China’s Unitree H1 Sets World Record as the Fastest Bipedal Humanoid Robot With Human-Like Pace

In the midst of evolving technologies concerning robotic systems, a Chinese firm has broken the Guiness World Record for the fastest full-sized humanoid robot.

Record-Breaking Humanoid Robot

Chinese startup Unitree Robotics has introduced its newest version of H1 robot, called "Evolution V3.0". This bipedal robot stands a little over 5 foot 11 inches (1.8 meters) and weighs less than 110 pounds (50 kilograms).

In a video released March 1, the humanoid robot is seen walking at its maximum speed of 7.4 miles per hour (3.3 meters per second) at its most arresting feature. However, the company claimed that H1 can potentially reach a speed of up to 11 miles per hour (5 meters per second) by utilizing a huge amount of torque in its legs.

In a previous video released in August 2023, an engineer from Unitree can be seen attempting to tip H1 over by kicking it forcefully. The bipedal robot recovered with ease by adjusting its footing in order to recenter its weight. This mechanism was easily carried out by H1 thanks to three degrees of freedom in its hips and on each of its knees and ankles.

The new video shows H1 climbing a staircase with poise where it walked up, turned and climbed back down forwards. It was also capable of navigating a set of steps backward and sideways. Despite these impressive feats, some people remarked that the humanoid robot looked like an extremely careful or tipsy person or someone who is dashing for the bathroom.

H1 claimed the world record as the fastest humanoid robot despite Agility Robotics' Cassie robot managing to sprint at 9 miles per hour (4 meters per second). This is because Cassie is a little more than a pair of legs and a small drive module, so it cannot be classified as fully humanoid like H1, or other machines such as Figure 01 robots or the Optimus Gen-2. By contrast, Big Dog from Boston Dynamics can run at around 2.2 miles per hour (1.7 meters per second).

The bipedal robot navigates using 3D LIDAR technology which helps in constantly mapping its surroundings in 360 degrees. At the same time, it judges distances using a front-facing visual depth camera.

Features of H1 Robot

Unitree claims that H1 is a general-purpose robot which is equipped with an innovative mechanism that offers the highest level of power, speed, flexibility, and maneuverability. This makes H1 the most powerful general-purpose humanoid robot in the world.

On top of its trunk, H1 has a sensor array composed of a small ring with sensors and cameras affixed along its upper surface, resemblling a very small head. It can also hold a 66-pound (30-kilogram) load using the power in its hips and knees that generates powerful torque.

The hip or pelvis area to which its legs are fixed are made of joints which provide a maximum torque of 360 newton-meter (Nm). This gives the robotic system the means to swing the legs back and forth faster, comparable to a train with around 40,000 Nm, and GMC's Hummer EV with a little over 15,000 Nm.

To ensure steady and safe equipment operation, H1 monitors temperature changes using a thermal imaging dual-spectrum head. It also has a super telephoto camera which can analyze meter data remotely, a capability that can be beneficial in particular situations.