Robot glossary
The terms that actually matter when buying a robot — defined plainly, used consistently across every Best Robot Match page. 15 terms.
Companion robot
A consumer robot designed primarily for social interaction, emotional engagement or companionship rather than physical work. Examples range from desk robots (Eilik, EMO) and robot pets (Sony Aibo, Loona) to eldercare companions (ElliQ). Distinct from task robots such as vacuums, and from AI companion apps, which have no physical body.
Server dependence
The degree to which a robot requires its manufacturer's cloud servers to function. Best Robot Match classifies it three ways: none (works fully offline), partial (works offline but loses features), and full (core functions stop if the servers go away). Fully server-dependent robots have been rendered non-functional when their makers shut down.
Bricked (robot)
A robot rendered permanently non-functional — typically when its manufacturer shuts down the cloud servers its software depends on, not because the hardware failed. Documented cases include Jibo (2019) and Embodied's Moxie (2025). A bricked robot is physically intact but effectively dead.
Server-shutdown risk
The risk that a robot stops working because its manufacturer's servers are switched off — through bankruptcy, acquisition or product discontinuation. Assessed from a robot's server dependence and its maker's stability. The Best Robot Match Robot Graveyard documents every known case.
Longevity Grade
Best Robot Match's A–F rating of how likely a robot is to remain useful and operational for years after purchase. It combines server dependence, subscription dependence, manufacturer stability and repairability. Formula published on the methodology page; discontinued robots carry no grade.
True 3-Year Cost
The purchase price of a robot plus 36 months of any required subscription — the figure that exposes robots whose ongoing fees exceed their hardware price. Published on every Best Robot Match robot profile. Optional accessories are excluded and stated separately.
Subscription dependence
Whether a robot requires an ongoing paid plan to keep its core functions. Some robots (ElliQ) become largely non-functional when the plan lapses; others (Eilik, most robot mowers) never require one. A key input to the Longevity Grade.
Teleoperation
Remote human control of a robot. Some 'autonomous' home humanoids — notably the 1X NEO at launch — rely on human operators who see through the robot's cameras to complete tasks its AI cannot. A capability and a privacy consideration at once.
Embodied AI
Artificial intelligence that operates through a physical body — sensing, moving and acting in the real world — rather than existing purely as software. Consumer humanoids, robot dogs and companion robots are embodied AI; a chatbot is not.
Humanoid robot
A robot with a human-like body plan — typically two legs, two arms and a head — designed to operate in spaces built for people. Consumer examples in 2026 include the Unitree G1 and R1 (developer platforms) and the preorder 1X NEO (home assistant).
Quadruped robot (robot dog)
A four-legged robot, commonly called a robot dog. The form spans research-grade platforms (Unitree Go2, Xiaomi CyberDog 2), education kits (Petoi Bittle X) and emotional companions (Sony Aibo).
Repairability (robot)
How feasibly a robot can be fixed: spare-part availability and cost, battery replaceability, repair documentation, modularity, software locks and independent-repair options. Scored 0–100 on every Best Robot Match profile and weighted into the Longevity Grade.
Robot graveyard
Best Robot Match's maintained database of consumer robots that died — discontinued, abandoned or bricked by server shutdowns and company collapses. It is the evidence base for the server-shutdown risk rating.
SDK (robot)
Software development kit — the tools a manufacturer provides for programming a robot (APIs, libraries, documentation, often ROS support). An open SDK (as on Unitree's robots) enables community development and gives a robot life beyond its maker's own app.
Editorial score
A score assigned through structured editorial judgement of public evidence — manufacturer documentation, specifications, pricing and credible reporting — rather than first-person lab testing. All Best Robot Match scores are editorial and each links to its sources.