Robotics Special: Unitree stuns the industry (again)

Welcome back, Superhuman. Most startups struggle to get in the headlines. Unitree just can’t stay out of them. Weeks after stunning the market with the release of the $5,900 R1 humanoid, the company has unveiled an ultra-fast quadruped robot that’s got observers talking again. Meanwhile, training sessions for the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing are in full swing.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. Unitree’s ultra-fast quadruped propels Chinese robotics shares to new high: The robot maker has unveiled the A2 ‘Stellar Explorer', a quadruped that can sprint faster than most robot dogs on the market. With a 5-hour battery life and AI-powered obstacle avoidance, the robot could have major implications for site inspections, logistics, and research operations, causing the Solactive China Humanoid Robotics Index to rise by 5%, according to Bloomberg. Watch it do some impressive stunts here.

2. Waymo’s stunning growth highlights a surprising insight: Having already surpassed Lyft in San Francisco, the company is looking well-positioned to overtake Uber in about 8 months — despite having a 70% price premium and longer wait times. This sheds light on a fascinating insight: many customers actually place a negative value on human drivers. It’s a basic reassessment of value in transportation, where the absence of the human touch is emerging as a premium feature riders are willing to pay more for.

3. Tesla pulls the plug on its Dojo supercomputer team: In a potential setback to the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) effort, the EV maker is shutting down its Dojo supercomputer project, designed to train its FSD software by analyzing footage from Tesla vehicles. It comes on the heels of a massive talent exodus, when around 20 members left Tesla to start DensityAI, a startup focused on data center services. Tesla is now shifting its focus to external partners, like Nvidia and Samsung, to deliver on its robotaxi timeline.

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ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

🛒 Robot Retail: China has opened what it calls the world's first humanoid robot "4S store" in Beijing's E-Town district — a showcase for its rapidly developing robotics industry. The facility features robots performing practical tasks from pharmacy fulfillment to bartending, alongside entertainment models that play soccer and portray historical figures like Albert Einstein and Chinese poet Li Bai. Check it out here.

👷 Construction Crusade: Cosmic Buildings and ABB Robotics have joined hands to deploy robotics to ramp up rebuilding efforts following this year’s Southern California wildfires. Their mobile robotic microfactory in the Palisades fabricates modular homes on-site, slashing construction time by 70% and costs by 30% compared to traditional methods.

🪖 Battle Ready: China's military has deployed armed "robot wolves" alongside human soldiers in a recent combat exercise. The quadrupedal robots move in a pack, carry rifles, operate in coordination with infantry units, and participate in reconnaissance and assault operations across challenging terrain. Military analyst Fu Qianshao noted that these ground-based robots could potentially have a greater battlefield impact than aerial drones.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Everything else you need to know this week

Here are the biggest developments in the robotics space that you should know about:

• Amazon-owned Zoox has secured a regulatory go-ahead to operate robotaxis without steering wheels on public streets.

• Uber is actively negotiating with private equity firms and banks to secure funding for its ambitious robotaxi expansion, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has revealed.

• OpenMind, a Silicon Valley-based startup, has picked up $20M in funding to develop an open-source OS designed for increasingly interactive robots.

• Lyft is partnering up with Chinese tech giant Baidu to deploy robotaxis across Europe next year, marking the company’s first expansion outside North America.

• Drone maker Destinus, a key supplier to Ukraine's military, is acquiring Swiss aviation AI firm Daedalean for $223M in a deal expected to close by year-end.

• Coco Robotics is partnering with Prime Video to transform its delivery robots in Los Angeles into moving billboards for film promotions.

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ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

Pool cleaning has never been easier. 

The iGarden Pool Cleaner K Series was launched about two months ago, and promises to overhaul pool maintenance with a 15-hour battery life — more than double what most competitors offer. The robot also features a "Turbo 200 percent mode" for pre-party cleanups and advanced navigation that prevents it from getting stuck on drains or corners. Watch it in action here.

Or check it out for yourself here.

ROBO REEL

Watch: Robot soccer teams gear up for the world’s first Humanoid Robot Games in China

The world's first World Humanoid Robot Games are set to kick off August 15-17 in Beijing, featuring 30 teams from the US, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, and host China competing in fully autonomous five-a-side soccer. These metallic athletes are equipped with visual sensors to track the ball and can self-recover after falls (there will be plenty).

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Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team