The latest humanoid robot on the market can purportedly run across a grassy lawn, do cartwheels and even fist-fight – and it costs less than $6,000.
In a promotional video from China’s Unitree Robotics on Friday — which provoked skepticism from some on social media whether it was legit or instead a product of CGI — the new R1 robot is seen doing cartwheels and handstands, as well as throwing combination punches and spin-kicking the air.
It weighs about 55 pounds, has 26 joints to allow for flexible movement and is equipped with multimodal artificial intelligence, including voice and image recognition, according to Unitree.
The humanoid’s price tag – just 39,900 yuan, or $5,900 – is drastically lower than the typical entry point for this burgeoning tech market.
Some users online, however, said they would rather spend their money on a helpful household robot over one with tumbling tricks and “security” capabilities.
“Can it vacuum? Can it run the washing machine? Can it fold clothes? Can it iron? Can it cook?” one user wrote in a post on X.
Another user wrote: “My daughter does gymnastics all day. i don’t need a robot for that.”
Some joked about the robot’s fighting capabilities, asking if the humanoid could protect owners from bullies, while others questioned whether AI and computer graphics were used to make the marketing video.
US firms, like Boston Dynamics and its Atlas robots, have helped pioneer the humanoid robot market.
But an advanced human-like bot for just $6,000, if done successfully, would mark a major milestone for China in the robotics and AI race.
Unitree already has several models available, including robotic arms, quadrupeds and other humanoid bots – like a boxing robot complete with gloves and a helmet.
The firm, which was founded by Wang Xingxing in 2016, started to gain more recognition earlier this year after its founder and CEO joined big names in tech like Alibaba’s Jack Ma and Tencent’s Pony Ma at a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Its latest R1 reveal comes as China is prepared to kick off its World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this weekend, gathering together state officials, tech founders and deep-pocketed investors.
Chinese firms have been pushing ahead in the robotics race as they aim to bring robotics into everyday use in households, factories and even the military.
Unitree’s older G1 humanoid, which has a $16,000 price tag, grew popular for use in research labs and schools.
The G1 has dozens of flexible joint motors, can simulate human hands and its technology is accelerated by AI “upgrading and evolving every day,” according to the Unitree website.
Unitree’s larger, more advanced humanoid robot H1 sells for more than $90,000.
It weighs more than 100 pounds with the highest levels of speed, power, maneuverability and flexibility, able to walk and run on complex terrain, according to Unitree.
The H1 is equipped with a 3D LiDAR and depth camera.
For its qualifications, the latest R1 model comes at a shockingly low entry point.
Chinese rival UBTech Robotics Corp. is planning a humanoid robot to serve as a household companion, which is expected to have a $20,000 price tag.
Morgan Stanley Research estimates that the cost of the most-sophisticated humanoid last year was about $200,000.
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