StarBot Spark humanoid opens reservations starting at $7,999
StarBot Robotics has opened reservations for Spark, a three foot humanoid aimed at classrooms and developers, with a standard starting price of $7,999 and a $200 deposit. According to The Gadgeteer, the Santa Barbara company is offering the first 100 confirmed orders a starting price of $5,999. Spark has no published shipping date, making this a reservation offer rather than an immediately available development platform.
The company lists Spark at 35 pounds with 22 degrees of freedom across its body. Its published battery specifications call for a 24 volt pack, up to three hours of runtime and roughly 40 minutes to recharge. Those are company ratings, rather than reported test results. StarBot also lists over the air software updates, allowing the platform’s capabilities to be updated after delivery.
A lower entry price for humanoid development
StarBot positions Spark as an open development platform for robotics education, programming practice, AI projects and supervised research. The classroom focus is more concrete than the child companionship use case also promoted in its launch material: a programmable biped gives schools a physical platform for teaching robotics rather than relying entirely on simulation. For technical buyers, however, the open development description is a company claim, not a substitute for evaluating the software interface.
The Gadgeteer puts Unitree’s G1 starting price at $13,500, above Spark’s advertised standard price. That comparison establishes a price difference, not equivalent capabilities or developer access. There is also a connection between the two platforms: according to StarBot’s timeline, cited by The Gadgeteer, the company began its humanoid work in early 2025 using a purchased G1 as its research platform.
StarBot says Spark is 100 percent manufactured in the United States and describes it as North America’s first US made developer humanoid in its size and price category. The domestic manufacturing claim is a potential procurement distinction, while the narrowly defined first claim comes from the company itself.
The $200 reservation deposit counts toward the final purchase price. StarBot confirms configuration, included capabilities, taxes, shipping and the remaining balance before finalizing an order; schools, universities and research programs can also request project quotations. Within its humanoid range, the company positions Spark below Astra, a five foot research platform with 23 degrees of freedom and a starting price of $9,999, aimed at universities and R&D teams.
Source: The Gadgeteer
