Pudu Robotics D9
The Pudu D9 is the first full-sized bipedal humanoid robot from Pudu Robotics, unveiled in December 2024 and aimed at object manipulation, hospitality, logistics and customer engagement. It stands 170 cm, weighs 65 kg, has 42 degrees of freedom and 275 TOPS of onboard compute, and can carry over 20 kg. There's no public price, it's sold through enterprise inquiry, and any quote you see should be treated as unverified.
What is the Pudu Robotics D9?
Pudu Robotics made its name on service robots, the wheeled delivery and cleaning bots you've probably seen in restaurants and hotels. The D9 is a big step up: it's the company's first proper full-size bipedal humanoid, and it signals Pudu wants a seat at the grown-ups' table alongside the likes of Unitree and Fourier.
On specs, the D9 is genuinely serious. 170 cm tall, 65 kg, 42 degrees of freedom, joint torque up to 352 Nm, walking up to 2 m/s and able to handle stairs and slopes. Add two 7-DoF arms, a 20 kg-plus payload, an 11-DoF dexterous hand with tactile sensing, and 275 TOPS of compute, and you have a machine that at least on paper competes with anyone.
The catch is the usual one for Chinese-market humanoids: pricing and availability are murky. The D9 launched into pre-sale and enterprise channels rather than an open store, and there's no verifiable public quote. If you're outside China especially, factor in that this is an enterprise-inquiry product, not a click-to-buy one.
What is the Pudu D9 and what does it do?
The D9 is a bipedal humanoid built for object manipulation and customer engagement, aimed squarely at the commercial settings Pudu already knows, hospitality, retail, logistics and warehouse work, plus healthcare and assistance scenarios. Pudu also fields cleaning-focused variants in its lineup, so the broader family covers a lot of service ground.
Where the D9 differs from Pudu's older wheeled robots is legs and hands. The bipedal design lets it deal with stairs and uneven floors that a wheeled base can't, and the dexterous hands let it actually manipulate objects rather than just carry a tray around.
That combination, mobility plus manipulation, is what Pudu is betting on. The company frames the D9 as a push toward "commercially viable embodied intelligence," which is marketing-speak for: a humanoid that can do useful jobs in real businesses, not just demos.
Pudu D9 specs: how capable is it?
The D9 is a properly specced machine. It stands 170 cm and weighs 65 kg, with 42 degrees of freedom and a maximum joint torque of 352 Nm. It walks at up to 2 m/s on flat ground and can manage stairs, slopes and other awkward urban terrain.
Its two arms each have 7 degrees of freedom and together support a payload exceeding 20 kg. Paired with Pudu's DH11 dexterous hand, an 11-DoF hand (6 active, 5 passive) with 12 tactile sensing regions and over 1,000 tactile pixels, it's built for delicate handling as well as brute carrying.
On the brains side, the D9 combines RGB and RGB-D cameras, tactile sensors and an IMU with 275 TOPS of onboard compute, enough for real-time 3D semantic mapping and visual navigation. A 15 Ah (about 0.72 kWh) battery keeps it running. Those are strong numbers on paper; real-world endurance and reliability are what buyers will want to verify.
Pudu D9 price: how much does it cost?
There's no reliable public price. Pudu opened the D9 for pre-sale after its December 2024 unveiling and routes serious buyers through enterprise inquiry, so pricing is quote-based rather than published.
We'd caution against trusting the numbers floating around aggregator sites, they're estimates, not confirmed quotes. Humanoid pricing also shifts fast right now, with Chinese makers cutting prices aggressively year over year, so even a genuine quote can date quickly.
If cost is central to your decision, the only real answer is to contact Pudu (or an authorized reseller like RobotLAB in some markets) for an actual quote. Anything else is guesswork.
Availability and release: can you buy the D9 in 2026?
The D9 was unveiled in December 2024 and moved into pre-sale, so it's further along than a pure concept, but it's an enterprise product, not a consumer one. You engage through business inquiry channels rather than adding it to a cart.
Availability outside China is the bigger question. Some Western robotics resellers list the D9, which suggests limited international reach, but supply, support and lead times for a Chinese humanoid abroad can be uncertain. Buyers overseas should confirm import, service and warranty terms carefully before committing.
So for 2026: yes it exists and can be inquired about, particularly for commercial deployments, but treat delivery timelines and international support as things to nail down in writing, not assume.
Pudu D9 vs Unitree and other humanoids
Within the Chinese humanoid field, the D9's advantage is Pudu's commercial DNA. Pudu already sells service robots into hotels, restaurants and warehouses at scale, so it understands deployment, support and the messy realities of commercial environments, something more research-flavored competitors sometimes lack.
