Galaxea R1 & R1 Pro Robots
The Galaxea R1 is a wheeled, dual-arm mobile-manipulation humanoid from Galaxea AI, built for embodied-AI research and data collection rather than bipedal walking. The R1 line spans the base R1, the higher-end R1 Pro (reported around $69,999) and the data-collection R1 Lite. US listings are typically quote-based, and pricing figures vary by source.
US buyers: Galaxea sells into US research labs through resellers, but the R1's authorization status is unconfirmed.
The R1 has gone to US research customers via distributors on quote-based terms. We found no pre-cutoff FCC grant on record, which would block new imports, but the research route is also where the rule's edges are least settled: general FCC exemptions exist for equipment brought in for testing and evaluation rather than sale, and how those interact with Covered List status has not been publicly resolved. Robots already installed are unaffected.
Unaffected in the EU, UK and Asia; Galaxea's overseas push continues elsewhere.
As of 2026-08-30 · medium confidence — verify before you commit funds
What is the Galaxea R1 & R1 Pro Robots?
The R1 is the research-lab Galaxea robot — wheels instead of legs, and two arms doing the actual work.
Not every humanoid needs legs. Galaxea AI's R1 series makes that bet directly, it's a family of wheeled, dual-arm platforms optimized for the thing a lot of AI teams actually need right now: collecting manipulation data and running whole-body research.
The lineup breaks into a few tiers. There's the base R1, the beefier R1 Pro (dual 7-axis arms, more reach, more compute), and the R1 Lite, which is pitched squarely as a data-collection robot. Galaxea also open-sources a good chunk of its stack, including a VLA model repo, which tells you who the intended customer is.
Below we cover what the R1 and R1 Pro are, the pricing picture (which is a bit messy across sources), how they're used, and whether they make sense for your work in 2026.
What is the Galaxea R1 and R1 Pro?
The Galaxea R1 is a mobile bimanual manipulator on an omnidirectional wheeled base — not a bipedal walker. The design centers on two arms plus a torso that can raise and pitch, letting the robot reach the ground and extend up toward roughly 2 meters in height.
The R1 Pro is the flagship. Reported specs include 26 degrees of freedom, dual 7-axis arms with about 10 kg arm load and 64 cm reach, force-controlled parallel grippers, 360-degree LiDAR plus multi-camera perception, and an onboard Jetson AGX Orin (32GB, ~200 TOPS) compute stack. It supports VR and isomorphic remote control for teleoperation.
The base R1 is lighter on DoF (around 24, dual 6-axis arms, ~70 cm reach), and the R1 Lite (~23 DoF) is tuned specifically for data collection. So the "R1" is really a small family with different capability tiers.
How much does the Galaxea R1 cost?
Pricing here is genuinely inconsistent across sources, so read carefully. The R1 Pro has been reported around $69,999. The broader R1 series has been quoted as starting around 199,000 RMB, and some early coverage referenced starting figures near $27k for the line. Funding-era coverage for the base R1 has cited roughly $44.5k to $64.5k.
We're not going to pretend one of these is the definitive number, they're not all measuring the same variant or the same moment in time. For a US buyer the practical answer is that listings are largely quote-based. Use these figures as rough brackets and get a direct quote for the exact configuration you want.
Galaxea R1 availability: can you get one?
The R1 series launched publicly in early 2025 and is available through Galaxea and various resellers. The company operates around China and Singapore, and its open-source releases (datasets, the G0 VLA model, teleop tutorials) are freely accessible, which is a big part of the appeal for research teams.
Explicit, first-party US retail availability is less clearly documented, several international resellers list the R1 and R1 Pro, but confirm import, support and lead times directly. As with most of these platforms, this is an enterprise/research purchase routed through inquiry, not a consumer checkout.
