The H1 V3.0 Evolution from Unitree Robotics broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest full-sized humanoid robot. The developer has released a video of its first humanoid robot reaching a walking speed of 7.38 miles per hour (3.3 m/s) on a flat surface. The previous speed record for a humanoid was set by Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, which ran at 5.59 miles per hour (2.5 m/s).
According to the company’s website, the H1 universal robot is equipped with an innovative “power plant that provides the highest level of speed, power, manoeuvrability and flexibility”, and calls it “the world’s most powerful humanoid general purpose robot”.
The improved H1 V3.0 demonstrates a wide range of dynamic movements on video. The robot can move its arms, legs and torso while dancing. This suggests that the robot can do more than just walk. Thanks to the coordination of the whole body, it can repeat complex human movements. In addition, the robot’s ability to jump in place to the same height as a person standing next to it is another impressive feature. The H1 can also go up and down stairs and manoeuvre in confined spaces.
The H1 humanoid robot is about 1800 mm tall, weighs about 47 kg, and is equipped with a Unitree gear and a self-developed high-torque articulated motor. An additional characteristic of the humanoid robot is a battery with a capacity of 0.863 kWh. The robot is equipped with a depth camera and a 3D LiDAR sensor for vision. There are five degrees of freedom (DOF) in the leg joints and four in the arms.
Interestingly, early photos of the robot show that it has no hands – instead, it has a soft protrusion at the end of the arm, but the company has already announced further development and release of arms for the robot.
According to Unitree’s website, the first version of the H1 can walk at a speed of 3.4 miles per hour (1.51 m/s), which corresponds to a human pace. A promotional video posted earlier shows a Unitree engineer kicking the H1, but the robot always manages to regain its balance.
The company’s four-legged robot B1 has already demonstrated the potential of using artificial intelligence technology, which will also make it to the H1. B1’s advanced sensing devices transmit real-time information for efficient, highly accurate power estimation. With 3D LIDAR, you can significantly reduce inspection errors and time with automatic trajectory planning, collision avoidance and scanning.
Unitree has already started taking pre-orders for the H1 and plans to start shipping by mid-2024 this year. The expected price is from $90,000 to $150,000. Unitree’s development aims to compete with Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, Tesla’s Optimus and Agility Robotics’ Digit.
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