How is the futuristic new robot dog that can run alongside you and bring you a water bottle

Chinese tech company Unitree Robotics this week announced the launch of its new robot dog “companion” named Unitree Go1, which promises to be direct competition from models developed by Boston Dynamics which have become so popular on the internet.

The Unitree Go1 has the particularity, in addition to its sturdy four-legged appearance which looks very much like a dog, of having a relatively cheap price compared to other similar robots on the market. While Boston Dynamics’ robot dog, for example, costs around $ 74,500, the Unitree Robotics-designed model will only cost $ 2,700.

In a demo video the company posted as part of the ad campaign, you can see the profits of Go1 as “Follow someone on a race” or “take a single bottle of water”.

In the end, it’s an ultra-sophisticated robot butler, It can go with you everywhere, help you with your shopping bags or take your cell phone and wallet while jogging in the park. And yes, it can still be a pretty big investment for this kind of everyday use, because the truth is that the robotics industry is even more enthusiastic about designing these models and making them functional than thinking. to their practicality.

The Boston Dynamics Spot, for example, is currently being tested in areas such as industrial inspections and police reconnaissance, but its results are still inconclusive in terms of its improved utility on human peers.

Unitree, for its part, says its approach to these quadrupedal robots is to make them as accessible and popular as smartphones and drones. Thus, the advertising of Go1 prancing through the air like the best-trained circus dog, or relaxing with his handler as he gazes out over the scenery – and he looks great doing it – makes perfect sense.

From the information currently available, we can say that Go1 comes in three versions: Go1 Air for $ 2,700, Go1 for $ 3,500 and Go1 Edu for $ 8,500. Each weighs around 12kg and the more expensive models come with more processor and sensor power (The Go1 Edu is the only version with an unspecified programming API).

It seems that automatic people tracking and obstacle avoidance are standard, although only the most expensive models reach the advertised top speed of 17 km / h. Unitree also doesn’t say anything about battery life. While the Spot only has enough power for 90 minutes of operation, we’d say the “all-day companion” mode suggested by the Go1 demo video is a bit of a stretch.

Either way, the Go1 proves that quadrupedal robots are here to stay and if that turns you on or terrifies you thanks to the dystopian predictions of shows like Black Mirror, I don’t think you can do anything to avoid it. However, the question remains of the usefulness of these robots, or if in the end they will be a very expensive and unnecessary toy.

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