How the R1 works: teleoperation and data collection
The R1 line is explicitly built around teleoperation and data collection, and that's a feature, not a flaw, for its audience. The R1 Lite in particular is described as a data-collection robot, with a master teleoperation end-effector, VR compatibility and dedicated teleop tutorials in the docs.
The workflow is the whole point: teleoperate the robot to gather high-quality demonstration data, train manipulation policies (Galaxea publishes its own VLA models and datasets), then push toward more autonomous execution. If you're expecting an out-of-the-box autonomous worker, that's not the framing, the R1 is a research and data engine you build autonomy on top of.
Galaxea R1 vs other research humanoids
Against bipedal humanoids, the R1's wheeled base is a deliberate trade, you lose stairs and rough terrain but gain stability, simpler control, and a rock-steady platform for collecting clean manipulation data. For a lab that cares about arms and policies more than walking, that's often the smarter buy.
Compared with closed commercial platforms, Galaxea's open-source posture (models, datasets, tutorials) is a real differentiator, you're not locked into a black box. Versus something like the Galaxea-adjacent research arms or other data-collection rigs, the R1 family's range of tiers lets you match spend to how much reach, DoF and compute you actually need.
Is the Galaxea R1 worth it and who is it for?
The R1 series is a strong pick for embodied-AI researchers, VLA/manipulation-policy teams, and light industrial or assembly research where a stable bimanual mobile base plus good teleop tooling matters more than bipedal locomotion. The open-source ecosystem sweetens the deal considerably.
It's not for consumers, and it's not a plug-and-play autonomous laborer. If you want a robot that walks upstairs or works fully on its own out of the box, look elsewhere. But as a data-collection and research workhorse — especially the Lite for data and the Pro for heavier manipulation — the R1 is one of the more sensible options in its niche.
The Galaxea R1 on video
Hands-on reviews and teardowns, picked for what they actually show rather than how loud the thumbnail is.
The current R1 line-up in one place — Lite, Pro and the 2026 revisions
Shows what the Pro's extra degrees of freedom buy over the Lite in practice
R1 Lite as the body behind a well-known foundation-model paper, which is its real claim to attention
Who the Galaxea R1 is — and isn't — for
+Where it shines
- Open developer access (SDK/API) — good for builders and labs.
- Stated real-world payload (R1: 5 kg max per arm @0.5 m; R1 Pro: 3.5 kg rated / 5 kg max single-arm @0.6 m, 7 kg rated / 10 kg max dual-arm).
!Watch-outs
- Some demos rely on teleoperation, not full autonomy.
- Sold to businesses only — not to private buyers.
How the Galaxea R1 stacks up
Side by side with similar robots — the one you're reading about is highlighted.
| This robot Galaxea AI Galaxea R1 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree R1 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree G1 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree H1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | $44,500 – $69,999 | $4,900 – $5,900 | $13,500 – $73,900 | ~$90,000 |
| Availability | Enterprise inquiry | On the market | On the market | On the market |
| Height | 1.7 m | 1.23 m | 1.32 m standing | ~1.80 m |
| Payload | R1: 5 kg max per arm @0.5 m; R1 Pro: 3.5 kg rated / 5 kg max single-arm @0.6 m, 7 kg rated / 10 kg max dual-arm | Unknown | Arm ~2 kg | Not rated for H1 |
| DoF | R1: | 20 | 23 | ~19 |
| Buyer | Enterprise | Individuals | Individuals | Enterprise |
| Made in | China | China | China | China |
What the Galaxea R1 costs — and how to get one
R1 ~$44.5k-$64.5k (funding coverage); R1 Pro ~$69,999 (third-party); US listings quote-based.
Enterprise/research inquiry via Galaxea + US distributors (quote)
Leasing / RaaS: unknown
Every spec, grouped & sourced
Tap a group to expand. Values are labelled official vs third-party; unknowns are omitted, not guessed.
