AgileX PiPER Robot Arm
A compact 6-DOF tabletop manipulator from AgileX Robotics. 615 mm reach, 1 kg payload, ±0.1 mm repeatability — with RS485, CAN, and USB communication. One of the most affordable research-grade 6-DOF arms available, starting at $3,999 at SVRC. ROS1, ROS2, and Python SDK ready out of the box.
Full Hardware Specs
Research Arm Comparison
What the PiPER Is Good At
Compact, affordable, and ROS2-native — the PiPER covers the core use cases for academic and startup robotics research without the cost or complexity of industrial arms.
Tabletop Manipulation
615 mm reach covers a standard workspace for pick-and-place, sorting, and assembly tasks. The 2.6 kg arm weight makes it easy to relocate between benches without a dedicated mounting fixture.
Teleoperation & Imitation Learning
Run a second PiPER as a leader arm for bimanual kinesthetic teaching, or pair with Meta Quest 3 VR for markerless hand-pose teleoperation. Joint data streams over ROS2 or Python SDK directly into ACT and Diffusion Policy pipelines.
LIMO COBOT & Mobile Manipulation
The PiPER mounts natively to AgileX's LIMO COBOT mobile base, enabling navigation-plus-manipulation experiments without custom integrations. A ready platform for VLA and whole-body control research.
ROS2 & Python SDK
Python SDK — Joint Control
ROS2 Node (Humble / Iron)
Your Setup Journey
From unboxing to first teleoperation session. Plan for about 30-60 minutes for CAN setup, then another hour for ROS2.
CAN Bus & Host Setup
Connect USB-to-CAN adapter, bring up can0 interface at 1 Mbps
Install piper_sdk
pip install piper_sdk, verify connection, enable joints
First Motion
Send a joint position command, read feedback in a loop
ROS2 / MoveIt Integration
Launch piper_ros, publish to ROS topics, run MoveIt planning in RViz
Teleoperation & Data Collection
Set up leader-follower or VR teleop, record demonstration episodes
Services for the PiPER
Purchase — from $3,999
Buy direct through the SVRC store. Ships from Mountain View, CA. Volume pricing available for labs and research groups.
Hardware Leasing
Lease the PiPER on a monthly basis. Includes setup support, firmware updates, and access to the SVRC data platform. Cancel anytime.
Book a Demo Session
Come to our Mountain View or Allston lab to operate the PiPER hands-on before buying. We will walk through setup and run a teleoperation demo.
Guides & SDK Docs
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the AgileX PiPER cost?
The AgileX PiPER starts at $3,999 at SVRC, making it one of the most affordable 6-DOF research-grade robot arms on the market. You can purchase it through the SVRC store or lease it monthly. Volume pricing is available for labs ordering multiple units.
Is the AgileX PiPER compatible with ROS2?
Yes. The PiPER has native ROS2 support via the piper_ros package (tested on Humble and Iron). It publishes /piper/joint_states and accepts trajectory commands. ROS1 (Noetic) and MoveIt are also supported. A Python SDK (piper_sdk) is available for direct CAN control without ROS.
What is the AgileX PiPER payload?
The PiPER has a rated payload of 1 kg at the end effector. This is sufficient for most lightweight grippers, cameras, and manipulation research tasks involving everyday objects such as cups, small containers, and tools.
Can the AgileX PiPER be used for imitation learning?
Yes. The PiPER is purpose-built for research data collection. It supports leader-follower kinesthetic teaching with a second PiPER arm, or VR teleoperation via Meta Quest 3. Joint state data streams over ROS2 topics or Python SDK and integrates directly with ACT, Diffusion Policy, and OpenVLA. The SVRC data platform handles episode recording, QC, and export.
Community
Pricing & Availability
Ships from Mountain View, CA. Volume pricing for labs. Talk to our team or book a 30-min demo.
ALOHA Bimanual Teleoperation System
Two-arm teleoperation rig for household-scale imitation learning. SVRC builds and integrates ALOHA systems from $20,000.