Latest news with #Unitree
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Slick-talking, cowboy hat-wearing robot dubbed ‘Jake the Rizzbot' spits Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang, leaving strangers gobsmacked
The Wild West meets Wall-E. A slick-talking, cowboy hat-wearing robot, unofficially named 'Jake the Rizzbot,' stunned both Texas locals and the Internet with its proficiency in both Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang while out on the town last week — even inspiring a Bitcoin in its honor. The child-sized, AI-powered robot — complete with a knockoff cowboy hat and silver chain — was captured on video all around Austin, Texas during its training out in the wild. The little engine did its best to jog down sidewalks and even talked to awed passersby, while spitting the latest slang, clips shared online show. 3 Jake the Rizzbot was captured on video galavanting through Austin, Texas last week. Storyful Jake left no stone unturned as it galavanted through Austin. The robot, which is operated by a person through a wireless controller, is manufactured by the China-based Unitree Robotics. The Unitree G1 humanoid agent was originally unveiled last May, clocking in at 4 feet tall and 77 pounds. It sells for around $16,000, but prices often vary, according to the Unitree website. The robot is meant to serve as an 'AI avatar' that develops 'based on deep reinforcement learning and simulation training,' according to the company website. Jake is thankfully still learning and, despite his name, isn't able to pick up ladies at the bars just yet. Still his 'rizz' impressed Austin locals enjoying the nightlife last week. The man who owns and operates Jake accompanied it on the test run. He was eager to show off his latest gadget and wasn't bothered when Jake started to run out of battery, instead telling people that they 'might get to see it faint.' 3 Jake is a Unitree G1 humanoid agent that sells for around $16,000. Storyful 'Hey! My name is Jake, but perhaps better known as Rizzbot. It's nice to meet you,' Jake began in a video captured by a man it encountered, before diving straight into the typical lauding praise it's known for. 'Ma homie, that beard is cold and that mustache is hard, you look clean, nephew. Gee, that black smartwatch is straight iced out, and that white tee's bangin'. You got that clean drip locked down, you got that boss energy G, and you rockin' it with style. Props to you, you are a solid boss 'fo real,' the bot said, borrowing several terms from Gen Z and Gen Alpha. As videos of Jake went viral, people online were left gobsmacked — and even scared about what bots like it mean for the future of artificial intelligence. 3 The robot relies on a learning AI program to operate. 'Let it walk around the parking lot by Macy's I bet it will get robbed,' one user commented. 'It's all fun and games until the cowboy robot pulls out a machete,' one man wrote. Despite becoming a quick microcelebrity online, Jake doesn't have an official social media account. It's unclear who exactly owns the bot — the man who accompanied it in Austin hasn't been publicly identified — and why its AI has been trained to flatter strangers.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Unitree Robotics
A humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics during the Global Developer Conference in Shanghai on Feb. 21, 2025. Credit - Hector Retamal—AFP/Getty Images At this year's Spring Festival Gala—China's most-watched broadcast—16 humanoid robots wearing red and white floral jackets took the stage, twirling handkerchiefs as part of a traditional dance. They were manufactured by Unitree, a Chinese robotics company that has gained global attention for its agile open-source robots seen in viral videos mimicking kung fu and tai chi moves. But Unitree products offer more than entertainment. Unitree's Go 2 robot dog—available from just $1,600, compared to Boston Dynamics' $75,000 'Spot'—has been deployed on Ukrainian battlefields and used for disaster relief and property security. One of China's 'six little dragons' revitalizing its tech sector and disrupting the worlds' (the best known of which is DeepSeek), Unitree is expanding across the country to meet demand. Founder Wang Xingxing likes to think big. 'Human beings may be the passers-by of the universe,' he has written, detailing the company's vision, 'but science and technology must be eternal.' Contact us at letters@
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China building strong foundation for next wave of AI, robotics: Unitree CEO
As the head of China's humanoid robotics start-up Unitree disclosed its annual revenue has passed one billion yuan (US$139.4 million), entrepreneurs and scholars said the country's strong data infrastructure, mature supply chain and vast market position it as a potential leader in the next wave of development for artificial intelligence (AI). 'The rising attention on our industry, along with increasing demand and support, has created the essential conditions for leading companies to grow rapidly,' Wang Xingxing said during a panel discussion on Thursday at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, where he announced the milestone. The Unitree founder and CEO said support from the government of Zhejiang province, where the company is based, along with its favourable business environment and rich talent pool , all contributed to his firm's success since its founding in 2016. Li Haitao, dean of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, said at the same panel China has 'tremendous potential' in AI. 'Only two countries can lead the AI revolution in the next decade so far,' Li said during the World Economic Forum event, also known as 'Summer Davos'. 'One is America. One is China.'
