Stationary robots
A robot that stays put and has no arm — the desktop companion that turns its head, talks and shows a face, but neither moves about nor picks anything up.
- desktop robot
- companion robot
- social robot
- tabletop robot
No products in this category yet.
What it is
A stationary robot has a fixed base, no way to move about and no manipulator. What is left is a body that expresses: a head that turns, a screen face, ears that move, a camera that follows you. Giving up motion and manipulation buys safety, simplicity and a low price, which is why social robots take this form when the point is interaction rather than work. What separates it from a smart speaker is that part of it physically moves in response to you.
Desktop, tabletop, companion and social robot are the usual names, though the same words are used for wheeled pets that do not belong here. In this taxonomy this is the last rule in the tie-break order: a product lands here only if it has no legs, no wheels, no arm and is not a humanoid.
What they are used for
- Companionship — desk pets and elder-care companions that react to touch and voice.
- Education — classroom social robots that teach languages or coding through conversation.
- Reception and retail — counter-top greeters that answer questions.
- Research — human-robot interaction studies, where an expressive head is enough.
What to compare
| Attribute | Why it matters | In this catalogue |
|---|---|---|
sdk |
Whether you can program its behaviour or only choose from the app | not yet in the catalogue |
open_source |
Open designs are what HRI labs build on | not yet in the catalogue |
battery_runtime |
Desk-dock models run on mains; portable ones for a day | not yet in the catalogue |
mass |
A desk pet is palm-sized; a reception robot is furniture | not yet in the catalogue |
In the catalogue
No products yet — this is where tabletop companion and social robots that only turn their head or change their face would go.
Edge cases
- Living.ai EMO: sold as a desk pet but it rolls on wheels, so it is a wheeled robot, not stationary. Likewise Loona.
- A torso with arms and a head on a stand: a fixed-base humanoid.
- A small arm on a desk: an arm.
- A smart display that pans to follow you: an appliance, not listed, unless it is sold as a programmable robot.
Related
Robot · Arm · Humanoid · Legged robot · Ground robot · Mobile manipulator · Aerial robot · Aquatic robot · Wearable robot · Kit · Wheeled robot · Fixed-base humanoid
Rule of membership
Fixed base; no locomotion; no manipulator; not humanoid in form (a humanoid torso on a stand is rb-2-3). Last rule in the tie-break order.
Category rb-9 in the whatrobot taxonomy.