Unitree’s G1 and H2 humanoid robots have put on impressive shows of late, but you’re far more likely to buy the company’s R1. At least initially. It’s not like they’re hard to find, but interested buyers might have it even easier in future.
The Chinese company is supposedly set to list its R1 humanoid on AliExpress, initially for sale in China. It’ll later appear in other markets, including the US and Europe. There’s a decent chance it’ll tempt local buyers as well. But… the exact timing of the listing isn’t clear.
Unitree’s roots spread
Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post claimed that Unitree would add its R1 humanoid to the online retail platform sometime in April. It hasn’t made an appearance on Aliexpress yet, but it has turned up for sale on Alibaba. There, buyers can take the R1 Air home for R85,000, plus shipping. Shipping, unfortunately, is R12,000.
Exactly why you’d want one is something only you can explain. Of the Chinese company’s lineup, the Unitree R1 is perhaps the least impressive. There’s no finger articulation, and the joints aren’t particularly strong. It’ll also putter around for an hour at a time before needing to charge, meaning it’ll work as a company mascot (if it’s not a particularly long event). For anything more complicated, it’s a better idea to choose a different robot.
But you can also expect to pay more. The Unitree G1 can be yours for R225,000, shipping not included, and the H2 will follow you home for about R500,000. All of the bots, including the 1.23-metre, 30-kilogram R1, require technical acumen to convince them to do something novel. It’s just that the R1’s capabilities are hardware-limited too. Still… deck it out in company livery, and you’ll make all the other CEOs at the golf day rather jealous.
