Step aside, Atlas: A new bipedal bot reportedly laid claim to the world’s fastest full-sized humanoid machine. According to the Shanghai-based startup, Unitree Robotics, its H1 V3.0 now clocks in at 7.38 mph while gingerly walking along a flat surface. With the previous Guinness World Record set at 5.59 mph by the Boston Dynamics robot, H1’s new self-reported achievement could be a pretty massive improvement. If that weren’t enough, if pulled off its new feat while apparently wearing pants. (Or, more specifically, chaps.)
[Related: OpenAI wants to make a walking, talking humanoid robot smarter.]
In a new video, Unitree’s H1 can also be seen trotting across a park courtyard, lifting and transporting a small crate, jumping, as well as ascending and descending stairs. It also can perform a choreographed, TikTok-esque dance troupe routine—basically an industry requirement, at this point. It’s also wearing pants, for some reason.
At 71-inches tall, H1 is about as tall as an average human, although considerably lighter at just 100 pounds. According to Unitree, the robot utilizes both a 3D LiDAR sensor alongside a depth camera to supply 360-degree visual information. One other interesting feature in H1’s overall design is its hollow torso and limbs, which house all of the bot’s electrical routing. Although it currently doesn’t currently include articulated hands (they sort of look like wiffle balls at the moment), Unitree is reportedly developing the appendages to integrate into future versions.
Alongside its quadrupedal B1 robot, Unitree aims to take on existing competitors like Boston Dynamics by offering potentially more affordable products. H1’s current estimated price tag is somewhere between $90,000 and $150,000—that’s likely more than most people are willing to shell out for a robot (even a world record-holder) but with Atlas rumored to cost $150,000 minimum, it might prove attractive to researchers and other companies.
Major companies like Hyundai and Amazon (not to mention the military) are extremely interested in these two- and four-legged robots—either through integrating them into increasingly automated workplaces, or… strapping guns to them, apparently. In the meantime, startups including OpenAI are aiming to make these machines “smarter” and more responsive to real-time human interactions.
But while H1 is allegedly the fastest humanoid robot for the time being, it still doesn’t appear to be nearly as agile as the parkouring Atlas… or, it should be noted, as egg-friendly as Tesla’s latest Optimus prototype. And although both H1 and Atlas can walk faster than a lot of humans and keep pace with most joggers, their biological inspirations can still break away at a full sprint. For now, at least…
