Robot Dogs & Animals

Buying advice

Treat concept pieces as display items

Some quote-only listings on this page are concept and demonstration pieces, such as Festo's BionicSwift and BionicBee, which the page marks as concept or demo items. They suit trade-show stands, museums or research partnerships rather than daily work, so expect any quote to reflect a special arrangement rather than a catalogue price. If you need a working robot, start from the listings shown as available. At our last update in October 2026, prices shown here started near $10 with the Hexbug Nano and climbed to near $250,000 with the ANYmal C, and four of the 29 listings asked for a quote instead.

Ask about leasing before buying a quadruped

For industrial quadrupeds, leasing can be a better test than buying. When IEEE Spectrum covered Spot going on sale, Boston Dynamics said the cost of its early-adopter lease would depend on the number of robots leased and the length of the lease. Ask makers of models such as the ANYmal C, Ghost Robotics Vision 60 or Deep Robotics X20 whether they lease, how the monthly rate changes with fleet size and term, and whether lease payments can count towards a later purchase. A short lease on one unit can prove an inspection route before you commit capital.

Plan the safety case before the first walk

Industrial legged robots that balance themselves raise safety questions that wheeled machines do not, and the standard written for them is still in draft. ISO lists ISO/CD 25785-1, on safety requirements for dynamically stable industrial mobile robots, at committee draft stage. Until it is published, your own risk assessment carries more weight, so budget the time to write one, any barriers or signage it calls for, and training for the people who will work near the robot. Ask each maker what safety documentation comes with the robot and what you will have to produce yourself.

What to look for

• Toy, pet or tool: match the price to how it will be used
• Battery runtime, spare batteries and charging time
• Payload, sensor kits and software for industrial quadrupeds

Common questions

What separates a consumer robot dog from an industrial one?

Industrial quadrupeds are built for payloads, weatherproofing and long inspection runs, which is reflected in their price. Consumer models focus on play, companionship and learning.

Can I buy an underwater drone here?

Yes. The category includes underwater drones from Blueye Robotics, Chasing Innovation, Deep Trekker and VideoRay.

Sources and further reading

• Boston Dynamics' Spot Robot Dog Goes on Sale — IEEE Spectrum.
  Report on Spot's commercial launch, with lease terms and optional payloads such as an arm.
• ISO/CD 25785-1 Safety requirements for dynamically stable industrial mobile robots — International Organization for Standardization.
  Draft ISO safety requirements for industrial mobile robots that balance actively, on legs or wheels.