Robotics Special: Unitree unveils its strongest robot dog yet

Welcome back, Superhuman. Another week, another bold leap from Unitree. The Chinese robotics firm just unleashed a new consumer-facing robot dog that can probably outlift, outrun, and outlast most humans. Meanwhile, a major Chinese smartphone giant is eyeing its next act: stepping beyond handsets and into the high-stakes race to build humanoid robots.

WHAT’S NEXT

The most important news and breakthroughs in robotics this week

1. Unitree drops one of its most powerful quadrupeds yet: The quadruped, dubbed the As2, can carry reasonably heavy equipment, climb stairs and steep slopes, and sprint at speeds up to 11mph. Built to survive rain, dust, and extreme temperatures, it's designed for real-world jobs, with capabilities including industrial inspection, outdoor deliveries, and emergency response — areas where traditional wheeled robots struggle to keep up. Watch it in action here.

2. Honor joins the humanoid robot race with new household helper: The Chinese smartphone giant Honor is set to unveil its first humanoid for home and retail use at next week’s MWC in Barcelona. The company joins fellow smartphone makers like Xiaomi in betting big on agentic AI platforms that power household assistants. Honor's robot will work in tandem with its new "Robot Phone" to create an AI ecosystem that extends beyond traditional mobile computing. Here’s a sneak peek.

3. Google absorbs robotics startup to take on Amazon and Tesla: Alphabet just pulled its robotics software company Intrinsic back into Google after five years as an independent "Other Bet," signaling the search giant is ready to go head-to-head with rivals in industrial automation. The move pairs Intrinsic's no-code tools with Google DeepMind's AI models and cloud infrastructure, positioning it to scale across manufacturing and logistics.

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ROBOTS IN ACTION

How robots are transforming the world around us

🙏 Priest Program: Japan has unveiled Buddharoid, a humanoid robot priest trained on Buddhist scriptures that bows, prays, and dispenses spiritual advice at temple events. The robot offers guidance on everything from relationships to social issues. It’s a controversial solution to preserving religious practices amid a demographic collapse in the country.

🧓 Cyber Company: Barcelona has deployed 600 dancing robots to combat elderly loneliness and cognitive decline in an EU-backed pilot program. The robots remind users to take medication, make video calls to social workers, and even groove to French chansons, potentially offering a scalable solution to Europe's aging crisis.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Everything else you need to know this week

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

• BMW is set to deploy humanoid robots at its plant this year in Leipzig, Germany, betting on AI-powered automation to cut labor costs and boost productivity.

• DJI has sued the FCC, arguing the import ban on Chinese-made drones has “severely harmed” its US business and violated federal law.

• Wayve, a UK based startup, has secured $1.5B to scale its end-to-end autonomy platform, with backing from Uber, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and major automakers.

• Uber has launched its first European drone delivery service in Ireland through a partnership with Irish startup Manna.

• Figure AI has deployed a seven-robot fleet at its Sunnyvale headquarters under autonomous control, creating a 24/7 self-charging humanoid operation.

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ROBOT OF THE WEEK

A robot that caught our eye this week

Your pet doesn’t ever have to be lonely again.

Enabot's ROLA PetPal Robot is an all-in-one pet companion packed with an impressive suite of features like two-way communication, auto-navigation, an AI-powered snack dispenser, and interactive toys to keep your pets busy while you’re away. Watch it in action here.

You can get one for yourself here.

ROBO REEL

Watch: Robots welcome German chancellor to China with stunning performance

Robots are being used to forge diplomatic alliances.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz toured China's robotics company Unitree during his first official visit to the country, watching humanoids dance, box, and perform martial arts in a display of China's robotics muscle. You can watch it here.

Unitree's CEO called the visit an honor and expressed hopes for global collaboration. For Germany, a traditional manufacturing giant now playing catch-up in humanoids, this marks a strategic pivot toward partnering with China's digital economy.

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Until next time,

Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team