K1
A 35cm walking robot that does flips, push-ups and dance routines on voice command. The one full review loved the hardware but found the app frustrating and programming tedious.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The K1, which Robosen calls the Interstellar Scout, is a small two-legged robot a little taller than a school ruler, weighing under a kilo. Seventeen motors let it walk, dance, do handstands and flip over. You control it by speaking to it, from a phone app or by programming moves: dragging blocks into a sequence, or posing it by hand like a puppet and saving each step. Robosen is better known for its transforming Optimus Prime robot, and the K1 uses the same kind of hardware.
There are two versions. The K1 Pro has a darker metal-look finish and understands about twice as many voice commands; the size, motors and battery are the same. Either way, it's a toy with an educational side, not a home helper. The app needs an account, and there's no Wi-Fi or open programming kit, so it's hard to take your coding further than Robosen's own tools allow.
Our take: Buy the K1 if you want a dazzling little robot to show off to family and friends, and you're happy with the moves and simple programming Robosen provides. Look elsewhere if the aim is serious robotics learning. A development humanoid such as Booster's K1 or Unitree's R1 costs far more but gives you real access to the robot's controls.
Where it sits in Robosen’s range
- K1This model
- Flagship Optimus PrimeRobosen's voice-controlled transforming robot
- Buzz LightyearTalking, moving Toy Story character robot
- K1 ProSame body, metal-look finish, about twice the voice commands
What we know so far
Limited evidence Only one independent, finished hands-on review so far. A score and badge appear once there is a second.
Only one finished, independent review exists, and it tested the K1 Pro. Gadgetoid called the hardware truly incredible, with sturdy motors and impressive flips, but found the app frustrating and the programming tools too limited for anyone wanting to go further. Its verdict: an expensive but entertaining toy, great for showing off and short on depth. We couldn't find a second finished review of either version, so treat everything else on this page as Robosen's own description.
Gadgetoid, hands-on, Jun 2023 (tested on the K1 Pro)
Impressive hardware, awkward walk
Gadgetoid found the K1 Pro genuinely impressive once standing: back flips, front flips, push-ups and long dance routines, with motors that are astonishingly sturdy when locked. But it still walks, in the reviewer's words, like its trousers are round its ankles. It won't stand up by itself when switched off, and it lies on the floor until you stand it up or turn on automatic standing in the app.
The app gets in the way
This was Gadgetoid's main complaint. The app plays a splash video at every launch, insists on an account before you can program anything, didn't work with the iPhone's saved passwords and kept logging out. The desktop software wouldn't work for the reviewer at all. None of this is a problem if you mostly use voice commands, but it will wear down anyone who wants to build their own routines.
Programming stays basic
You can chain blocks, pose it like a puppet to record moves, or drive it as a remote-control robot, per the specifications. Gadgetoid found a phone screen too small for comfortable programming and posing tedious, because the limp motors make it hard to hold the robot and use the app at once. With no Wi-Fi and no documented programming kit, the reviewer saw little room to go beyond Robosen's apps.
Voice commands and safety
It responds after a wake phrase. Gadgetoid found some commands lost in translation and plenty of them puerile. Robosen lists 41 voice commands for the K1 and 81 for the K1 Pro the specifications. The reviewer also warns about pinched fingers: automatic standing is off by default because the robot can't tell if you're holding it, so you have to switch it on and accept the risk.
The one review tested the K1 Pro, which shares the K1's body, motors and battery but has more voice commands and a different finish.
Prices
Where to buy the K1 in Australia
Not sold in Australia. Switch market above, or see the alternatives below.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
What can it do on its own today?
It performs preset moves on command: walking, dancing, flips, push-ups and so on. Gadgetoid found those demos excellent. It doesn't do anything useful around the house, and Robosen lists no camera for finding its way, just Bluetooth, voice control and a battery the specifications.
Is it safe to have around people?
It's small and light, at under a kilo the specifications, but the motors are strong. Gadgetoid notes that automatic standing is disabled by default because it could pinch fingers if you're holding it when it moves, and the app makes you accept that risk before enabling it. Keep small hands clear when it's getting up.
What does it need to run?
A charge from the supplied mains adaptor and, for anything beyond voice commands, a phone with the Robosen app and an account. It connects over Bluetooth only the specifications. Gadgetoid found USB and Bluetooth connections finicky and couldn't get the desktop software working.
Can I program it properly?
Only within Robosen's tools. You get block programming, pose recording and remote control the specifications. Gadgetoid wanted Wi-Fi, a documented way to control each motor and somewhere to upload programs, and found none of them. It's fine for a first taste of programming, not for serious robotics projects.
K1 or K1 Pro?
Both have the same size, weight, 17 motors and battery the specifications. The Pro adds a metal-look finish and roughly twice as many voice commands and preset actions. Gadgetoid tested the Pro, so the hardware findings apply to both.
Compare with
K1
A small humanoid built for robotics teaching, competitions and writing your own behaviours.
It's a development robot at a much higher price, and the versions differ a lot.
R1
A compact humanoid sold as a real development platform, with deeper access for programmers.
It's a robotics project for a technical owner, and the starting version lacks much of what the demos show.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a K1?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Gadgetoid: Robosen K1 Pro ReviewedHands-on · Tested on the K1 Pro
- Robosen: K1 and K1 Pro product pageManufacturer
- Robosen UK store: Interstellar Scout K1Manufacturer