Higher Ed & Research robotics and turnkey AI labs built for serious research

It depends on your research focus. For mobile manipulation and autonomy research, platforms like the AgileX Tracer and Unitree Go 2 quadruped expose ROS-compatible interfaces and onboard sensors; for human-robot interaction and AI courses, humanoids like the NAO and SoftBank Pepper Academic Edition are common. RobotLAB carries research-grade units from AgileX, Unitree, Dobot, Blueye, and others, so the platform can be matched to your curriculum or grant aims.

Research and education robots span a wide range, from a few thousand dollars for a small humanoid or robotic arm to tens of thousands for an autonomous mobile platform or underwater drone, depending on payload, sensors, and software. Pricing also varies with the number of units for a class set versus a single research platform. For exact figures on any platform on this page, request a quote and we’ll scope it to your lab and budget.

Yes. Research-grade robots are routinely funded through NSF, DoD, internal seed grants, and capital equipment budgets, and they qualify as durable lab equipment on most grant applications. We can provide formal quotes, specifications, and line-item documentation that procurement and grant offices typically require. Ask us for a quote you can attach directly to a proposal or purchase requisition.

Students program perception, navigation, manipulation, and control on real hardware rather than only in simulation, which reinforces robotics, AI, computer vision, and controls coursework. With platforms like NAO and Pepper, classes explore human-robot interaction, natural language, and applied machine learning; with AgileX and Unitree platforms, they work on autonomy, SLAM, and sensor fusion. The result is hands-on experience with the same tools used in industry and graduate research.

Many of the research platforms RobotLAB offers, including AgileX and Unitree units, ship with ROS/ROS 2 support, documented SDKs, and open APIs so labs can integrate them into existing pipelines. Humanoids like NAO provide their own SDK plus Python and C++ access for coursework and HRI studies. We can confirm the specific software stack, sensor suite, and integration path for any platform before you buy.

For aquatic and field research, the Blueye underwater ROV supports inspection, marine biology, and environmental data collection with live video and depth sensing. Legged platforms such as the Unitree Go 2 are used for terrain mapping, ecology, and outdoor autonomy work. We can help match a platform to your research environment and required sensors.

For teaching, a common approach is one robot per two to four students so everyone gets hands-on time, while a dedicated research project may use a single high-capability platform. The right count depends on class size, lab schedule, and whether the units are shared across sections. We can recommend a class set sizing and quote it accordingly.

Yes. RobotLAB supports adoption with onboarding, training on the specific platform, and guidance on integrating it into existing courses or research workflows, so faculty aren’t starting from a blank page. This is especially helpful when a department is standing up a new robotics, AI, or innovation lab. Tell us your course goals and we’ll outline a training and setup plan.

Yes. In addition to outright purchase, RobotLAB offers Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS), which spreads cost over a subscription and can fit operating budgets or short-term research projects rather than capital outlay. This can also make it easier to pilot a platform before committing department funds. Ask us to compare a purchase versus RaaS quote for your situation.

RobotLAB provides nationwide service and maintenance, including a Robot Maintenance Service plan and accessories like the NAO Storage and Transport Case to protect units between sessions. Because we’re a multi-brand integrator, you have a single point of contact for service across different manufacturers in your lab. We’ll walk through the support options for your specific platforms.

Start by defining your learning or research goals, expected student count, and budget, and we’ll recommend a platform mix, quantities, and any supporting hardware and software. Because RobotLAB integrates 25+ brands, we can assemble a lab around your objectives rather than locking you into one vendor’s ecosystem. We’ll provide a scoped quote plus setup and training guidance so the lab is usable on day one.

Tell us your department, course or research goals, rough timeline, and budget, and we’ll recommend platforms, provide grant-ready documentation, and arrange a demo of the robots that fit. We can also build an option comparison across purchase and RaaS. To get started, use the form on this page or call 1-87-RobotLAB.