A “cheap” humanoid robot for ordinary homes

Chinese company Unitree Robotics, known for its advanced four-legged robotic dogs, has shocked the industry once again. They have introduced the Unitree R1, a humanoid robot that, with a price tag of under 5,000 euros, sets new standards for the accessibility of robotic technology. The R1 is not just a toy, but an advanced platform that promises to finally move humanoid assistants from research labs to living rooms and educational institutions.

Photo: Unitree

The Unitree R1 represents a bold step towards the democratization of robotics. It is an extremely lightweight robot, measuring 123 cm in height and weighing approximately 29 kg. Despite its compact and “agile” form, the device is equipped with cutting-edge technology. The basic R1 Air model boasts 20 degrees of freedom (DoF), while the standard R1 version includes 26 joints, allowing it to move extremely smoothly, maintain balance on uneven surfaces and even perform complex acrobatics such as handstands or rollovers.

The heart of the robot is a built-in multimodal artificial intelligence model (LMM), which allows the device to understand speech and visual information in real time. With the help of four microphones and a binocular camera, R1 can recognize faces, follow voice commands and communicate with the user. It is powered by an 8-core processor, and the EDU version even offers an upgrade to the NVIDIA Jetson Orin module with a capacity of up to 100 TOPS, opening the door for researchers to develop complex machine learning algorithms.

The company emphasizes that the R1 is designed primarily as a “smart companion” and research platform. Although its arm load capacity (about 2 kg) does not yet allow for heavy household chores, the robot is ideal for demonstrations, learning programming and human-machine interaction. It is powered by a smart battery with a quick-change system, which provides approximately one hour of continuous operation. The modular design of the housing also allows for visual customization with different color panels and stickers.

The base R1 Air model starts at around €4,545, while the more advanced R1 version costs around €5,470. First deliveries are planned for the second quarter of 2026, and orders are already open.