Close call. R1 Lite and B2 trade wins across the matrix.
Readiness, uptime, navigation & connectivity
Price accessibility and ROI clarity
Payload, speed, runtime & labor replacement
Environment fit, footprint & long-term upside
Bimanual manipulation research in university robotics labs—VLA model training, imitation learning, pick-place demos
Power grid and petrochemical facility inspections, where thermal imaging and gas sensing payloads and all-terrain mobility justify cost.
If immediate deployment is the priority, choose B2. If the goal is to be ready when R1 Lite's capabilities mature, track it.