Unitree Humanoid

Complete guide to Unitree Robotics humanoid robots - R1, G1, H1, H2 Series

Unitree Humanoid

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Overview

Data as of: January 2026. Prices and specifications are subject to change.

ItemDetails
ManufacturerUnitree Robotics
HeadquartersHangzhou, China
FoundedAugust 2016
FounderWang Xingxing
SpecialtyQuadruped robots, Humanoid robots
Market Share60-70% of global quadruped robot shipments 1
Valuation$1.4B+ (2025 Series C) 2

Company History

Unitree Robotics originated when founder Wang Xingxing began quadruped robot research during his graduate studies at Shanghai University in 2013. After developing the first prototype XDog in 2016, he worked at DJI before founding Unitree in August of the same year.

Key Milestones:

  • 2017: Laikago quadruped unveiled (named after Soviet space dog Laika)
  • 2021: Go1 released - world’s first consumer-grade quadruped robot ($2,700)
  • 2023: Go2 released - equipped with 4D LiDAR and AI large models
  • 2024: H1 humanoid unveiled, G1 mass production started
  • 2025: R1 entry-level humanoid announced, H2 next-generation model unveiled
  • 2026: R1 official shipment started

Key Significance

Democratization of Research Accessibility

The greatest significance of Unitree humanoids is their Price-Performance Ratio:

ComparisonPriceUnitree AlternativeSavings
Boston Dynamics AtlasNot for sale (research)H1 (~$100,000)-
Figure 01$30,000-$150,000 (est.)G1 ($16,000~)~50-90%
Tesla Optimus$20,000-$30,000 (planned)R1 ($5,900~)~70-80%

Impact on Research Community:

  1. University Lab Accessibility: $16,000 G1 is purchasable within most university research budgets
  2. Repeated Experiments Possible: Low price enables acquisition of multiple robots
  3. Open Development Environment: Easy customization with ROS2, Python, C++ support
  4. Fast Parts Supply: Excellent parts accessibility based on Chinese manufacturing

From Quadruped to Humanoid

Unitree applies technology accumulated from Go1, Go2 quadruped robots to humanoids:

  • High-torque Motor Technology: M107 self-developed joint motor (up to 360N.m)
  • Control Algorithms: Reinforcement learning-based gait control
  • Sensor Integration: LiDAR + depth camera fusion

Product Lineup Details

Complete Comparison Table

DoF Calculation Basis: Only body DoF listed (excluding hands). Variants with hands are referenced in separate sections.

ModelPriceHeightWeightBody DoFMax SpeedTarget
R1$5,900~121cm25kg24-Education, Entry
R1 EDU~$16,000121cm25kg26-Research, Development
G1 Basic$16,000~132cm35kg232 m/sConsumer, Entry
G1 EDU Standard$42,000~132cm35kg232 m/sResearch, Development
G1 EDU Plus$52,000~132cm35kg292 m/sResearch, Development
G1 EDU Ultimate$64,000-$74,000132cm35kg232 m/sResearch, Development
H1~$100,000180cm47kg193.3 m/sAdvanced Research
H1-2~$129,000152cm70kg271.5-5 m/sIndustrial, Research
H2$30,000~182cm70kg31-Industrial, Commercial

Hand DoF Reference: Dex3-1 3-finger (6 DoF/hand, 12 DoF both hands), Inspire 5-finger (6 DoF/hand, 12 DoF both hands), Revo 2 Basic (6 DoF/hand, 12 DoF both hands)

R1 Series (Entry-Level)

R1 - Ultra-low-cost Humanoid

ItemR1R1 EDU
Price$5,900~~$16,000
DoF24 (legs 6x2, arms 5x2, waist 2)26 (head 2 added)
Size1210 x 357 x 190 mmSame
Weight~25 kg~25 kg
Computing8-core CPUNVIDIA Jetson Orin
SensorsStereo camera, 4-mic arraySame
CommunicationWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2Same
Battery~1 hour (quick-swap)Same
ReleaseJanuary 2026January 2026

Features:

  • Selected as TIME Magazine “Best Inventions of 2025” 3
  • Dynamic movements including side flips, handstands, spinning kicks possible
  • Voice/image interaction through large language model integration

R1 EDU Variants (Total DoF with hands):

  • R1 EDU U3: Dex3-1 3-finger hands (body 26 + both hands 12 = 38 DoF)
  • R1 EDU U5: Revo 2 Basic 5-finger hands (body 26 + both hands 12 = 38 DoF)

G1 Series (Mainstream)

G1 - Most Popular Research Platform

ItemG1 BasicG1 EDU StandardG1 EDU PlusG1 EDU Ultimate
Price$16,000~$42,000~$52,000~$64,000-$74,000
Body DoF23232923
Computing-100 TOPS100 TOPS100 TOPS
HandsNoneNoneNoneDex3-1/Inspire
DevelopmentNot availableC++/Python/ROS2C++/Python/ROS2C++/Python/ROS2

G1 Common Specifications:

ItemSpec
Height132 cm
Weight35 kg
Max Speed2 m/s
Joint TorqueUp to 120 N.m
Battery9000 mAh (quick-swap), ~2 hours
Control Loop500 Hz
Arm PayloadUp to 3 kg

Sensor Configuration:

  • LiDAR: LIVOX MID-360 3D LiDAR (360-degree scan)
  • Depth Camera: Intel RealSense D435i
  • Audio: 4-microphone array
  • IMU: Gyroscope + Accelerometer
  • Joints: Dual encoders (position/torque feedback)

