Just three months after the announcement of its G1 humanoid robot, Unitree Robotics has officially launched the mass production version. Priced at $16,000, the G1 stands as a remarkable feat in cost reduction and engineering excellence, showcasing Unitree’s commitment to accessible robotics. With this release, Unitree continues to challenge the market, which includes heavyweights like Boston Dynamics and Tesla.
To say the G1’s price is "competitive" would be an understatement. To put it in perspective, it’s 90% cheaper than Unitree’s previous humanoid model, the H1, which debuted at over $150,000. This significant reduction in price positions the G1 as an attractive option for businesses and research institutions looking for an advanced humanoid robot without the prohibitive cost.
Unitree's rapid progress is noteworthy. The company only began its humanoid robot project in February 2023, developing the H1 in just six months. The G1, released in May 2024, showcases significant improvements over its predecessor.
Standing just over 4 feet tall (yes, it's more like a child than a full-sized human), the G1 weighs around 77 pounds and is equipped with a suite of impressive technologies. It boasts 23 degrees of freedom, powered by advanced joints that allow it to perform complex movements such as jumping, spinning, and even climbing stairs littered with debris.
The three-fingered hands offer dexterity for tasks ranging from handling delicate objects to performing precise operations like soldering. The G1’s head features a 3D vision system powered by a Livox Mid-360 lidar camera and an Intel RealSense D435 depth camera, providing it with the ability to perceive and navigate its environment in real-time.
Unitree's new demo video shows the production version performing complex actions such as spinning, navigating stairs, bouncing, and maintaining balance when pushed or stumbled.
Unitree's success in the robotics field is not limited to humanoids. The company claims to hold over 60% of the global market share in quadruped robots, with its Go2 consumer model and B2 industrial model gaining significant traction.
Unitree Robotics initially gained recognition with its quadruped robots, the Go2 consumer model and B2 industrial. They were designed to compete with Boston Dynamics’ famous Spot robot model and gained significant traction. The company claims to hold over 60% of the global market share in quadruped robots.
This is very believable when you consider the pricing. Spot went on sale in 2020 for $74,500, while Unitree’s Go2 starts at $1,600. This is an example of how the company consistently undercuts its competition on price while maintaining high performance.
With the launch of the G1, Unitree is shifting focus towards humanoid robotics, making an impact in an arena that includes formidable players like Tesla’s Optimus and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas.
The G1 robot, while affordable, is not yet ready for consumer tasks like cooking breakfast or tidying up a home. Unitree envisions the G1 as an affordable platform for research and development in humanoid robotics. Its learning capabilities are powered by Unitree’s Robot Unified Large Model (UnifoLM), which allows it to acquire new skills through imitation and reinforcement learning. As a result, early adopters will likely be research institutions, universities, and businesses experimenting with robotic automation. There is actually an education model available, but pricing is unknown.
While Unitree has described the G1 as production-ready, mass production has not yet been confirmed. When it does begin, the G1’s combination of performance and price could make it a serious contender in the growing humanoid robotics market. If it does continue to successfully undercut its competition, we may very well see the G1 integrated into various industries, from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and beyond.