For humanoid robots to search out large adoption, the builders and producers might want to make them reasonably priced and helpful. Unitree final week unveiled its R1, with the usual mannequin priced at $5,900 — a fraction of what most different humanoids at present price.
The Hangzhou, China-based firm stored the value down by conserving improvement and manufacturing in-house. Compared, Unitree’s G1 robotic price greater than $13,000.
“Our core elements, together with motors and reducers, are independently developed and produced in-house,” Unitree informed The Robotic Report. “By way of years of robotic improvement expertise, we’ve additional optimized the physique construction. Moreover, as our commercialization matures and we obtain large-scale manufacturing and supply, we’ve been in a position to obtain higher price management.”
Based in 2016, Unitree has developed legged robots for client and industrial use. Final month, it obtained Sequence C funding that introduced its its valuation to about 12 billion yuan ($1.7 billion U.S.).
The race to construct commercially profitable humanoids continues to be aggressive, with new entrants weekly. Final week, EngineAI raised about $139 million because it strikes towards mass manufacturing of its robots.
The R1 is lighter and extra agile than the G1. (Click on right here to enlarge.) Supply: Unitree
Unitree shares R1 specs
The R1 humanoid stands 1.2 m (3.9 ft.) tall and weighs about 25 kg (55.1 lb.), making it barely smaller than the G1, which weighed 35 kg (77.1 lb.), and enabling it to maneuver with “lifelike” agility.
Unitree posted a video (above) of the R1 performing actions corresponding to aspect flips, handstands, and boxing strikes. It confirmed off robotic boxing in Might.
“The brand new R1 boasts 26 joint modules (6 joints per leg x 2 + 2 waist joints + 5 joints per arm x 2 + 2 head joints),” stated Unitree. “It integrates multimodal giant fashions for voice and picture, which significantly lowers the event threshold, permitting builders to construct upon the R1 independently.”
A dexterous hand is optionally available for the academic variant of the R1. The brand new robotic runs on a lithium battery and has an eight-core CPU.
The tutorial model additionally has the choice of including NVIDIA Jetson Orin for 40 to 100 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). Unitree stated it can submit extra customization choices to its web site.
Autonomy nonetheless to come back
Not like the humanoids from, say, Boston Dynamics or Agility Robotics, Unitree’s R1 is remote-controlled.
“Autonomy is achievable however requires secondary improvement,” the corporate informed The Robotic Report. “We can have an EDU (academic) model that permits purchasers to carry out secondary improvement, and it may possibly use ROS 2.”
Unitree demonstrated voice management of its boxing robotic in Might.
The corporate’s preliminary video for the R1 ends with a warning that customers ought to pay attention to such robots’ present limitations. Given a number of the hype round humanoids and security requirements nonetheless in improvement, it’s an affordable warning.
“At present, public notion of robots — e.g., believing robots can instantly carry out family chores — has a spot with the precise state of robotic improvement,” stated Unitree. “The warning on the finish of the video merely highlights that the robotics trade continues to be evolving, with many actions and situations nonetheless below improvement.”
“International business adoption, corresponding to getting into manufacturing unit settings, public service industries, and private client sectors, will nonetheless take a while,” it added. “It’s not one thing that may be achieved instantly within the present stage.”
Unitree stated it’s actively exploring commercialization, however for now, it’s centered on advancing the worldwide humanoid robotic trade. Within the brief time period, the corporate stated it hopes to make use of the R1 to advertise the worldwide robotic improvement course of.
The R1 humanoid is accessible in a client model and an academic model. Supply: Unitree
Study humanoid improvement at RoboBusiness
The premiere occasion for expertise and enterprise improvement, RoboBusiness 2025 can be on Oct. 15 and 16 on the Santa Clara Conference Middle. It is going to embody a observe on humanoid robotics.
Deepu Talla, vp of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA, will ship the opening keynote on “Bodily AI for the New Period of Robotics.” He can be adopted by a panel on “Classes Discovered from the First Humanoid Deployments,” that includes:
- Jim Fan, director of AI and distinguished scientist at NVIDIA
- Katlyn Lewicke, head of worldwide automation technique and intel at GXO Logistics
- Melonee Smart, chief product officer at Agility Robotics
Different can’t-miss periods on humanoids embody:
As well as, RoboBusiness will characteristic informative periods about robotics innovation, enabling applied sciences, and enterprise improvement. Attendees can go to greater than 60 exhibitors and expertise quite a few networking alternatives.
RoboBusiness can be co-located with DeviceTalks West, which focuses on surgical and medical gadgets. Registration is now open.