G1 EDU Ultimate Variants (Total DoF with hands):

VariantHand TypeTotal DoF (body 23 + hands)Price
U3Dex3-1 3-finger35 (23+12)$64,000~
U4Dex3-1 + tactile sensors35 (23+12)$66,000~
U5Inspire 5-finger35 (23+12)$66,000~
U5-1Top configuration35 (23+12)$74,000~

H1 Series (Premium)

H1 / H1-2 - High-performance Research Platform

ItemH1H1-2
Price~$100,000~$129,000
DoF1927 (arms 7x2, legs 6x2, waist 1)
Height~180 cm152 cm (1520 mm)
Weight~47 kg~70 kg
Speed3.3 m/s1.5-5 m/s
Torque-360 N.m (M107 motor)
Battery-864 Wh (quick-swap)

H1 Series Features:

  • Holds 2024 humanoid walking speed record (3.3 m/s) 4
  • Full-size humanoid platform widely used in research community
  • Easy custom AI implementation with open development environment

Sensors (H1-2):

  • LIVOX MID-360 LiDAR (omnidirectional scan)
  • Intel RealSense D435 depth camera
  • 360-degree environmental awareness

H2 (Next Generation)

H2 - Industrial Commercialization Target

ItemSpec
Price$30,000~ (base model)
DoF31
Size1820 x 456 x 218 mm
Weight~70 kg
Computing2070 TOPS
Torque360 N.m

Improvements vs H1-2:

ItemH1-2H2
Waist DoF13 (serial stack)
Neck DoF0 (fixed)2 (pitch/yaw)
AnkleStandardQuasi-serial remote drive
Leg LengthReferenceLonger stride
BatteryReferenceLonger operation time

H2 Design Philosophy: Unlike the H1 series, H2 is designed with Industrial Deployment as the goal:

  • Enclosed design
  • Turnkey solution oriented
  • Defined use cases for enterprise customers

VLA Research Applications

NVIDIA GR00T Integration

Unitree G1 is a core platform for NVIDIA’s GR00T (Generalist Robot 00 Technology) project.

G1 Performance by GR00T Version: 5

MetricGR00T N1GR00T N1.5GR00T N1.6
Known Object Success Rate44.0%98.8%99%+
New Object GeneralizationLimitedGoodGood+
Training Data1,000 episodes1,000 episodes1,000+ episodes
Key ImprovementsBasicTest-time RTCCross-embodiment

NVIDIA Official Support:

  1. Isaac GR00T N1.6: Open VLA model, includes G1 loco-manipulation task pre-training
  2. GR00T-WholeBodyControl: G1 whole-body control policy, teleoperation stack
  3. PhysicalAI-Robotics-GR00T-Teleop-G1: HuggingFace dataset (1,000 trajectories)

Supported Tasks:

  • Fruit pick-and-place (apple, pear, star fruit, grape)
  • Language command-based manipulation
  • Whole-Body Locomanipulation

LeRobot Framework

Compatible with HuggingFace’s LeRobot framework:

  • Data collection and training pipeline
  • Algorithm support including ACT, Diffusion Policy
  • Open-source community contributions

Major Research Applications

Research InstitutionModel UsedResearch Area
NVIDIA ResearchG1GR00T VLA model development
University Labs (many)G1, H1Reinforcement learning locomotion, manipulation
Robot StartupsH1-2Industrial application prototyping

Competitive Comparison

Price-Performance Positioning

ManufacturerModelPriceBody DoFFeatures
UnitreeG1$16,000~23-29Value, research accessibility
UnitreeH1~$100,00019-27Speed record holder
TeslaOptimus$20,000-$30,000 (planned)-Mass production goal
Figure AIFigure 02/03$30,000-$150,000 (est.)-Industrial deployment validation
Boston DynamicsAtlas (Electric)Not for sale-Best dynamic movements
Agility RoboticsDigit--Logistics specialized

Unitree’s Differentiators

  1. Actually Purchasable: Only product line immediately purchasable compared to other competitors
  2. Price Transparency: Clear price disclosure (competitors are quote-based)
  3. Developer Friendly: Rich ROS2, SDK, example code
  4. Fast Iteration: New model release every year
  5. Parts Accessibility: Easy repair/replacement based on Chinese manufacturing

Market Outlook

Goldman Sachs Forecast 6:

  • Base Case: 1.4 million humanoid shipments by 2035
  • Bull Case: 1 million shipments by 2031

Unitree is securing strong position in the low-price market and preempting the research/education market.

Purchase Guide

Recommendations by Use Case

Use CaseRecommended ModelBudget
Education/EntryR1$5,900~
Hobby/PrototypingR1 EDU$16,000~
University Research LabG1 EDU Standard$42,000~
VLA/Manipulation ResearchG1 EDU Ultimate$64,000-$74,000
Full-size Humanoid ResearchH1-2$129,000~
Industrial PilotH2$30,000~

Official Retailers

  • Unitree Official Store: shop.unitree.com
  • RobotShop: Official distributor
  • Roboworks: US/Europe supply

References

Official Materials

NVIDIA GR00T Integration

Additional Materials

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Unitree Robotics - Wikipedia ↩

  2. Series C funding round, June 2025 - Wikipedia ↩

  3. TIME Best Inventions 2025 ↩

  4. Unitree H1 Official Page ↩

  5. NVIDIA GR00T N1.5 / N1.6 ↩

  6. Goldman Sachs Humanoid Robot Market Report, 2025 - BotInfo.ai Summary ↩