Table of Contents
Both Spot and ANYmal are commercially mature quadruped robots built for autonomous industrial inspection. Actel Robotics is an authorized Boston Dynamics integrator, not an ANYbotics reseller — so we have every reason to be straight about the one place ANYbotics has a genuine, independently verifiable edge.
The Headline Difference: Zone 1 Certification
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Specification | Boston Dynamics Spot | ANYbotics ANYmal X |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1,100 × 500 × 840mm | 930 × 530 × 890mm (ANYmal D base; X dimensions not yet published) |
| Weight | ~32.5-33.8 kg | ~50-55.7 kg (ANYmal D base) |
| Speed | Up to 1.6 m/s | 0.75 m/s nominal |
| Battery/range | ~90 min runtime | ~90 min runtime, 2km walking range |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP67 |
| Hazardous-area certification | Not certified | ATEX/IECEx Zone 1, Gas Group IIB |
| Sensor payloads | Thermal PTZ, acoustic, gas (3rd-party), LiDAR, manipulator arm | 20x zoom, thermal, LiDAR, acoustic, gas (3rd-party) |
| Fleet software | Orbit | Data Navigator (launched 2025) |
| Deployment model | Purchase + Spot CARE service plan | RaaS (fully serviced) |
| Notable named result | Chevron: daily autonomous inspection at multiple U.S. refineries | BASF: Zone 1 indoor/outdoor inspection at Ludwigshafen site |
| Actel Robotics support | Authorized integrator | Not represented by Actel |
ANYmal X's exact dimensions and weight were not published by ANYbotics as of this writing (its own site says "specifications coming soon") — figures shown for physical size reflect the base ANYmal D platform, which may differ from the X variant. Specifications compiled from each company's own published materials and reputable trade press.
How Spot Handles Hazardous Areas Instead
Chevron's own published Spot deployment addresses the classified-area problem honestly, with a mitigation rather than a certification: pairing Spot with a gas-detector payload that automatically triggers a return-to-dock or shutdown if gas concentration crosses a safety threshold, removing the robot from the hazardous atmosphere rather than certifying it to operate inside one continuously. That's a real, workable approach for many facilities and use cases — but it is functionally different from ANYmal X's certified continuous operation in a Zone 1 area, and we think that distinction deserves to be stated plainly rather than glossed over.
How to Choose
See the full technical breakdown for Boston Dynamics Spot on its platform page, or compare all six platforms Actel deploys on our main compare robots page.