Fauna Robotics Debuts Sprout Humanoid for Homes and Developers

Fauna Robotics co-founder and CEO Rob Cochran unveiled Sprout, a 3.5-foot (1 meter) humanoid developer platform priced at $50,000, at a Manhattan public debut on Jan. 16, 2024, company officials said.

The company said the launch aims to jump-start an "approachable" home and service-robot market and to prioritize developer customization rather than first deploying robots in factories, a strategy that industry analysts say contrasts with Tesla and Hyundai plans.

Marc Theermann, Boston Dynamics chief strategy officer, said in a recent interview that Sprout "lets you see the future" and could be welcomed into homes, while some robotics veterans warned about past consumer failures such as Jibo and Anki, according to interviews.

Fauna said it has about 50 employees, has hand-delivered initial units to early customers including Disney and Boston Dynamics, and will price Sprout at $50,000 per unit for researchers and commercial partners.

Fauna executives said researchers at New York University and other institutions are testing Sprout for manipulation and human-robot interaction and that the company will use developer feedback to decide whether to pursue broader hospitality or consumer deployments.