Unitree robot at a bargain price: Coming soon to AliExpress worldwide

Chinese robotics manufacturer Unitree appears to be bringing its most affordable humanoid robot yet to the international market. As the South China Morning Post reports, the Unitree R1 is expected to be sold via AliExpress from mid-April, making it available in Europe and North America as well. In China, the R1 starts at 29,900 yuan, or around $4,000. According to the April 9 report, the robot was scheduled to launch on AliExpress in mid-April. So far, however, no R1 listing has appeared there. On Alibaba, a platform primarily aimed at business customers, it is already listed from $4,700.

The roughly 4-ft-tall robot can walk, perform cartwheels and carry out other athletic movements. However, anyone hoping to turn the comparatively affordable robot into a personal household helper is likely to be disappointed. Unlike the Unitree G1, which costs around $21,500 on AliExpress, the R1 has no functional fingers and is not particularly strong. It is therefore not suitable for cleaning or carrying objects. Battery life is also limited at around one hour.

The R1 is likely to be most interesting for developers, universities, labs and robotics enthusiasts who want to test their own applications. The robot is equipped with cameras, microphones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and comes with a developer kit for programming. It remains unclear how much the R1 will actually cost outside China. The affordable humanoid robot is already being discussed on Reddit. Some see the price as an exciting signal for the robotics market, while most users remain skeptical about its practical usefulness. Many view the Unitree R1 more as a toy and developer platform than as a serious household robot.