Unitree Robotics recently dazzled us with its R1 humanoid robot, and now it’s unveiled something even more astonishing: a super-robust dog-like robot called the A2 Stellar Explorer.
In a video released by the Chinese company this week, the A2 makes quite an entrance, smashing through a pane of glass as if to say, “If there is ever a robot takeover, I’ll be leading it.”
Suffering zero damage except perhaps for a couple of scratches on its tough metal exterior, the A2, which has autonomous capabilities, is then shown flipping forward across uneven ground before performing a balancing act involving just a single leg.
This thing can run, too, featuring s a top speed of 11.2 mph (about 18 kph). Not quick enough for you? Then you can stick on a set of wheels to make it go even faster.
Next up, we see someone jumping up and down on the A2, with the robot’s legs able to handle the heavy load with ease. Indeed, the quadruped can comfortably carry a payload of up to 55 pounds (25 kg) while walking and 221 pounds (100 kg) while standing.
You won’t be surprised to learn that climbing up giant concrete steps is a piece of cake for the robot, as well as sprinting down a flight of smaller ones.
The remarkable machine uses ultra-wide Lidar 3D perception technology to make sense of its surroundings. It also features a front-facing HD camera and advanced computing options to help developers push its autonomous capabilities even further. It also comes with two batteries that are easy to swap out, though there’s no information on run times.
The company has yet to announce cost and availability for the A2 robot, but if it’s anything like the R1, the price tag could be surprisingly reasonable.
Unitree, which launched in 2016, says the A2 is designed for industrial and civilian tasks, and on its YouTube page says: “Please everyone, be sure to use the robot in a friendly and safe manner.”
But watching it in action, it’s clear that the technology on display makes this robot and others like it plausible candidates for future military deployment. Indeed, the U.S. Army has already tested at least one such design — armed with an AI-enabled gun turret — while China’s PLA has also been trialing its own quadruped robots.
