Fauna Sprout
A small developer humanoid from Fauna Robotics (part of Amazon since March 2026) — 107 cm, 22.7 kg, 29 degrees of freedom, an open SDK. Labelled "AR-1" in the overview photo.
What it would mean for your event
Schools and tech days
Sprout is built for classrooms: low weight, soft shell, expressive face. For Czech schools we offer the same format today with the Unitree G1 EDU and the ROBOTio Academy programme.
Research workshops
If you need an open platform for your own algorithms, we compare Sprout with the G1 EDU by SDK, sensors and service.
Events for children and families
A small humanoid that is not afraid of a crowd is what we run at events with the 130 cm G1 — dancing and photos included.
Specifications (manufacturer data)
- Height / weight: 107 cm / 22.7 kg
- Degrees of freedom: 29 (legs 5 × 2, arms 6 × 2, head and torso, motorised "eyebrows")
- Hands: three-finger gripper with 1 degree of freedom
- Arm reach: 48 cm
- Battery / runtime: swappable Li-ion 5,000 or 10,000 mAh / 3–3.5 h
- Compute: NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 64 GB, 1 TB NVMe
- Sensors: ZED 2i stereo RGB-D camera, 4 × ToF sensors, IMU, 4 microphones, speakers, LED face
- Software: Fauna SDK (Python, C++), pre-trained motions, navigation, conversation; Isaac Sim, Gazebo, MuJoCo
- Launch: 27 January 2026 (Creator Edition)
- Manufacturer price: approx. USD 50,000 (press figure, not published by the manufacturer)
Capabilities
- Pre-trained policies: walking, kneeling, crawling, sitting, jumping, dancing, waving — ready to use
- Full SDK in Python and C++, open AI architecture ("bring your own model")
- Indoor mapping, localisation and navigation out of the box
- Voice-directed tasks and natural conversation; facial expression via LEDs and motorised eyebrows
- Full-body teleoperation for data collection
- Safe around people: soft exterior, minimised pinch points, backdrivable motors, an independent embedded safety subsystem
Where it is deployed
Research and universities
UC San Diego, NYU and other labs use Sprout as an open platform for learning motion and interaction.
Entertainment
Disney is among the first customers — a small, expressive and safe robot for interacting with people.
Commercial development
Boston Dynamics and corporate teams test their own behaviours on Sprout before moving to larger platforms.
Availability at ROBOTio
Fauna Sprout: ROBOTio does not currently hire out or sell this model. Fauna Robotics sells only in the USA and has been part of Amazon since March 2026. Looking for a robot for a corporate event? See the Unitree G1 and H2 from our event fleet — we help you choose the model and plan its role in the programme.
- Hire for events: no
- Sale / import: no — we follow its availability in Europe
- Alternative for events: Unitree G1 (130 cm) or H2 (180 cm) from our fleet
Manufacturer: Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company
Fauna Robotics was founded in 2024 in New York City by Rob Cochran (CEO, formerly CTRL-labs/Meta) and Josh Merel (CTO, formerly DeepMind). The USD 30M seed round was led by Kleiner Perkins (with Quiet Capital and Lux Capital). Two months after Sprout's launch, on 24 March 2026, Amazon announced the acquisition; the company continues as "Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company" and keeps selling Sprout. It had around 50 employees at the time.
History
The company was founded in early 2024, announced its seed round in April 2025, unveiled and started shipping the Sprout Creator Edition on 27 January 2026 and was acquired by Amazon on 24 March 2026. Analysts read the deal as Amazon buying humanoid tooling and a team rather than a consumer product. We could not find the "AR-1" label from overview graphics in any manufacturer material — Fauna's only model is Sprout.
ROBOTio's view
Sprout is a direct competitor of the Unitree G1 EDU in schools and research. For schools in Czechia we recommend the G1 EDU and the ROBOTio Academy programme today; Sprout sells only in the USA.
- For schools: comparison with the Unitree G1 EDU by SDK, sensors and service
- For events with children: Unitree G1 (130 cm) from our fleet
- For developers: ROBOTio Academy courses
Documentation and sources
- Fauna Robotics — official website
- Fauna — Sprout launch (specifications)
- GlobeNewswire — launch press release
- The Robot Report — Amazon acquires Fauna Robotics
- heise — Sprout for research and development
Frequently asked questions about Fauna Sprout
- What is Fauna AR-1?
- The label "AR-1" appears in overview graphics, but the manufacturer Fauna Robotics lists no such model — its only robot is the Sprout Creator Edition (107 cm, 29 DoF). This page describes Sprout.
- Can Sprout be hired for an event?
- No, it is not in our fleet. For events with children and families we use the small Unitree G1 (130 cm).
- How much does Sprout cost?
- The press reports about USD 50,000 for the Creator Edition; the manufacturer's website shows no price and sales go through a request form, US only so far.
- Is Sprout suitable for schools?
- Yes, it is built for them — low weight, safe shell, SDK and simulators. There is no service in Europe, though; for Czech schools we recommend the Unitree G1 EDU today.
- What does the Amazon acquisition mean?
- Amazon bought Fauna Robotics in March 2026; the company continues to operate and sells Sprout. Amazon has not published a long-term strategy.
- Can Sprout talk and walk by itself?
- Yes — it has pre-trained walking, kneeling, dancing and waving, in-room navigation and voice conversation; more complex behaviour is added by the developer through the SDK.
Interested in Fauna Sprout? Tell us what you are planning
Describe the event or project. Within 24 hours we reply with what we can deliver from our own fleet and what we will verify for you.
European specialist in the rental, sale and integration of humanoid robots.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +420 608 486 486