It’s a bright spring morning in Hanover, Germany, and I’m on my way to meet a robot.
I've been invited to see the G1, a humanoid robot created by the Chinese company Unitree, at Hannover Messe, one of the world’s largest industrial trade shows.
Standing at about 4'3" (130cm), the G1 is smaller and more affordable than many other humanoid robots on the market. It boasts a highly fluid range of motion and dexterity, with viral videos showcasing it performing dance routines and martial arts.
Pedro Zheng, the sales manager at Unitree, is remotely controlling the G1 today.
He explains that customers need to program the G1 for autonomous functions.
Passers-by stop and eagerly engage with the G1, which contrasts with many of the other machines in the room. They extend their hands to shake its, make sudden movements to see if it reacts, and laugh when G1 waves or bends backward. Some even apologize if they bump into it. There’s something about its human-like form that, despite its uncanny appearance, makes people feel comfortable. Unitree is just one of many companies worldwide developing robots with human-like shapes.
The potential for these robots is vast — for businesses, they promise a workforce that doesn't need holidays or raises.
It could also be the ultimate household appliance. After all, who wouldn’t want a machine to do the laundry and load the dishwasher?
However, the technology still has a long way to go. While robotic arms and mobile robots have been common in factories and warehouses for decades, those environments can be controlled, and workers kept safe.
Introducing a humanoid robot into a less predictable environment, like a restaurant or a home, presents a far greater challenge.
For humanoid robots to be useful, they would need to be strong. But that strength could also make them dangerous — a simple fall at the wrong time could be hazardous.
There’s still much work to be done on the artificial intelligence that would control these machines.
"The AI simply hasn’t reached a breakthrough moment yet," a Unitree spokesperson tells the BBC.
"Current robot AI struggles with basic logic and reasoning, such as understanding and completing complex tasks in a logical way," they said.
At the moment, the G1 is aimed at research institutions and tech companies that can use Unitree’s open-source software for development. For now, many entrepreneurs are focusing their efforts on humanoid robots for use in warehouses and factories.
The most high-profile example is Elon Musk. His car company, Tesla, is developing a humanoid robot called Optimus. Musk recently announced plans to produce "several thousand" this year, with hopes of having them perform "useful tasks" in Tesla factories.
Other automakers are pursuing similar projects. BMW recently introduced humanoid robots at a U.S. factory. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Hyundai has placed an order for tens of thousands of robots from Boston Dynamics, which it purchased in 2021.
Thomas Andersson, founder of research firm STIQ, tracks 49 companies developing humanoid robots — those with two arms and two legs. If the definition is expanded to include robots with two arms that move on wheels, the number of firms exceeds 100.
Andersson believes Chinese companies will dominate the market.
"The supply chain and entire ecosystem for robotics is huge in China, and it’s much easier to iterate on developments and conduct R&D there," he says.
Unitree emphasizes this advantage — its G1 is inexpensive by robot standards, priced at $16,000 (£12,500).
Andersson also points out that investment is shifting toward Asian countries.
In a recent report, STIQ noted that nearly 60% of all funding for humanoid robots has come from Asia, with the U.S. attracting most of the rest.
Chinese companies also benefit from support from both national and local governments.
For instance, in Shanghai, there’s a state-backed training facility for robots, where dozens of humanoid robots are learning to perform tasks. So, how can U.S. and European robot manufacturers compete with that?
Bristol-based Bren Pierce has founded three robotics companies, with his latest, Kinisi, recently launching the KR1 robot.
Although designed and developed in the UK, the KR1 will be manufactured in Asia.
“The problem for European or American companies is that they must buy all their sub-components from China,” Pierce says.
“It doesn’t make sense to buy motors, batteries, resistors, and then ship them across the world to assemble when you can just do it all in Asia,” he adds.
Pierce is also reducing costs by not going for the full humanoid design.
The KR1, intended for use in warehouses and factories, doesn’t have legs.
"These environments have flat floors. Why add the complexity of legs when you can just use a mobile base?" he explains.
Whenever possible, the KR1 uses mass-produced components — the wheels, for example, are the same as those found on electric scooters.
"My philosophy is to buy as many off-the-shelf parts as possible. Motors, batteries, computers, cameras — all commercially available and mass-produced," Pierce says.
Like his competitors at Unitree, Pierce believes the key to success lies in software that allows robots to work alongside humans.
"A lot of companies release high-tech robots, but then they require a PhD in robotics just to install and use them," Pierce observes.
"We’re designing a robot that’s simple to use, so even the average warehouse or factory worker can learn to operate it in just a few hours," he says.
The KR1 can perform tasks after being guided through them by a human 20 or 30 times.
Pierce plans to give the KR1 to pilot customers this year. But will robots ever make the leap from factories to homes? Even Pierce, the optimist, says it's still a long way off.
"My dream for the last 20 years has been to build the ultimate robot. It’s what I worked on during my PhD," he says. "I do believe that’s the end goal, but it’s a very complex task."
"I think eventually they will get there, but I believe that’s at least 10 to 15 years away," he concludes.
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