How were Chinese humanoid robots developed?

Unitree Robotics announced that its bipedal humanoid robot H1 set a new speed record by moving at 3.3 meters per second (11.9 km/h).

Unitree Robotics' H1 robot represents the continued evolution of a flexible humanoid platform with a wide range of capabilities. First launched last December, H1 is Unitree Robotics' first humanoid robot model. Previously, the company was known for its four-legged dog-like robots. In its initial version, the H2 is 1,805 m tall, weighs approximately 47 kg and can transport up to 30 kg of cargo. Each of its legs can rotate freely 5 degrees thanks to joints in the hips, knees and ankles. Joints in the shoulder and elbow allow each arm to rotate freely by a total of 4 degrees, according to New Atlas.

The robot takes 360-degree images of its surroundings thanks to the Intel RealSense D435i depth camera on its head and the Livox MID360 LiDAR module (ground-penetrating radar). Data from these devices is analyzed in real time by the Dual Intel Core i7-1265U processor. In addition, the robot can maintain balance and walk continuously, even when kicked.

In a video shared by Unitree Robotics on March 1, the latest version of H1, Evolution V3.0, can do more. It can walk quickly on flat surfaces at a speed of 3.3 m/s. According to the manufacturing company, this is a new world record for a life-sized humanoid robot. Compared to H1, Agility Robotics' bipedal robot Cassie set a sprint record in 2022 when covering a distance of 100 m in 24.73 seconds, an average speed of 4 m/h (14.4 km/h). . However, Cassie basically only consists of a pair of legs and a head, not a full humanoid robot. Tesla's life-sized humanoid robot Optimus only reaches a speed of 0.6 m/s.

Robot H1 can go up and down stairs and jump as high as a human.

In addition to fast walking, H1 Evolution V3.0 can also jump (full body coordination), go up and down stairs and jump high like a human.

The first two versions, Unitree H1 V1.0 and V2.0, demonstrate basic movement and balance skills. Its advanced joint design uses an M107 actuator that provides 360 Nm of peak torque, maximizing force output. Even in its initial version, the H1 demonstrated maneuverability even when disturbed and responded smoothly to maintain balance.

However, the latest H1 V3.0 version represents a huge step forward in the world of robotics . Not only did it break the Guinness World Record for the fastest life-sized humanoid robot, H1 also performed a series of coordinated jumps, moving its arms, legs and body smoothly. This proves that the robot's skills go beyond walking, instead it can simulate complex human movements by incorporating the whole body. The fact that the robot can jump as high as the person standing next to it despite its heavy actuator also highlights the strength created by the V3.0's chassis through an efficient engineering arrangement.

While the H1 robot's current capabilities are truly revolutionary, Unitree Robotics believes this is just the beginning. They have developed an AI robot framework called "AI World Model Robot" that can perform more intelligent behaviors. In addition, features such as online self-learning, full-body flexible control, advanced computer vision and path planning algorithms available in this framework are also being integrated into H1.