Types, published specs, and the questions to ask before you buy a four-legged robot.

A quadruped robot is a four-legged mobile robot that walks instead of rolling. Most buyers arrive with a practical question: which model fits my site, and what will it cost?

The range is wide. Unitree lists the Go2 Air at $1,600 before tax and freight (Unitree). Boston Dynamics, ANYbotics and DEEP Robotics publish no prices for their industrial robots. This guide groups the main models by the job they do and puts their published specs side by side, then lists what to ask vendors.

We have not tested these robots. Every figure links to the maker’s own page, checked on November 4, 2026.

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In this article

• What is a quadruped robot?
• Types of quadruped robots
• Quadruped robot specs compared
• Key quadruped robot specs to compare
• Where four-legged robots work today
• Buying a quadruped robot: cost, support and US rules
• What to ask a quadruped robot vendor
• Frequently asked questions
• Summary

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What is a quadruped robot?

A quadruped robot balances a body full of sensors and computers on four motorized legs. Unitree’s A2 spec sheet, for example, lists 12 joint motors, three per leg (Unitree). Cameras and lidar build a map; the controller picks footholds and keeps the body level.

People call them robot dogs, and the label is fair for one reason: a four-legged robot can step over things. ETH Zurich researchers who trained a walking controller for ANYbotics’ ANYmal put it this way: much of Earth’s dry land “remains impassible to wheeled and tracked machines” (Lee et al., ETH Zurich).

Legs vs. wheels vs. tracks

On a smooth warehouse floor, wheels are cheaper and simpler. Tracks cope with mud, gravel and slopes. Legs pay off on routes with stairs, open grating, pipe racks and curbs, which describes a lot of process plants.

Spot, for instance, is rated for 300 mm steps and ±30° slopes (Boston Dynamics). The cost is complexity. There are twelve actuators to service, and the models below list between about 1 and 6 hours per battery.

Some makers now mix the two. Unitree sells wheel-equipped B2-W and A2-W versions, and DEEP Robotics files its LYNX M20 under wheeled-legged robots (DEEP Robotics). Those are separate products with their own spec sheets.

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Types of quadruped robots

The market splits by job more than by size. The models in this guide fall into four groups.

Research and education platforms

These are small and light, and some have list prices. The Unitree Go2 weighs about 15 kg. The Air version is $1,600 and the Pro $2,800; the EDU version, aimed at developers, is quoted by sales (Unitree). Unitree’s fine print says some Go2 functions need “human operation or secondary development.”

DEEP Robotics’ Lite3 sits in the same class at about 12 to 13.5 kg, depending on edition, and comes with SDK APIs for perception work (DEEP Robotics). Its listed operating range is 0 to 40°C, so treat it as an indoor or fair-weather machine.

Industrial inspection robots

This group is built for paid, repeatable work. Spot, ANYmal, the DEEP X30 and Unitree’s B2 and A2 walk a set route, read gauges, take thermal images or scan with lidar, and return to a dock. Boston Dynamics says more than 1,500 Spots are in customer hands (Boston Dynamics).

“Every 12 hours, we follow the same path through the plant,” says a Woodside production technician quoted on the Spot page. That repetition, not acrobatics, is what buyers pay for.

Hazardous-area robots

Oil, gas and chemical sites have zones where ordinary electronics are banned. ANYbotics’ ANYmal X is ATEX-certified for Zones 1 and 2, with IECEx certification due with first production (ANYbotics). The company also lists what it is not for: Zone 0, explosive dust, and gases such as hydrogen.

Wheel-legged hybrids

Wheels on the feet let the robot roll down a corridor and still climb a step. They are worth a look if your route is mostly flat with a few stairs. Compare their specs on their own pages; they differ from the legged versions.

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Quadruped robot specs compared

The table uses each maker’s published figures. Vendors test differently, so use it to build a shortlist, not to rank. Spot’s 90 minutes is an average runtime. DEEP says its X30 numbers come from lab testing.

