Video: What do we know about viral humanoid robot that met Sheikh Mohammed?
Meet the Unitree humanoid robot, the same one that greeted Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently. In that video, the bot can be seen waving and then running inside the majlis during a live demonstration organised by Dubai Future Foundation.
Robots among us
Humanoid robots have been around for a while now, but the Unitree G1 robot by Dubai Future Labs has some special characteristics. It is lightweight (this version only weighs 35kg, according to the official website), and is unique in how closely it mimics human movement.
Take a look at this video that has been doing the rounds on social media, uploaded by Instagram user Nazish Khan.
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A post shared by Nazish Khan (@nazish8)
The robot can be seen hurrying across a road, much like we might do while trying to make it across in time before the signal changes. The robot stops at the sidewalk and looks around, before running down the platform. While some are skeptical, insisting that the video must be AI, the fact is: robots could soon become part of our every day reality in Dubai.
What can it do?
Unitree is a company based in China, and according to their website, they aim to "plant the science and technology tree of the world", and to drive progress through technology.
The G1 is its latest model, released in 2024. Here are some of the things this humanoid robot can do:
1. Lifelike movements: The G1 can walk, run, jump, and even squat smoothly, like a human. It is the also the world's first humanoid robot that can do a side flip. The official website says it can run at a speed of up to 2 m/s. It has up to 43 pieces/joints and is more flexible than human beings.
2. Precise tasks: The robot's hands consist of three 'fingers' each, with which it can grip objects. A video on the main website shows that the G1 can even crack nuts and flip a slice of bread on a pan with its hands. It can also do intricate detail-oriented tasks such as soldering.
3. Perceive surroundings: As seen in the videos, the G1 has cameras to 'see' its environment. It is equipped with 360° cameras that also have the ability to perceive depth. The robot can sense objects around it with LIDAR, which is a laser-based remote sensing method.
4. Learn and adapt: The G1 works on UnifoLM (Unitree Robot Unified Large Model). It can improve its skills and movements through imitation and reinforcement learning.
5. Interact with humans: As seen in the video with Sheikh Mohammed, the G1 can wave and participate in social interactions. It has a microphone and speaker, allowing it to respond to voice commands.
Unitree robots have been featured in the 2021 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the 2022 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, the 2023 Super Bowl pre-game show, the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Asian Para Games.
The androids can also be seen performing with dancers at the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala in the video below.
Where to see G1 in action
It seems that if residents keep their eyes peeled, there is a chance they may catch the robot crossing the road in front of their cars on their way to work!
However, according to WAM, residents and tourists can definitely soon interact with the G1 that greeted Sheikh Mohammed in the Museum of the Future, where it will be featured in interactive displays, welcoming visitors and showcasing advanced technology.
Future with humanoid robots
The future seems rife with possibilities, with the G1 and humanoid robots like it becoming more dextrous and adaptable. AI is already in use across various industries. The increase in precision means that it is possible that we could have robots performing surgeries or collecting blood in medical centres. They could even be used in search and rescue missions where the infrastructure cannot be breached by humans.
Only time will tell how many real-world scenarios we will see these robots in — but it looks like whenever that future comes, Dubai will be more than ready for it.
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