVIDIA Isaac (ROS2) but limited public access. Mostly enterprise.
Hanson AI SDK + OpenCog. Ubuntu. Partial ROS. Niche community.
Pros and cons at a glance
Atlas (Electric)
Pros
- High rated payload (50 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
- 28 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Still in development, no commercial availability
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
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 Atlas (Electric) and Sophia compare on price?
Atlas (Electric): ~$420,000 (enterprise estimate). Sophia: Contact (R&D version available).
Which has higher payload: Atlas (Electric) or Sophia?
Atlas (Electric) rates a higher payload at 50 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 Atlas (Electric) or Sophia actually available to buy?
Atlas (Electric) 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: Atlas (Electric) or Sophia?
Atlas (Electric) 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 Atlas (Electric) or Sophia use LiDAR?
Atlas (Electric) 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: 2024