There are a couple of leading developments in the humanoid robot department such as Figure AI, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and more. Still, they are not the first to market as there are already companies that beat them, and you might not have heard of them yet.
Unitree's G1 for $16,000
Humanoid robots are already expected to fetch a hefty sum, and we are now getting an idea of the price range for them. Even with a company known for having cheaper options among the rest, a human-like robot will cost you $16,000, which already includes tax and shipping.
The demonstration video shows that the robot is capable of soldering wires to components, as well as flipping a slice of bread on a pan and then proceeding to throw it precisely onto a plate. Other than that, it's still unclear what the robot is actually for.
"Combined with force-position hybrid control, it is sensitive and reliable, and can simulate human hands to achieve precise operation of objects," the site for the Unitree G1 described. The robot seems to have a peculiar way of standing up as well.
While lying down and facing up, the robot would bend its knees, push its mid-section up, and its head would be lifted to finally assume an upright position. It's probably just to demonstrate how flexible the robot can be, but it is strange regardless.
Even for a relatively cheap price, the robot is capable of balancing itself quite well. In another demonstration, it was even kicked and punched by a person and the robot remained upright, only stepping back from the force, as per Ars Technica.
What are the Specs?
The robot has three fingers, which is the minimum needed so it can grab objects. The company offers an installation of tactile sensor arrays, but that's optional for the buyer. It only weighs 47kg, so it can still be lugged around.
It is only 127 cm in height, so it's about four feet high. If it were to be programmed for housework, the height might become an issue with hard-to-reach areas. Plus, its battery life, which is powered by a 13-string lithium battery, only allows it to work for up to two hours.
It can move as fast as two meters per second, which is impressive enough considering the movement speed of other humanoid robots like Tesla's Optimus, and the head is equipped with a 3D LIDAR+ depth camera.
The G1 features an 8-core high-performance CPU and is capable of WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connection. It can be manually controlled by the user to perform certain tasks, which is perfect for those who couldn't be bothered to get up to grab something.
It could even be used by people with disabilities, provided that it can be programmed to do certain tasks. Should there be issues with the robot after purchase, the buyer can return it or have it repaired within the warranty period of eight months.
