Buying an industrial robotics cobot usually comes down to a few concrete questions: how much weight do you need to move, how far does the arm have to reach, and what do you want to program it to do? The four robots in this comparison take different answers to those questions. Two are Rethink Robotics Sawyer arms built for light machine tending and education, one is an Omron collaborative arm targeting assembly and logistics, and one is a SoftBank Robotics humanoid built for autonomous programming research. Their prices range widely, so matching the robot to the task is more important than simply chasing the cheapest unit.
Quick take
For manufacturing-style tasks, the Omron TM5-700 gives you more lift than the Sawyers but less reach. The Sawyer arms have a longer reach but stop at a lighter payload. The SoftBank NAO V6 is a humanoid platform, so it fits research and teaching rather than moving parts. If your application is CNC loading, inspection placement, packaging, or education, the two Sawyer systems will likely feel familiar. If payload matters more than reach, or if you want a factory robot fresh out of the box, the Omron deserves the budget. If your team is writing autonomy code for a humanoid, the NAO V6 is the only candidate built for that.
Listed price comparison
| Robot | Listed Price | Price Bar |
|---|---|---|
| SoftBank Robotics NAO V6 H25600 Autonomous Humanoid Programmable Robot NAO6 | USD 10,000.00 | |
| Rethink Robotics Sawyer Collaborative Robot - New Bios (Gripper Included) | USD 6,995.00 | |
| Rethink Robotics Sawyer Collaborative Robot with under 1,400 Runtime Hrs | USD 5,595.00 | |
| Omron Collaborative Robot - TM5-700 - #RT6-0007021; NEW UNOPENED BOX | USD 16,500.00 |
Decision matrix
At 4 kg payload and 900 mm reach, the two Sawyers suit lighter tasks that need a long working area. The Omron TM5-700 raises the payload to 6 kg with a 700 mm reach, so it trades working distance for lifting capacity. The SoftBank NAO V6 is an open-box humanoid, which changes the conversation from payload to programming and interaction.
- Choose the Sawyer with under 1,400 runtime hours when you want the lowest-priced way into the Sawyer platform.
- Choose the Sawyer with New Bios (Gripper Included) when you want a gripper in the same package.
- Choose the Omron TM5-700 when the job needs the larger payload and you want a new, unopened system.
- Choose the SoftBank NAO V6 when autonomous humanoid programming is the main project.
Product notes
SoftBank Robotics NAO V6 H25600
The NAO V6 is the outlier of the group: a New - Open box humanoid programmable robot, not an articulated arm you would mount in a workcell. At USD 10,000.00, it brings a recognizable SoftBank Robotics platform into the comparison, and its humanoid form makes it a natural fit for research and teaching around autonomous behavior. The tradeoff is that payload and reach are not the drivers here; if your process needs to lift 4 kg or more, the articulated cobots in this guide are the relevant alternatives.
Rethink Robotics Sawyer (New Bios, Gripper Included)
This Sawyer is the more complete of the two used arms because the electric parallel gripper is part of the package. Priced at USD 6,995.00, it gives you a 7-axis Rethink Robotics design with built-in vision and support for both Intera 5.3 software and ROS programming. It is well suited to CNC loading, inspection placement, and pick-and-place work. The limitation is that it is a used system, and used condition is the reason the price is lower than the new Omron.
Rethink Robotics Sawyer (Under 1,400 Runtime Hours)
At USD 5,595.00, the under-1,400-hour Sawyer is the budget-conscious entry into this comparison. It includes the robot arm, controller box, pedestal, cables, and E-stop, and the unit has a recently changed bios battery and new filters. That makes it a strong candidate for education and light machine-tending budgets. The catch: it is a used robot with the same 4 kg payload ceiling as the other Sawyer, so confirm your parts stay within that limit before committing to it.
Omron Collaborative Robot TM5-700
The Omron TM5-700 is the only new-unopened system here, and its USD 16,500.00 price reflects that. It offers a larger 6 kg payload, though the 700 mm reach is shorter than the Sawyers' 900 mm. Built-in vision-based robot control, TMvision, Landmark, and communication options like EtherNet/IP, PROFINET Slave, and MODBUS make it a fit for assembly, packaging, inspection, and logistics. The catch is the higher price and shorter reach; choose it when 6 kg capability and a new unit matter more than maximum working area.
Final recommendation by use case
For the lowest cost of entry to the Sawyer platform, choose the Sawyer with under 1,400 runtime hours. If you want that reach profile plus a gripper in the package, choose the Sawyer with New Bios (Gripper Included). If payload capacity and an unopened new unit are the deciding factors, choose the Omron Collaborative Robot TM5-700. And if your work is humanoid robotics, teaching, or autonomy experiments, choose the SoftBank Robotics NAO V6.
