DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Sawyer

Rethink Robotics' Sawyer is a single-arm collaborative robot for precision tasks such as machine tending and testing/inspection; it followed Baxter and remains…

Manufacturer
Rethink Robotics
Form factor
cobot
Maturity
research
Lifecycle
active

The verified answer

As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies Sawyer, a cobot by Rethink Robotics (research). 2 sources back the record.

Appears inManufacturing robots

Overview

Rethink Robotics' Sawyer is a single-arm collaborative robot for precision tasks such as machine tending and testing/inspection; it followed Baxter and remains in production under Rethink Robotics GmbH.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Form factor

cobot

Maker

Rethink Robotics

Arms

1

Class

single-arm collaborative robot

Specs

Dof

7

Arms

1

Class

single-arm collaborative robot

Reach m

1.26

Weight kg

19

Payload kg

4

Data & sources

News coverage

2

2 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for Sawyer. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

Sawyer on the deployment map

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Where Sawyer is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.

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Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for Sawyer.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (2)

  1. https://spectrum.ieee.org/franka-a-robot-arm-thats-safe-low-cost-and-can-replicate-itself
  2. https://spectrum.ieee.org/sawyer-rethink-robotics-new-robot

Common questions

What is Sawyer?
Rethink Robotics' Sawyer is a single-arm collaborative robot for precision tasks such as machine tending and testing/inspection; it followed Baxter and remains in production under Rethink Robotics GmbH.
How much does Sawyer cost?
Sawyer's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Sawyer from Rethink Robotics. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is Sawyer actually deployed in the real world?
Sawyer is at the research stage: it exists, but DEPLOY has no verified real-world deployment on record. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
What are the specs of Sawyer?
Sawyer's recorded specifications on the DEPLOY registry: Degrees of freedom: 7; Reach: 1.26 m; Weight: 19 kg; Payload: 4 kg. See the Specs section for the full sourced set.
Who makes Sawyer?
Sawyer is made by Rethink Robotics, based in Boston, MA, founded in 2008.
Can you buy Sawyer?
Sawyer is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
What are alternatives to Sawyer?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable cobot robots to Sawyer include UR5e, Spool Welding Robot (SWR), AUBO i5, DENSO COBOTTA.
How does Sawyer compare to UR5e?
Sawyer and UR5e (Universal Robots · 4 deployments) are both cobot robots on the DEPLOY registry. Sawyer has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is Sawyer a top cobot?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Sawyer ranks in roughly the top 30% of cobot models tracked by the registry.
What is Sawyer's maturity stage?
Sawyer is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
Where is Sawyer deployed?
No verified deployments of Sawyer are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.
Is Sawyer safe?
Sawyer has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
What is the Rethink Robotics Sawyer robot?
Sawyer was Rethink Robotics' manufacturing robot, smaller, faster, stronger, and more precise than Baxter. Rethink Robotics shut down in 2018 and its patents and trademarks were acquired by Germany's Hahn Group. Both Baxter and Sawyer are discontinued.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-15

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-15

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: research

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: cobot

Sources by quality tier

2
secondary-industry-publication
Industry publication

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Sawyer.

Recent coverage

Sawyer in third-party press