World’s first Ride-on Robot Dog

 

Chinese firm unveils world’s first ride-on robot dog for all-terrain adventures



A Chinese company has unveiled the world’s first robot dog to feature the precise motor control required to carry a person safely across the most rugged terrain, making it suitable for a range of military and civilian uses, according to online commenters.

B2-W, a four-legged, wheeled robot that features precision posture control and advanced acrobatics, was showcased in a video posted by developer Unitree to its social media account on Monday.

In the video, B2-W performs mid-air flips, rotations and handstands while also demonstrating remarkable stability as it descends a nearly 60-degree gravel slope, navigates streams, climbs waterfalls and speeds across a range of terrains.

The robot is also shown temporarily retracting its hind legs, performing inverted landings, and jumping from a height of 1.9 metres (6.23ft). In standard four-legged mode, it can leap from 3 metres, absorbing the impact with its flexible legs.

In one test featured in the Hangzhou-based company’s video, the B2-W shows off its load-bearing and balancing abilities by carrying an adult rider up and down slopes with ease.

“Unitree’s B2 series robot is currently the world’s first and only robot dog designed for riding. It showcases extraordinary biomimetic performance,” said Xiaolan, a robotics reviewer, after a hands-on testing of the B2-W.

The mobility and control achieved in the latest video reflects a rapid evolution in the robot dog’s abilities since Unitree’s previous footage of the B2-W released in November.

In the earlier video, the B2-W demonstrated basic abilities such as climbing hills and traversing grasslands but was clearly struggling to maintain stability.

The B2-W’s advanced performance drew attention online. One commenter said the design was perfect for solo off-road missions. “With a camera, it becomes a reconnaissance scout. Add weapons, and it’s a commando. It could also be used for battlefield transport and patrols.”

Another commenter suggested testing the robot in the Galwan Valley – the Himalayan border region that China shares with India – to which a Unitree staff member responded: “Feel free to contact us. We’re up for the challenge.”

Despite online speculation about the potential military uses, a Unitree spokeswoman said the B2-W was intended solely for civilian applications.

“This video reflects updates to our internal algorithms for better functionality, but the hardware remains unchanged,” the spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

According to the Unitree website, the B2-W weighs about 45kg (99lb) and has been in mass production for a year.

It is fully electric and capable of operating for five hours on a single charge when unloaded, at a top speed of more than 20km/h (12.4mph). With a 40kg load (88lb), the B2-W can travel up to 50km (31 miles).

The robot is also equipped with advanced sensors, including lidar, depth cameras, optical cameras, and high-powered wheel motors developed in-house, according to the website.

Unitree has earned a reputation in the robotics industry as a price disrupter. Its humanoid robot G1 was priced at less than 100,000 yuan (US$13,700), far below the expected US$20,000 price tag for Tesla’s Optimus robot.

A price for the B2-W has yet to be announced, but it is expected to be significantly lower than Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dog, which sells for US$74,500.

Unitree’s previously released, smaller Go2 robot dog models were priced at under 20,000 yuan (US$2,700).

The company’s earlier generation of robot dogs made their military debut in May, during the joint China-Cambodia Golden Dragon-2024 exercises. The 15kg (33lb) Go2 served as a reconnaissance scout, while the 100kg B1 carried a 95-1 assault rifle.

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