Unitree Robotics has introduced its newest humanoid robot, the H2, a sophisticated bipedal machine available for USD 29,900. This cutting-edge model merges high-quality engineering with an elegant design that the company describes as “streamlined elegance” on its website. The unveiling of the H2 signifies a shift in Unitree’s design approach. The robot’s head has been redesigned to provide a more human-like appearance, featuring smoother contours and a bionic facial structure complete with a dual-eye camera system for enhanced stereo vision.
The redesign of the H2 aims to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality, positioning humanoid robots as both user-friendly and efficient. Standing at a height of 1.82 meters and weighing around 70 kilograms, the H2 boasts 31 degrees of freedom: six per leg, seven per arm, and three at the waist. Each limb is powered by internal rotor PMSMs (permanent magnet synchronous motors) capable of producing up to 120 newton-meters of torque in the arm joints and 360 newton-meters in the legs. The frame is constructed using aircraft-grade aluminum, titanium alloy, and high-strength engineering plastics to maximize strength while minimizing weight.
Equipped with a lithium battery offering 15 ampere-hours of capacity, the H2 can operate continuously for up to three hours. It features support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, voice interaction through an array microphone and speaker, and various modular computing options, including Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Nvidia’s Jetson AGX Thor, providing up to 2070 TOPS of artificial intelligence compute power.
A specialized version of the robot, the H2 EDU, caters to research and academic users, offering support for secondary development, customizable computing modules, and an extended 12-month warranty compared to the standard version’s eight months. In addition to its technical advancements, the H2 embodies the company’s redefined robotics aesthetic, characterized by “streamlined elegance,” reflecting an industry-wide trend toward more human-like exteriors for robots intended for social or domestic use.
The affordability of the H2, priced below USD 30,000, positions it as one of the most cost-effective humanoid robots available, significantly undercutting competitors both locally and internationally. This pricing strategy aligns with Unitree’s commitment to accessibility, which has enabled the company to secure a substantial 60% share of the global quadruped robot market with products like the Go2. However, the competition in the robotics industry is growing fiercer. Noetix Robotics in China, for example, has introduced the Bumi, a smaller humanoid robot with restricted mobility but a lower price tag of RMB 9,998 (USD 1,400), one-third of the cost of the H2.
The proliferation of diverse robotic models underscores the race among developers to establish the next popular robotics platform that offers agility, safety, and a design suitable for cohabiting with humans.
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