Unitree released a humanoid robot with only an upper body, and company executives denied that the panda robot copied Magic Atom.

Image source: Unitree Technology

On April 30th, Unitree Technology launched a bipedal humanoid robot with only an upper - body design, priced from 26,900 yuan, significantly lowering the industry threshold.

This bipedal robot abandons the full - size whole - machine concept and adopts two rapid deployment solutions: a fixed base and a mobile chassis, which can be switched according to scientific research, light industry, and service scenarios. Its single arm offers two configurations of 5 degrees of freedom and 7 degrees of freedom. The total degrees of freedom of the whole machine range from 15 to 31. The waist joint supports ±150° rotation, and the head can achieve ±115° horizontal rotation and ±36° pitch. In addition, the repeat positioning accuracy of the end gripper is ±0.1mm, which can be quickly replaced with two - finger, three - finger, and five - finger dexterous hands. The maximum load of a single arm is about 2kg, which can meet the needs of precise operations and regular handling.

Image source: Unitree Technology

In terms of computing power, this robot is equipped with dual 8 - core high - performance CPUs. The computing power of the head vision module reaches 10 TOPS. Combined with binocular vision and a 4 - array microphone, it realizes the synergy of visual recognition and voice interaction.

The product fully opens the underlying interface to support secondary development. The weight of the whole machine ranges from 11kg to 32kg. It supports both external power supply and vehicle - mounted power supply, taking into account both battery life and deployment flexibility. Its fixed version is suitable for assembly lines, laboratories, and educational training, while the mobile version can be extended to dynamic scenarios such as guided tours, warehouse assistance, and supermarket services.

The launch of this bipedal robot is an important step for Unitree to continuously extend from quadrupedal and humanoid robots to bipedal operation, realizing the layout of both movement and operation capabilities. The price of 26,900 yuan also helps to promote the rapid popularization among small and medium - sized enterprises and scientific research institutions.

On the same day, Unitree opened its first direct - sales store in Yintai in88, Wangfujing, Beijing, which will be open to the public during the May Day holiday. Currently, the store displays humanoid robots such as G1 and R1, as well as quadrupedal robots such as Go1 and Go2, covering the entire matrix from consumer - grade to commercial - grade products, providing integrated services for on - site experience, ordering, and after - sales maintenance. This store also marks Unitree's shift from an online + distribution model to an omni - channel system integrating online and offline sales and brand direct sales.

It is worth mentioning that Wang Qixin, the CMO of Unitree Technology, said in an interview with the media at the opening ceremony, "Actually, Unitree's panda robot was launched earlier. We released relevant videos in November and December last year. At that time, the robotic dog already had a panda - like appearance, while Magic Atom's panda robot made its debut at the Spring Festival Gala in February this year. There are many online videos to prove it."

Public information shows that Unitree's panda robot is essentially a Go2 quadrupedal robotic dog plus a detachable panda - simulation skin kit, not a native independent model. Magic Atom's panda robot is also customized with a panda appearance based on the MagicDog quadrupedal robot. At the Yibin branch venue of this year's Spring Festival Gala, hundreds of Magic Atom quadrupedal robots appeared as "special - type actors" in the image of pandas.

According to the WeChat official account "Shanghai Jing'an", the first Asian store of Unitree Technology's Embodied Intelligence Experience Hall will open at the Jiuguang Department Store in the Nanjing West Road business district of Jing'an, Shanghai at the end of May. The store area will exceed 100 square meters, and all the latest products of the brand will be on display at that time.

Currently, Unitree is in the first echelon in the field of humanoid robots. A report released by Omdia at the beginning of the year shows that the global shipments of humanoid robots will be about 13,000 units in 2025. Chinese enterprises dominate the global humanoid robot market pattern. Zhipu Robotics ranks first with 5,168 units in shipments, accounting for 39% of the global market share. Unitree Technology and Ubtech rank second and third respectively, with shipments of 4,200 units and 1,000 units.

Unitree Technology is currently promoting its listing work. Wang Xingxing, the founder of the company, revealed at the Summer Davos Forum in June last year that Unitree's revenue in 2024 exceeded 1 billion yuan. Zhao Nan, an early investor in Unitree Technology and the founder of SevenUp Capital, once mentioned that since 2020, Unitree Technology's financial statements have remained profitable every year.

In March this year, Unitree Technology disclosed in its prospectus that the company's operating revenue in 2025 reached 1.708 billion yuan, a significant increase of 335.36% compared with the same period of the previous year. At the same time, its net profit after deducting non - recurring gains and losses was 600 million yuan, with a year - on - year increase of up to 674.29%, mainly due to the rapid growth of product sales during the period.

The latest humanoid robot report from TrendForce shows that the global humanoid robot industry will enter a critical period of commercialization in the second half of 2026. Among them, the commercialization goals and scenarios targeted by Chinese manufacturers are becoming clearer, and they are actively increasing production. It is estimated that the annual production of the Chinese humanoid robot market in 2026 will increase by as much as 94%. Unitree Technology and Zhipu Robotics stand out in the fierce competition with their profitability and mass - production progress. It is estimated that the two companies will account for nearly 80% of the total shipments.

This article is from Jiemian News, author: Song Jianan. Republished by 36Kr with permission.