Let’s state this upfront: No, Unitree has not invented a robot that can discern a knife-wielding home-invader from a spouse who lost their keys, shift instantly into Donnie Yen mode, and perform a jaw-annihilating 540 kick.

It has, however, created a robot called the H2-X that can be a plausible actor in a commercial where all that happens—and much more:

It’s notable that Unitree—a brand known for humanoid robots that do choreography and run really, really, fast—is breaking bad a bit in this video. Displays of martial arts prowess are nothing new with robots, and Unitree’s latest Spring Festival Gala included a harmless-looking punching, kicking, and staff-swinging display. But Unitree may well be aware that the American audience craves actual destruction—judging from the rise of robot-on-human bloodsport in the U.S (Which I’m informed was allegedly illegal so don’t try that).

Perhaps that explains why Unitree’s H2-X—which seems to be an unreleased new variant of the mannequin-faced H2 model—gets its hands dirty, on the side of (staged) good and evil. It beats huge dents into a sedan’s fender and hood like a Street Fighter II character; it voids the warranty of a different car by roughly lifting it up by the front bumper; and it fully murders a child mannequin with a leaping push in order to, I suppose, “save” it from a third car going approximately 2 miles-per-hour.

Unitree’s YouTube description for the ad touts eight hours of battery. ” Clearly Unitree doesn’t actually want its customers trying any of these stunts.

Source link