EngineAI SE01 vs EngineAI PM01: Which to Pick?

Choose the SE01 if you need a robot that handles parts and tools, because it carries 15 kg across its arms and has 32 degrees of freedom and a five-finger hand. Choose the PM01 if you build, teach or research, because it has 24 degrees of freedom, a 320 degree waist and dynamic moves such as jumping and flips at a smaller size. Both launched in 2024, the SE01 in October and the PM01 two months later. The SE01 is the work machine, and the PM01 is the platform for experiments.

The SE01 carries far more, with a 15 kg payload across its arms and a 15 kg deadlift, against 2 kg of carrying capacity and a 4 kg deadlift for the PM01. A deadlift is the weight a robot can lift from the floor. In practice the SE01 can move a crate of parts or feed a machine, while the PM01 is limited to light items such as a camera or a small sensor pack. If your task needs real lifting, only the SE01 qualifies.

The SE01 has 32 degrees of freedom and joints rated up to 330 N·m, while the PM01 has 24 degrees of freedom. Degrees of freedom count how many separate ways a robot can bend or turn, and torque is the twisting force a joint can deliver. The extra eight movements on the SE01 mostly sit in its hands, which is why it can grip tools. The PM01 spends its movements on legs, arms and a 320 degree waist, which gives it the range for dance and acrobatic routines.

Both robots walk at 2 m/s, about 7.2 km/h, so speed does not separate them. The difference is style: the SE01 is built around a natural, straight-knee human gait learned by a neural network, while the PM01 is shown running, jumping, doing backflips and climbing stairs. Both use reinforcement learning, a method where the robot improves by trial and error in simulation. Choose the SE01 for calm, human-like walking around people, and the PM01 for showing off agile motion in demos, classrooms and research tests.

Both the SE01 and the PM01 run for 2 hours on a charge, and both use a quick-swap battery that takes about 2 hours to refill. That means a spare pack keeps either robot working through a shift. The SE01 has a larger body and heavier arms to power, and its maker lists an average draw of 273 W, while the PM01 lists 200 W while walking. Neither is built for a full shift without swaps, so plan on at least one spare battery for each.

Both robots are open to developers, but the PM01 is the one sold around that idea. The PM01 runs ROS 2 on Linux with an SDK and supports secondary development, so a lab can load its own walking or motion code. The SE01 runs EngineAI's own Engine Sense stack on Linux with a ROS-compatible API and SDK, and its joints are tuned by the maker. If your team writes its own software, the PM01 is the easier starting point. If you want finished behaviour, the SE01 is closer.

The PM01 is the lower-cost route, with a listed price range of USD 12,000 to 25,500 against USD 20,000 to 30,000 for the SE01. The lower end of the PM01 range reflects its launch offer of 88,000 yuan, which the maker's own coverage put at USD 12,000. For that money you get a smaller robot with no heavy payload and less finger dexterity. If you want lifting and hand work, the SE01 is better value, because the PM01 cannot do those jobs at any price.