Chinese robotics company Unitree has unveiled the G1+, an upgraded version of its G1 humanoid robot. The company said it made six main changes covering mobility, power, cameras and human interaction. The base version of the G1+ costs $15,000, excluding taxes and delivery.
The robot now has a new moveable neck with two degrees of freedom, letting it tilt and turn its head independently rather than moving the two together. Unitree also strengthened the robot's motors, with power in the shoulder and waist joints rising by 110% and power in the arms increasing by 43%. The company said the motors also run cooler during operation.
Better vision and hearing
Unitree also improved how the G1+ perceives its surroundings and interacts with people. The robot now has two cameras for a wider view of the space around it, along with a touch sensor built into its head.
For sound, the G1+ is fitted with six microphones that help it work out which direction a person is speaking from, plus two 10-watt speakers so it can respond.
Size, weight and battery life
The G1+ stands 1.34 metres tall, weighs about 35 kilograms and can run for roughly two hours on its battery. It can also be connected to external power for longer operating sessions.
A separate G1+ EDU version is aimed at developers, offering additional options for further customisation and the installation of high-performance computing modules.
Unitree's place in humanoid robotics
Unitree Robotics is a Chinese company known for building humanoid and four-legged robots, and the G1 line has been among its more widely marketed humanoid models. The G1+ update follows a wave of activity in the humanoid and consumer robotics space this year, as manufacturers compete to add more dexterity, sensing and processing power to machines aimed at both research labs and commercial use.
