Choosing an industrial robotics cobot for your production line starts with one question: do you need the whole robot arm, or only the gripper attached to it? Two very different options show how much that answer matters. The Rethink Robotics Sawyer Collaborative Robot - New Bios (Gripper Included) is a complete robotic arm system with an electric parallel gripper. The piab piCOBOT Collaborative Robot Gripper is a dedicated clamping gripper designed for a specific compact cobot family. With listed prices of USD 6,995.00 and USD 1,169.95, they serve different parts of the same decision.
Quick Verdict
If you are building a machine tending or pick-and-place cell from scratch, the Sawyer is the complete package: a full arm system with the gripper included. If you already operate a compatible cobot and simply need a dependable end-of-arm gripper, the piCOBOT delivers that function at a much lower listed price. The spread between the two listed prices is roughly USD 5,825.
Product Comparison
| Product | Listed Price | Condition | Type | Key Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rethink Robotics Sawyer | USD 6,995.00 | Used | Robotic Arm Assembly | 7-axis, 4 kg payload, 900 mm reach, built-in vision, force sensing |
| piab piCOBOT | USD 1,169.95 | New - Open box | Robotic Claw Clamper/Gripper | Designed for Universal Robots |
Where Each Product Wins
- The Sawyer wins when you need a full robotic system. It includes the arm and gripper. With a 4 kg payload and 900 mm reach, it fits common tasks like loading CNC machines, placing parts on inspection systems, and pick-and-place for packaging or assembly.
- The piCOBOT wins when the robot arm is already there. Built for the arm you already own and made in Germany, this new open-box gripper adds handling capability without replacing the whole cell. Its much lower listed price makes it a natural add-on for an existing cobot.
Product Notes
Rethink Robotics Sawyer Collaborative Robot
The Sawyer is the choice when your project calls for a complete cobot rather than a component. It is a seven-axis arm with force sensing in each joint, a built-in vision system, and an electric parallel gripper in the package. That makes it ready for CNC machine tending, placing parts on inspection systems, and pick-and-place work. It runs on Rethink Robotics Intera 5.3 software, and an SDK mode with ROS is available for programming at a lower level. The trade-off is the condition: this is a used unit, and the Bios battery in the controller box has recently been changed. For a buyer who needs the full arm, that is part of the deal.
piab piCOBOT Collaborative Robot Gripper
The piCOBOT is the option to pick when your existing cobot is already doing the moving and you need a precise gripper at the end of the arm. It is a new open-box robotic claw clamp/gripper made in Germany and compatible with Universal Robots, so it avoids adapter uncertainty. The construction is aimed at handling and automation tasks in manufacturing and logistics. The limitation is that this is a gripper, not a robot arm; it cannot move parts by itself and needs a host cobot to carry it. For a cell that already has the arm, it is a practical finishing piece at a far lower listed price.
Final Choice by Use Case
For a new automation cell for machine tending, inspection placement, or packaging pick-and-place, the Rethink Robotics Sawyer is the system that comes ready to work. Choose it when you need the entire arm and gripper.
For an existing cobot installation that only needs a handling gripper, the piab piCOBOT is the practical pick. It is built for those arms and fills the end-of-arm gap without the cost of a full robot. If the arm is already in place, the piCOBOT completes the job; if the arm is missing, the Sawyer is the complete solution.
