Franka Robotics Franka Research 3vsSoftBank Robotics Pepper

Franka Robotics Franka Research 3 leads on 5 of 7 dimensions — strongest on deployment readiness.

Franka Research 3

3 wins

Pepper

0 wins

Category breakdown

Readiness, uptime, navigation & connectivity

Franka Research 3

85
Deployment readiness
35
60
Maintenance confidence
60
Vision-led navigation (estimated)
Navigation
Vision-led navigation (estimated)
Wi-Fi / cloud fleet management (estimated)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi / cloud fleet management (estimated)

Price accessibility and ROI clarity

Even

Payload, speed, runtime & labor replacement

Franka Research 3

60
Labor replacement
15
3 kg
Payload
Minimal (arms designed for gesture, not load-bearing)
Up to 2 m/s at TCP; joint velocity A1-A4: 150 deg/s, A5-A7: 301 deg/s
Speed
3 km/h (omnidirectional)
Mains-powered (no battery)
Battery
Approximately 12 hours on 30Ah Li-ion battery

Environment fit, footprint & long-term upside

Franka Research 3

75
Environment fit
40
80
Future potential
20
Arm ~18.3 kg; Control 355 × 483 × 89 mm (D × W × H)
Footprint
120 cm height (approximately 4 feet tall)

Franka Research 3 · Best for

University robotics labs developing grasping algorithms with force-feedback learning

Pepper · Best for

University HRI research labs — stable platform, mature SDK, no commercial pressure

Final judgment

If immediate deployment is the priority, choose Franka Research 3. If the goal is to be ready when Pepper's capabilities mature, track it.