SE01 vs R1: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2026)
EngineAI Robotics vs Unitree Robotics — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
SE01 leads in more DOF, longer runtime, while R1 leads in faster speed, lower price. The two robots are evenly matched, each excelling in different areas.
SE01
EngineAI Robotics
R1
Unitree Robotics
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SE01 R1
Specifications
$20,000Price$4,900
170 cmHeight122 cm
55 kgWeight25 kg
32DOF20
—Payload—
2hRuntime1h
2 m/sSpeed2.5 m/s
YesStairsYes
YesLiDARNo
N/ACompute8-core CPU; NVIDIA Jetson Orin (EDU)
Ecosystem Openness
—
SE01
/100
72
R1
ROS2 support, newer platform — ecosystem growing.
Pros and cons at a glance
SE01
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
- 32 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Short runtime (120 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
R1
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Affordable at $4,900 — accessible to research labs and SMEs
Cons
- Short runtime (60 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper: SE01 or R1?
R1 is cheaper at $4,900 vs $20,000 for SE01. 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 SE01 and R1 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: SE01 or R1?
SE01 has no ROS support; R1 has ros2. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Does SE01 or R1 use LiDAR?
SE01 ships with LiDAR for depth sensing; R1 does not. LiDAR adds cost and complexity but improves obstacle detection in low-light or low-contrast environments.
Last updated: 2026