Forerunner K1 vs NAO V6: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2024)
Kepler Robotics vs Aldebaran (Maxvision) — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Forerunner K1 leads in more DOF, longer runtime, while NAO V6 leads in lower price. Overall, Forerunner K1 has an edge in 2 out of 3 compared categories.
Forerunner K1
Kepler Robotics
NAO V6
Aldebaran (Maxvision)
DNA Fingerprint Overlay
Forerunner K1 NAO V6
Specifications
$30,000Price$16,990
178 cmHeight58 cm
85 kgWeight5.6 kg
40DOF25
25 kgPayload—
8hRuntime1h
—Speed0.5 m/s
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARNo
N/AComputeIntel Atom (upgraded in V6)
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
—
Forerunner K1
/100
70
NAO V6
NAOqi + Choregraphe. Massive academic community. Future uncertain post-bankruptcy.
Pros and cons at a glance
Forerunner K1
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- High rated payload (25 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
- Long runtime (8h per charge) for full-shift operation
- 40 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
NAO V6
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Affordable at $16,990 — accessible to research labs and SMEs
Cons
- Short runtime (75 min) — frequent recharging or battery swaps
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper: Forerunner K1 or NAO V6?
NAO V6 is cheaper at $16,990 vs $30,000 for Forerunner K1. 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 Forerunner K1 and NAO V6 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: Forerunner K1 or NAO V6?
Forerunner K1 has no ROS support; NAO V6 has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2024