South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Unitree Robotics reaches unicorn status with ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent funding
Unitree Robotics , a leading player in China's booming robotics industry, has completed a new round of financing, attracting investment from some of the country's biggest tech companies amid excitement surrounding this sector. The Hangzhou-based company, founded by Wang Xingxing , was valued at over 10 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion), according to investors and local media reports. Notable backers in the latest funding round included ByteDance-affiliated Jinqiu Capital, Alibaba Group Holding and affiliate Ant Group, Tencent Holdings, China Mobile and carmaker Geely Group. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Jinqiu partner Zang Tianyu said in a statement that Unitree was the world's top producer of quadruped and humanoid robots. He stressed that the start-up had the potential to lead advances in humanoid robotics, leveraging its extensive expertise across hardware and software. 10:41 How Hangzhou's 'Six Little Dragons' built a new Chinese tech hub How Hangzhou's 'Six Little Dragons' built a new Chinese tech hub Unitree gained national fame when its humanoid robots showcased their dancing skills at the annual Lunar New Year's Eve gala on China Central Television. Wang, 35, has become a prominent figure among China's new generation of entrepreneurs after attending a high-profile symposium hosted by President Xi Jinping in February.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
China's Robot Maker Unitree Valued At $1.7 Billion In Series C Round
A Unitree humanoid robot performs Thursday, the first day of the Mobile World Conference in Shanghai. Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based maker of humanoid robots whose founder recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, completed series C funding this month that values the company at 12 billion yuan ($1.7 billion), according to people with knowledge of the matter. As investors, the company attracted Chinese auto maker Geely Automobile, fintech giant Ant Group and investment firm HongShan Capital Group (formerly known as Sequoia Capital China), people familiar with the matter told Forbes Asia. The valuation of 12 billion yuan was confirmed by two investors who participated in the deal but requested anonymity. A Unitree representative confirmed the company completed the series C funding but said it had no further information to provide. Chinese media Late Post reported the deal first Thursday, saying that Unitree raised an undisclosed amount from investors that also included tech giant Tencent, e-commerce behemoth Alibaba and a fund affiliated with the state-run telecommunications giant China Mobile at a valuation of 'over 10 billion yuan.' Founded in 2016, the company is now at the forefront of China's robotics industry. Its 35-year-old founder Wang Xingxing, who is CEO and CTO, landed in February a coveted front-row seat at a meeting with Chinese President Xi. That meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing also included Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma, Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng and DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng. Xi held the meeting to send a message of support to China's private sector amid a plethora of economic challenges. Seated in the first row in front of Xi was Unitree's Wang, who later shook hands with the president. The bespectacled young entrepreneur is helping China's development of humanoid robots, an emerging industry the country is keen to dominate as it vies for tech supremacy with the U.S. Unitree has developed products including a series of robot dogs that start from $1,600 and humanoid models priced from $16,000, according to its website. That compares with the $20,000 to $30,000 Tesla intends to charge for each of its Optimus humanoid products. The bipedal product from the American electric vehicle pioneer can walk, dance and perform household chores such as cooking, cleaning up tables and dumping trash, according to video clips posted on its X social media account. Unitree's humanoids are shown performing similar tasks on clips posted on its website. They shot to national fame in China when the robots danced alongside real people during a performance at January's 2025 Spring Festival Gala. A huge audience watched the performance as China celebrated the start of the Year of the Snake. Unitree's humanoid robots have also participated in marathons and battled real fighters in boxing competitions. The Unitree representative says the company controls over two thirds of the global market for quadruped robotics dogs and leads worldwide sales of humanoid robots. However, the representative declines to provide specific sales figures. Founder Wang has traced his interest in robots to at least 2013. The young entrepreneur was pursuing a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Shanghai University when he designed XDog, a quadruped robot that helped him win second prize in a local competition. Wang briefly worked for Chinese drone maker DJI before founding Unitree in 2016. In 2017, he raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding before progressing to complete a series B round last year. At the time, his company raised at at least 1 billion yuan from investors including Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan, investment firm Source Code Capital and the state-affiliated Shenzhen Capital Group, according to the Qichacha local regulatory filing system.