Model	Weight	Payload	Runtime per battery	Speed	IP rating	Operating temp.	Published price
Unitree Go2Air / Pro / EDUGet pricing for Unitree Go2	About 15 kg	≈7–8 kg (max 10–12 kg)	1–2 h (EDU 2–4 h)	Up to 2.5–3.7 m/s	Not listed	Not listed	Air $1,600; Pro $2,800 (tax, freight extra); EDU: contact sales
DEEP Robotics Lite34 editionsGet pricing for DEEP Lite3	About 12–13.5 kg	2.5–5 kg by edition	1.5–2 h	2.5 m/s max operating	Not listed	0 to 40°C	Not published
Boston Dynamics SpotBase robotGet pricing for Spot	33.8 kg	14 kg	90 min average	1.6 m/s	IP54	−20 to 55°C	Not published
ANYbotics ANYmalStandard inspection payloadGet pricing for ANYmal	Not listed	10 kg on top of standard payload	90–120 min (about 2 km)	0.75 m/s normal walking	IP67	Not listed	Not published
ANYbotics ANYmal XEx-protectedGet pricing for ANYmal X	Not listed	Not listed	More than 3 h	Not listed	IP65 robot, IP67 payload	−10 to 50°C (preliminary)	Not published
DEEP Robotics X30X30 / X30 ProGet pricing for DEEP X30	About 56–59 kg	20 kg	About 4 h unloaded, 2.5 h loaded	2.5 m/s max operating	IP67	−20 to 55°C	Not published
Unitree B2Legged; wheels optionalGet pricing for Unitree B2	About 60 kg	More than 40 kg walking	4–6 h	Over 6 m/s in special configurations	IP67	−20 to 55°C	Not published
Unitree A2A2 / A2-PROGet pricing for Unitree A2	About 42 kg	About 25 kg walking	Over 5 h unloaded, over 3 h with 25 kg	0–3.7 m/s (up to about 5 m/s)	IP56 (A2-PRO up to IP67)	−20 to 55°C	Contact sales

Sourcing quadruped robots for inspection or research? Request a quote → Reply within 48 hours.

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Key quadruped robot specs to compare

Spec sheets are written to look good. These are the lines that decide whether a robot works on your route.

• Payload with your sensors fitted. Spot’s 14 kg covers everything you bolt on (Boston Dynamics). ANYmal ships with cameras, a thermal imager, an ultrasonic microphone and lidar, and takes another 10 kg (ANYbotics).
• Loaded runtime. The X30 drops from about 4 hours to 2.5 hours under load (DEEP Robotics). Ask for the figure at your payload, on your stairs.
• Docking and battery swaps. Self-charging decides whether the robot runs overnight without staff. Field-swappable batteries help on long outdoor routes.
• IP rating and temperature. Spot lists IP54; the X30, B2 and ANYmal list IP67, a higher protection class. Check the range against your coldest and hottest months. The Go2 page gives neither figure.
• Operating speed, not top speed. DEEP lists 2.5 m/s as the X30’s maximum operating speed and 4.5 m/s as a lab-tested figure. Unitree says the B2’s 6 m/s needs special configurations (Unitree).
• Data output. ANYmal X sends inspection results to maintenance and asset systems through a REST API (ANYbotics). Ask how readings reach the people who act on them.
• SDK and autonomy. Find out which functions come with the version you are quoted and which need a developer edition or a software license.

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Where four-legged robots work today

Industrial inspection is the job most robots in this guide are built for. They read gauges, log thermal data and listen for leaks on fixed rounds. DEEP Robotics pitches the X30 for substations and cable tunnels; our guide to where the DEEP X30, Lite3 and LYNX fit covers its Singapore power-tunnel deployment.

Security patrol overlaps with inspection: the same robot walks a fence line or a campus at night. DEEP lists park patrol with intrusion detection as an X30 use (DEEP Robotics).

