K1
1 test of the K1 Pro · standard K1 not directly testedRead the findings →Robosen's small walking robot that flips, dances and does push-ups on voice command. It's fun to show off, more toy than learning tool. Its app is frustrating, though, and programming it is tedious and limited.
Updated
Check the manufacturer’s site for current availability.
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
Feedback
What we know
Gadgetoid tested the K1 Pro and called the hardware truly incredible, with sturdy motors and impressive flips, but found the app frustrating and the programming tools too limited for anyone who wants to go further. Its verdict was an expensive but entertaining toy, great for showing off and short on depth. Everything else on this page comes from Robosen.
Gadgetoid, hands-on, Jun 2023 (tested on the K1 Pro)
Impressive hardware, awkward walk
Gadgetoid found the K1 Pro genuinely impressive once it's 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, either. 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 every time it opens, 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. If you mostly use voice commands, none of this matters much, but it'll 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 the same time. 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.
Our take
Should you buy the K1?
Best for: Enthusiasts who enjoy preset dances, tricks and simple programming. Skip it if: You want to write your own movement software.
a dazzling little robot to show off, if Robosen's own moves and simple programming are enough for you. For 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 controls.
The K1, which Robosen calls the Interstellar Scout, is a small two-legged robot about the height of a school ruler and under a kilo in weight. Seventeen motors let it walk, dance, do handstands and flip over. You control it by voice, from a phone app over Bluetooth, or by programming moves, either dragging blocks into a sequence or posing it by hand and saving each step. The K1 Pro version has a metal-look finish and understands about twice as many voice commands.
Gadgetoid tested the K1 Pro and called the hardware truly incredible, with sturdy motors, but found the app frustrating and programming tedious. The app needs an account, and there's no Wi-Fi and no open programming kit, so you can't take your coding beyond Robosen's own tools. The Pro shares the K1's body, motors and battery.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
What can it do on its own today?
It performs preset moves on command, such as walking, dancing, flips and push-ups. 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 off by default because it could pinch fingers if you're holding it when it moves, and the app makes you accept that risk before turning it on. 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 the 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 as a first taste of programming, but 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.
Alternatives
Other humanoid robots to compare.
K1
Why consider it: A small humanoid built for robotics teaching, competitions and writing your own behaviours.
The compromise: It's a development robot at a much higher price, and the versions differ a lot.
R1
Why consider it: A compact humanoid sold as a real development platform, with deeper access for programmers.
The compromise: It's a robotics project for a technical owner, and the starting version lacks much of what the demos show.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the K1?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Gadgetoid: Robosen K1 Pro Reviewed ↗Hands-on · Tested on the K1 Pro
Sources
- Robosen: K1 and K1 Pro product page ↗Manufacturer
- Robosen UK store: Interstellar Scout K1 ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for Robosen K1 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.