Unitree offers its A2 quadruped with normal legs or with legs equipped with wheels. | Source: Unitree Robotics
Unitree Robotics this week released its latest quadruped robot, the Unitree A2. This announcement came just a week after the company released its latest humanoid robot, the R1, priced at just $5,900.
The Hangzhou, China-based company said its latest quadruped balances endurance, strength, speed, and perception to be one of its most advanced systems to date. Unitree designed the robot for a range of real-world industry deployments, including inspection, logistics, and research and development.
Founded in 2016, Unitree has developed legged robots for consumer and industrial use. The company demonstrated its G1 humanoid at the Robotics Summit & Expo in May. Last month, Unitree obtained Series C funding that brought its valuation to about $1.7 billion.
Unitree upgrades robot perception
One of the most notable upgrades to A2 is its enhanced perception capabilities. The new robot is equipped with two industrial lidar sensors in the front and rear, an HD camera, and a front light to better detect its environment and eliminate blind spots.
Unitree’s previous quadruped, B2, has one lidar, a depth camera, and a high-resolution optical camera.
The A2 weighs 37 kg (81.5 lb.) unloaded. Fully loaded with a 25 kg (55 lb.) payload, it can continuously walk for three hours or approximately 12.5 km (7.7 mi.). Hot-swappable dual batteries enable battery swaps and continuous runtime for any mission, Unitree said.
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A2 is lighter and climbs higher than previous quadrupeds
Some of A2’s key specifications include:
- Top speed: 5 m/s (11.1 mph)
- Unloaded range: 20 km (12.4 mi.)
- Total weight: 37 kg (81.5 lb.)
- Max standing load: 100 kg (220.4 lb.)
- Max walking load: 25 kg (55.1 lb.)
- Max step climb height: 1 m (3.2 ft.)
- Perception: Ultra-wide 3D lidar with 360° depth awareness
- AI vision: Depth-sensing + autonomous obstacle avoidance
- Power system: Swappable smart battery
In comparison, Unitree’s B2 quadruped could step up to 40 cm (15.7 in.) high and weighs 60 kg (132.2 lb.). B2 does outperform A2 in some categories. For example, its top speed is 6 m/s (13.4 mph), and can handle up to 120 kg (264.5 lb.).
Unitree isn’t the only company developing quadrupeds. Boston Dynamics might be the best-known developer. Its Spot quadruped has a maximum payload of 14 kg (30.8 lb.), and it can reach a speed of 1.6 m/s (3.5 mph). However, Spot comes with more extensive built-in autonomy.