Research labs buy quadrupeds to test locomotion and AI. The ETH Zurich controller above was trained only in simulation and then run on two generations of ANYmal without fine-tuning. That sim-to-real step is central to physical AI and embodied AI research.

Public safety agencies use them to look before people go in. Boston Dynamics markets Spot to government users to “remotely investigate, assess, and de-escalate” hazardous situations (Boston Dynamics), and DEEP and Unitree both market fire-rescue versions of their robots.

Defense buyers are a separate market. Boston Dynamics and other robot makers have signed an open letter pledging not to weaponize their general-purpose robots (Boston Dynamics).

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Buying a quadruped robot: cost, support and US rules

Search for a quadruped robot for sale and you will find list prices for a few small models and quote forms for nearly everything else. The robot is only one line on the invoice. Ask for each of these to be priced separately:

• Docking station and spare batteries.
• Sensor payloads, such as thermal, gas or acoustic modules.
• Fleet and mission software. Spot uses Orbit; ANYbotics sells Shift. Ask whether they are per-robot or per-site licenses.
• Warranty and repair. Unitree gives 6 months on the Go2 Air and 12 months on the Pro and EDU (Unitree). Ask where repairs happen and how long they take.
• Training and site setup, including mapping and route programming.

US restrictions on foreign-made robots

On July 28, 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced “advanced robotic devices,” defined to include quadrupeds and humanoids, to its Covered List (FCC). The rule applies whatever the country of origin. Models already authorized can still be sold; new covered models cannot get FCC equipment authorization unless they receive Conditional Approval.

In practice, ask the seller for the FCC ID and grant that match the exact configuration you are buying. Our explainer on the FCC Covered List and Unitree robots lists the documents to request.

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What to ask a quadruped robot vendor

1. Runtime at my payload. What does the robot manage with my sensors fitted, on a route with stairs?
2. What the quote includes. Dock, batteries, payloads, software seats, shipping and setup.
3. Software access. Which SDK or API ships with this version? Is ROS 2 supported?
4. Offline behavior. Does a stored mission keep running if Wi-Fi or LTE drops?
5. Certifications. IP rating, ATEX or IECEx where needed, and the FCC ID for US delivery.
6. Support. Local service partner, spare-parts stock, repair turnaround and warranty terms.
7. Data and firmware. Where inspection data is stored, and how long the model gets security updates.

Many of the same questions apply to humanoids. Our humanoid robot buying checklist goes through them for that category.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a quadruped robot cost?

Published prices are rare. Unitree lists the Go2 Air at $1,600 and the Go2 Pro at $2,800, excluding tax and freight (Unitree). Boston Dynamics, ANYbotics and DEEP Robotics publish no prices on their product pages, and Unitree’s A2 page says “Contact Sales.”

Is a four-legged robot waterproof?

It depends on the model. The X30, B2 and ANYmal list IP67; Spot lists IP54; the A2 lists IP56. The Go2 and Lite3 pages give no IP rating, so ask before using one outdoors.

Can I still buy a foreign-made quadruped robot in the US?

Previously authorized models can still be imported and sold, according to the FCC. New models on the Covered List cannot get authorization without Conditional Approval. Check the FCC record for the exact unit before you pay.

Should I buy a quadruped or a humanoid robot?

For inspection rounds, quadrupeds have the longer track record; Boston Dynamics alone reports more than 1,500 Spots with customers. A humanoid makes more sense when the job needs hands, such as moving parts between stations. Our humanoid buying guide compares six models.

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Summary

Quadruped robots fall into four groups: research platforms, industrial inspection robots, hazardous-area models and wheel-legged hybrids. Pick the group by the job, then compare loaded runtime, payload, IP rating and temperature range on the maker’s spec sheet.

Price everything around the robot, and in the US, confirm the FCC authorization for the exact unit before you pay.