As the race heats up to develop the first commercially viable humanoid robots, more and more companies are jockeying for position in this nascent field. Among them, Unitree’s G1 robot stands out thanks to its distinctive features, low cost, and targeted applications. Measuring about 4’3” (130 cm), the G1 is short and svelte, making it comfortable to stand with. With a price point of $16,000 (£12,500), it provides a lower entry-cost alternative to other humanoid robots on the market today.
Unitree’s G1, for example, demonstrates an impressive degree of freedom and amazing dexterity. It is able to pull off complicated choreography and breakdance-style motions with flawless precision. This lack of bureaucratic entanglement is what allows it to be more competitive. It features the remarkable ability of these humanoid robots to conduct tasks that require grace and precision. Pedro Zheng, Unitree’s overseas sales manager, has been literally showing off the G1’s dynamic capabilities with remote control.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently entered this discussion with Tesla’s foray into humanoid robotics. He boldly announces that by this year, they would be creating “tens of thousands” of humanoid robots. These heavily anticipated humanoid robots are said by their creators at Tesla to be best suited to performing useful tasks in an industrial environment. Musk’s interest is certainly a signal of the much greater interest we’re beginning to see from major tech firms in developing real-world applications for humanoid robots.
In the wider field of humanoid robotics, former troll factory investor and current humanoid-tech ventureist Thomas Andersson is keeping an eye on 49 companies building one. As Exhibit A to this notion of industry cutthroatism, these firms are all racing to build two-armed, two-legged robots. Andersson points out the strong support Chinese firms get from the Chinese national government and local Chinese governments. This support strengthens their ability to drive new technology at high speed.
One of these companies is Kinisi, which just launched its KR1 robot. This robot is able to learn new tasks just after being shown how to do them by a human instructor a mere 20-30 times. As Bren Pierce, founder of Kinisi, noted at the forum, the key to having these robots successfully work alongside humans is software. “The real ‘secret sauce’ is the software that allows the robot to work with humans,” he explained. The KR1 is now in line for testing by pilot customers later this year.
Chinese companies are indeed innovating, but an equal factor are the favorable supply chains they are reaping the benefit of. Andersson emphasized that “the supply chain and the entire ecosystem for robotics is huge in China.” He says that this infrastructure enables very fast iteration to help inform their R&D. Additionally, he noted that the closer the components are assembled, the greater the cost savings. “So then it becomes stupid to buy your motors, buy your batteries, buy your resistors, shift them all halfway around the world to put together when you could just put them all together at the source, which is in Asia,” he stated.
Despite these advancements, Bren Pierce warned not to get ahead of ourselves in terms of what humanoid robots can do right away. He cautions that it will be a long road ahead before these machines can move out of factory environments and into our homes. “It’s a long way off for humanoid robots to break out of factories into the home,” he noted, estimating that it may take at least 10 to 15 years.
Unitree’s G1 is aimed at research institutions and technology companies. As we near this milestone, these organizations will be able to improve its open-source software for even more exciting development. It’s a terrific move on their part and generally fits in with the overall movement to make advanced robotics more accessible. Pierce’s goal is to make intuitive robots that don’t put more information between people and robots. He wants it to be the case that any factory worker can be trained to run them in a period of hours. “A lot of companies come out with very high-tech robots, but then you start needing a PhD in robotics to be able to actually install it and use it,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, a state-backed training facility is churning out thousands of wee humanoid robots. It gives them so many chances to teach you and finish up all that busy work. This nationwide initiative is a testament to China’s dedication to improving its robotics industry and developing a highly-skilled workforce.
Though much progress has been made by these companies in creating humanoid robots, serious barriers still lay in the realm of breakthrough AI capabilities. A spokesperson from Unitree acknowledged that “the AI simply has not yet reached a breakthrough moment.” This feeling highlights the many challenges and intricacies that come with designing robots that can operate side-by-side with humans in a human-centric world.
Hyundai has made headlines by ordering tens of thousands of robots from Boston Dynamics, indicating corporate confidence in the future of humanoid robotics. The acquisition deepens Hyundai’s strategic foundation in the industry and underscores the depth of their commitment to building the future.