(Image credit: Unitree Robotics)
Chinese engineers have released a video showing a robot moving so fluidly that you could be forgiven for thinking it was artificial intelligence (AI).
But it’s real. The video, which is quickly gaining views on social media, actually shows the latest creation from China’s Unitree Robotics. Unitree H2 ( “Destiny Awakening”) is a smooth-moving robot that stands 5 feet 11 inches (180 cmimeters) high and weighs 154 lbs (70 kilograms). It is roughly the size and weight an adult male.
In the meantime,
Videoshows the bipedal model H2 posing, pirouetting, and performing some impressive karate moves before strutting on an improvised runway. The silver-grey, smooth model is strikingly similar to Sonny, the AI driven tritagonist from the 2004 sci-fi film, I, Robot (19659007) — a likeness which has not gone unnoticed on the internet.
The H2 is still a mystery, but Unitree has stated in the captions of the YouTube video that it is “born to serve everyone safely and friendly.”
in a disclaimer, the company also states that “features vary by models and versions” as well as requesting that “all users refrain from making any dangerous modifications or using the robot in a hazardous manner.” Based on this, we can assume that the H2 is available for purchase at some future date, although a specific release is not yet known.
The H2 Destiny robot was launched in August 2024, following the Unitree G1 robot. In a video released in 2025, it performed a complex side flip.
“Evolution V3.0” The G1″Evolution V3.0″is just over 4 feet 3 inches (130cm) tall and weighs about 77 pounds (35kg). The G1 is equipped with a 3D light detection and ranging (lidar), depth camera and can run at speeds up to 4.5mph (7.2km/h). It also has 23 degrees of freedom, which is a measure of how many individual movements a robot can make using its joints or axes.
The H1 model, which is the direct predecessor of the H2, was released in 2023 and claimed to be the fastest humanoidrobot . Unitree published a video at the time showing the robot running at speeds up to 7.4 miles per hours (11.9 km/h), although the startup claimed the H1 could reach speeds up to 11 mph (17.7km/h).
Due to the similarity in the body size and design of the H2, it is likely that the H2 will build on the many traits of its predecessor. This includes 360-degree sensing, 3D Lidar, a front-mounted camera for navigation and 27 degrees of freedom. Unitree lists a maximum torque in the leg joints of 360 newton meters and 120 newton meters in the arm joint. This gives the robot its fluid movement and eerily accurate control over its limbs. This design allows the robot to perform tasks such as lifting and moving objects, reaching hard-to reach areas and traversing challenging terrain.
Owen Hughes, a freelance writer and an editor, specializes in data and digital technology. Owen Hughes, a former senior editor at ZDNET who has been writing about technology for over a decade, has covered everything from AI and cybersecurity to programming languages and IT in the public sector. Owen is interested in the intersection between technology, life, and work. In his previous roles as a senior editor at ZDNET, he wrote extensively on business leadership, digitalization, and the evolving dynamics for remote work.
