Blueworm Mantis Standard “Xiaobai”: A Modular Wheeled Robot From RMB 9,800

Blueworm Embodied’s Mantis Standard, also called “Xiaobai,” is a modular wheeled embodied-intelligence platform built around reconfiguration and developer access. Launch reporting identifies Blueworm as a Xi’an Jiaotong University technology-transfer company and places the product launch on September 14, 2026, with pricing starting at RMB 9,800. 59

The important distinction is mobility: despite its humanoid-like upper-body form, Xiaobai uses an omnidirectional wheeled base. It is designed to move and manipulate on relatively smooth indoor floors, not to walk like a biped.

A robot assembled from standardized modules

Mantis Standard’s core proposition is modular hardware. Its chassis, arms, waist and head are standardized modules connected through quick-install mechanical and electrical interfaces. Blueworm describes the result as a platform that can take different forms rather than a fixed-purpose humanoid robot. 9

That matters most for classrooms and labs. A reconfigurable design can let teams adapt a common base platform for manipulation experiments, teleoperation work, data collection or prototype applications instead of buying a separate robot for every project.

Reported hardware specifications

The available figures are launch-reported specifications:

• 22 total degrees of freedom
• 7 kg single-arm payload
• 663 mm arm span
• Teleoperation latency below 10 ms
• 550 mm waist-lift range, with a reported lift speed of about 200 mm/s
• Three-degree-of-freedom omnidirectional wheeled chassis, with a claimed top speed of 3 m/s
• Approximately 1.4 m overall height
• About three hours of battery life 59

The omnidirectional chassis is useful for indoor positioning because it is intended to move in the plane without the gait planning required by a legged robot. But wheels also define the platform’s limits: the cited material does not establish stair climbing, rough-terrain mobility or outdoor obstacle performance. 9

Development ecosystem and intended use

Blueworm says Mantis Standard connects with mainstream embodied-development ecosystems and is accompanied by tools, development tutorials and project technical support. 58 Coverage also describes BlueWorm SDK and ROS 2 control interfaces, along with compatibility claims involving Isaac Sim, Genesis, LeRobot and several embodied models. 4

Those claims make the platform most relevant to:

• University robotics teaching and practical training
• Research prototypes and manipulation experiments
• Teleoperation and data-collection projects
• Early indoor service or workflow trials
• Teams that need to modify hardware configurations as part of development

A shared simulation-to-hardware workflow and kinematics or safety tooling would be valuable for this audience, but detailed claims about a public Mantis SDK, Zenoh-based Python control without a local ROS 2 installation, inverse-kinematics helpers and joint-limit safeguards are not independently documented in the provided launch sources. Buyers should verify the current SDK documentation and supported interfaces directly before basing a project on them.

Why the RMB 9,800 starting price needs context

The low advertised entry price is striking for a platform with an omnidirectional base, articulated upper body and modular interfaces. Still, a starting price is not the same as the cost of a fully configured, deployment-ready automation system. It may not reflect the modules, end effectors, sensors, software support, spares or integration work needed for a particular task.

Likewise, the reported 7 kg payload, three-hour runtime and fast teleoperation are useful reference points, but their practical value depends on test conditions: arm pose, duty cycle, speed, battery configuration, payload center of mass and safety constraints can all change real-world performance.

The right way to evaluate Xiaobai

Mantis Standard is best understood as an affordable, adaptable robotics platform for teaching, research and early-stage applications. Its modular construction and wheeled base may be a better fit for indoor experimentation than a more expensive bipedal system—especially where teams value repeatable development access over human-like walking.

It should not yet be treated as a validated heavy-duty industrial robot. The provided reporting is based on launch information and does not include independent evidence of long-term durability, fleet reliability, outdoor autonomous navigation, safety certification or sustained manipulation-task performance. 59

Before purchasing for a production setting, ask for documentation covering:

• Payload limits across the full workspace and at different speeds
• Battery replacement, charging and expected duty cycle
• Emergency-stop, collision behavior and applicable safety compliance
• Ingress protection and environmental operating limits
• SDK licensing, API support and simulation compatibility
• Spare-parts availability, warranty and service arrangements
• Independently reproducible task demonstrations

For a lab or classroom, those unknowns may be acceptable trade-offs for a low-entry-cost, reconfigurable platform. For a factory or long-duration autonomous deployment, they are essential due-diligence questions.