Unitree H1 Became The First Humanoid Robot To Perform A Backflip Without Hydraulics
The Chinese company Unitree, which recently set a speed record for humanoid robots, is demonstrating new achievements of its device. The bipedal H1 was the first to perform a backflip without the use of heavy hydraulics. Although the jump was not entirely perfect, the robot remained on its feet.
Many humanoid robots, including Atlas from Boston Dynamics, have been performing backflips and landing on both feet for several years. But all these machines are equipped with heavy hydraulic drives, while the Unitree H1 makes do with only M107 electric drives, each of which develops torque of up to 360 Nm. Each leg has three degrees of freedom (hip and knee joints, as well as ankle), and all cables are routed internally, which increases the safety of the structure and improves the aesthetic appearance of the limbs.
Unitree H1 mastered the art of performing a backflip using reinforcement learning in a simulation – it worked almost as planned, although the robot had to make an extra small jump at the end to maintain its balance. The car costs approximately $90 thousand, and, as the developer suggests, it will take up to ten years before it reaches the market.
In the future, the robot will be used in several scenarios. It can carry loads weighing up to 30 kilograms, and also navigate complex spaces thanks to LiDAR and camera technology.
