Unitree G1 Experiment Video Goes Viral in China
"Still Limited for Kitchen Use"
A video showing a humanoid robot from a Chinese company spilling food on the floor and slipping while stir-frying has gone viral online. Although the robot is designed to mimic human hand movements, it appears to have clear limitations when used in a kitchen setting.
On November 3 (local time), the British Daily Mail introduced a video by YouTuber Cody Detwiler, who tested the capabilities of a humanoid robot. In the video, the robot attempts to stir-fry food but, due to awkward handling, ends up dropping the frying pan or falling over.
The robot featured in the video is the Unitree G1, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese robotics company Unitree. The G1 stands 1.32 meters tall, weighs 35 kilograms, and is a sophisticated humanoid robot with 23 degrees of freedom in its joints. Priced at around $80,000 (approximately 116 million Korean won), it gained attention earlier this year for a spectacular group dance performance by humanoid robots during China Central Television's (CCTV) Spring Festival Gala. When pre-orders began on JD.com, a major Chinese e-commerce platform, in February, the robot sold out immediately.
Detwiler taped the G1's hand to a frying pan and tasked it with stir-frying. However, the G1 failed to grip the pan properly, scattering food all over the floor and soon slipping and falling after stepping on the spilled food. The media outlet reported, "The robot, staggering as if drunk, eventually collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor."
As a result, the kitchen was covered in food, and both the owner and the robot ended up slipping together. One online user commented, "I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe," and added, "This is the most honest robot demonstration I've ever seen on YouTube."
The G1 uses built-in 3D LiDAR sensors and depth cameras to perceive its surroundings, but without pre-programmed instructions, it can only walk or wave its hands. If deployed in a kitchen environment without specific settings, there is a high likelihood of unexpected errors or confusion.
Viewers of the video responded with comments such as "This is top-tier comedy" and "This is a truly realistic experiment." Some joked, "At this rate, robots will take revenge on us in 20 years," and "Now AI has a reason to wipe out humanity within seven years."
The Daily Mail noted, "While robots may eventually replace humans in factories or warehouses, chefs do not need to worry about losing their jobs just yet." The outlet also recalled that last year, during the world's first 'Robot Boxing Tournament' hosted by Unitree, the robots lost their balance and fell while throwing punches, indicating that their sense of balance is still far from perfect."
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