On raw specs the D9 holds up well against rivals like Unitree's humanoids or Fourier's GR series, comparable height, competitive DoF, strong compute and payload. Where Unitree often wins is aggressive pricing and a research-friendly ecosystem; where Pudu may win is a clearer path into real service jobs.
For Western buyers, the practical tiebreaker is often support and availability, and here all Chinese options carry similar import and service caveats. Pudu's existing commercial footprint could be an edge, but verify it for your region.
Is the Pudu D9 worth it, and who is it for?
The D9 is aimed at businesses, hospitality groups, logistics operators, retailers, that want a capable humanoid for real commercial tasks and can work through enterprise procurement. For that audience, Pudu's service-robot track record is a genuine plus.
It is not a consumer product, and it's not a plug-and-play purchase. No public price, enterprise-only channels, and the usual questions around international support mean this needs due diligence, not an impulse buy.
If you're a commercial operator intrigued by embodied AI and you're already in a market Pudu serves, the D9 is worth a serious inquiry. If you're a hobbyist or an overseas buyer wanting certainty on price and support, temper your expectations until you've got firm answers in hand.
Who the Pudu D9 is — and isn't — for
+Where it shines
- Stated real-world payload (20 kg total).
!Watch-outs
- Sold to businesses only — not to private buyers.
How the Pudu D9 stacks up
Side by side with similar robots — the one you're reading about is highlighted.
| This robot Pudu Robotics Pudu D9 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree R1 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree G1 |  Unitree Robotics Unitree H1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | Price on request everywhere | $4,900 – $5,900 | $13,500 – $73,900 | ~$90,000 |
| Availability | Enterprise inquiry | On the market | On the market | On the market |
| Height | 170 cm | 1.23 m | 1.32 m standing | ~1.80 m |
| Payload | 20 kg total | Unknown | Arm ~2 kg | Not rated for H1 |
| DoF | 42 | 20 | 23 | ~19 |
| Buyer | Enterprise | Individuals | Individuals | Enterprise |
| Made in | China | China | China | China |
What the Pudu D9 costs — and how to get one
Price on request; no verifiable quote.
Open - Pudu + US
Leasing / RaaS: Available via US - purchase, lease, RaaS
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
275 TOPS; real-time 3D semantic mapping, visual navigation, RL locomotion, multimodal interaction (vendor marketing)
Where it's working
None confirmed D9-specific (Pudu fleet 80,000+ units across 60+ countries overall)
Intended use cases: Hospitality/customer engagement, logistics/warehouse (carrying, stocking, sorting), floor cleaning (SH1), healthcare/assisted-living pilots, research
Should you consider the Pudu D9?
The Pudu D9 is a strong first humanoid from a company that actually knows commercial deployment, with specs that stack up against the Chinese competition. It's an enterprise-inquiry product with no public price, though, so it suits businesses ready to go through procurement, not consumers or anyone wanting instant, confirmed pricing.
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 60/100 · last verified 2026-06-24. Specs are labelled official vs third-party and dated; unknowns are omitted, not guessed.
Pudu D9 — your questions, answered in full
How much does the Pudu D9 cost?+
Pudu hasn't published a price. The D9 is sold through pre-sale and enterprise inquiry, so pricing is quote-based. Figures on aggregator sites are unverified estimates, contact Pudu or an authorized reseller for a real quote.
What are the Pudu D9's key specs?+
170 cm tall, 65 kg, 42 degrees of freedom, up to 352 Nm joint torque, walking up to 2 m/s, two 7-DoF arms with 20 kg-plus payload, an 11-DoF dexterous hand, and 275 TOPS of onboard compute.
When was the Pudu D9 released?+
Pudu Robotics unveiled the D9 in December 2024 and opened it for pre-sale, positioning it as its first full-sized bipedal humanoid robot.
Can the Pudu D9 climb stairs?+
Yes. Its bipedal design lets it handle stairs, slopes and other challenging terrain, which is a key advantage over Pudu's earlier wheeled service robots.
What is the Pudu D9 used for?+
Object manipulation and customer engagement across hospitality, retail, logistics and warehouse work, plus healthcare and assistance scenarios. Pudu's family also includes cleaning-focused variants.
Can I buy a Pudu D9 outside China?+
Possibly, some Western resellers list it, but it's an enterprise-inquiry product. Overseas buyers should confirm import, lead times, service and warranty terms before committing.
How much can the Pudu D9 carry?+
Its two 7-DoF arms together support a payload exceeding 20 kg, and the DH11 dexterous hand adds tactile sensing for more delicate manipulation tasks.