Rise of the Terminators? Scientists develop the ‘world’s most powerful general-purpose humanoid robot’ – but fans joke it ‘Looks like it’s frantically trying to find the nearest public toilet’
- The newly-unveiled H1 humanoid has been built by the Chinese company Unitree
- It stands at 71 inches tall, weighs 100 pounds and has a walking speed of 3.4mph
It has been billed as the ‘world’s most powerful general-purpose humanoid’.
But after being unveiled in a new video on social media many observers have joked that this Terminator-esque bot looks rather more like ‘it’s frantically trying to find the nearest public toilet’.
The H1 robot has been built by Chinese company Unitree Robotics, which is one of the leading developers of quadrupeds.
Last month the firm shared a glimpse of another of its creations: a possible ‘pet of the future’ in the form of a creepy robot dog that can talk and perform handstands.
Called Go2, it can also climb the stairs, play fetch, emit music from a built-in speaker and even take photos on command, which are sent straight to the owner’s smartphone.
Look out: The H1 bot has been billed as the ‘world’s most powerful general-purpose humanoid’
READ MORE: Pet of the future? Creepy robot dog can talk, perform handstands, and even take photos of you
H1, by comparison, is a humanoid that stands about 71 inches (180cm) tall and weighs 100 lbs (47kg).
It has a walking speed of 3.4mph, which is about the same as the average human.
Rest assured, then, that for this reason the robot won’t be chasing anyone down like Arnold Schwarzenegger any time soon.
It is also equipped with a depth camera and LiDAR, a remote sensing technology that uses reflected light to create 3D models and maps of nearby objects.
However, one thing that is distinctly lacking for the meantime is hands. Unitree says these are still in development.
The company has not given an official release date for H1 but it wants the robot to be available to purchase within the next 3-10 years for a price in the region of $90,000 (£70,600).
In its promo video, an engineer from Unitree can be seen trying to kick H1 over as it walks along the street, unsuccessfully so as the robot regains its balance each time.
But after being unveiled in a new video on social media many observers have joked that this Terminator-esque bot looks more like ‘it’s frantically trying to find the nearest public toilet’
In its promo video, an engineer from Unitree can be seen trying to kick H1 over as it walks along the street, unsuccessfully so as the robot regains its balance each time
Rest assured, then, that for this reason the robot won’t be chasing anyone down like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator (pictured) any time soon
The firm, which is based in Hangzhou, China, is aiming to ‘revolutionise’ the field of robotics with its creations.
With its four legs and animal-like agility, Go2 is similar to Spot, the canine-like robot from US company Boston Dynamics.
Unitree and Boston Dynamics are two of the biggest rivals in the robotics industry, although the former has been more focused on commercially available consumer models at more affordable prices.
Spot, Boston Dynamics’ most famous robot creation, first went on sale in 2020 and costs a whopping $75,000 (£60,000).
Last month the firm shared a glimpse of another of its creations: a possible ‘pet of the future’ in the form of a creepy robot dog that can talk and perform handstands
Source: Read Full Article