Body & movement▾
Power & endurance▾
Hands & senses▾
Brains & control▾
Claims vs evidence
Whole-body manipulation policies (Stanford BEHAVIOR WB-VIMA); open-source VLA repo; platform for autonomy research, not turnkey
Where it's working
Stanford BEHAVIOR Robot Suite; 40+ clients incl. Stanford, MIT, Physical Intelligence, VW, Samsung, ByteDance
Intended use cases: Embodied-AI research/data collection, whole-body manipulation research, light industrial/assembly; indoor mobile bimanual manipulation
Should you consider the Galaxea R1?
The Galaxea R1 family is a smart, focused choice for embodied-AI and manipulation research: a stable wheeled bimanual base, capable tiers from Lite to Pro, and an unusually open software ecosystem. Just know it's a research and data-collection platform routed through quote-based sales, not a walking robot or a turnkey autonomous worker.
Score reflects stated criteria (availability, data confidence, US relevance) — not hands-on testing or user ratings. We're an independent review & comparison site; we don't sell robots. *Financing figure is illustrative.
How we know this
Data confidence 68/100 · last verified 2026-06-24. Specs are labelled official vs third-party and dated; unknowns are omitted, not guessed.
Galaxea R1 — your questions, answered in full
Who makes the Galaxea R1?+
Galaxea AI (also seen branded as Galaxea Dynamics), a robotics company focused on embodied AI and mobile manipulation, with operations around China and Singapore.
What's the difference between the R1, R1 Pro and R1 Lite?+
R1 is the base model (~24 DoF, dual 6-axis arms), R1 Pro is the flagship (~26 DoF, dual 7-axis arms, more reach and compute), and R1 Lite (~23 DoF) is tuned specifically for data collection.
Is the Galaxea R1 a walking robot?+
No. It's a wheeled, dual-arm mobile manipulator on an omnidirectional base, not a bipedal humanoid. Its torso can raise and pitch to reach the floor or extend up toward about 2 meters.
How much does the Galaxea R1 Pro cost?+
The R1 Pro has been reported around $69,999. Other R1-series figures vary by source and variant (from roughly $27k starting to the mid-$40k–$64k range), so treat them as brackets and get a direct quote.
How many degrees of freedom does the R1 Pro have?+
Around 26 degrees of freedom, with dual 7-axis arms, roughly 10 kg arm load and about 64 cm reach, plus a raise-and-pitch torso.
Can you buy the Galaxea R1 in the US?+
Several international resellers list the R1 and R1 Pro, but first-party US retail is less clearly documented. It's effectively a quote-based research/enterprise purchase, confirm import and support directly.
Is the Galaxea R1 open source?+
Galaxea open-sources a meaningful part of its stack, including datasets, a G0 dual-system VLA model, and teleoperation tutorials, which is a big draw for research teams.
What is the Galaxea R1 used for?+
Embodied-AI research, teleoperated data collection, whole-body manipulation research, and light industrial or assembly work in indoor environments.
Peer-reviewed research on the Galaxea R1
Published academic work — peer-reviewed papers and preprints — involving this robot or its maker's systems, indexed in scholarly databases (OpenAlex, arXiv). Not blog posts or press write-ups.
- Galaxea Open-World Dataset and G0 Dual-System VLA ModelGalaxea Team (Tao Jiang et al.) · 2025 · arXiv preprint · DOI 10.48550/arXiv.2509.00576
- BEHAVIOR Robot Suite: Streamlining Real-World Whole-Body Manipulation for Everyday Household ActivitiesYunfan Jiang et al. · 2025 · arXiv preprint (uses Galaxea R1 platform) · DOI 10.48550/arXiv.2503.05652
- DemoGen: Synthetic Demonstration Generation for Data-Efficient Visuomotor Policy LearningZhengrong Xue et al. · 2025 · arXiv preprint (Galaxea R1 hardware support) · DOI 10.48550/arXiv.2502.16932
Academic references are factual citations from open scholarly indexes; listing is not endorsement.