Exclusive Interview With Unitree Co-founder Unitree G1 - Humanoid agent AI avatar

11:19AM Jun 11, 2024

Speakers:

Keywords:

robot

humanoid robot

bot

motor

good

humanoid

h1

backflip

choose

ai

simulation

company

talk

sets

unitary

sir

tfr

war

dog

young

The one thing I want to say is that a lot of people were skeptical on how fast a humanoid robot could go. You know, a lot of them seeing some of the initial ones come and say, Oh, that never be that fast that you showed how fast they actually can. And now everyone knows, oh, there's no, there was no physical reason why it can't. It's being demonstrated. And then the backflip. When I saw that, I was like, Oh, my God, I mean, how are you doing that? That's, that's remarkable that you were able to do it. And I guess I want to ask the question, of course, we see a lot of unitary videos of the robot being pushed, always pushing, pushing and pushing. And I assume it's because you want the robot to learn how to recover how to recover from balance. So when you did that backflip, the backflip was not perfect. It was not exactly the same as the simulation. Yeah. And when it came out of it, it should have just fallen down. But instead, it did what it had to stay up. And so I think that seems like your control system is amazing. And that you can attempt to do something. But the ability to recover. And to know how to balance is remarkable from the social media standpoint is like the perfect troll of doing that. But it was well done. I mean, it was like, bravo. I really liked the way the presentation was done a show you're coming up. And again, that's brilliant, because a lot of people ask the question, well, what happens if my robot falls down? You answered it, they can get up from the floor.

So yeah, good morning. I'm Scott. And I've definitely been following the humanoid bot space for about the past two years. And I've been intrigued by a lot of developments coming out of unitary. And it seems like you have quite an extensive background in the field of all kinds of robotics. And if and before we even talked about the humanoid bots, you certainly have these quadruped Ed bots out there. Can you talk about the background there and the experiences that you learn from that and how that is helping you to develop a humanoid bot.

Tattoos Neiman counsel, Georgia and then since this year and it obviously Raho children's in this year and in my how to handle it that's helping out again, you're under sudo the teacher know how to saw Neven pseudo teaching the Caifa pay demon just took a very sincere and ties in some magazines up.

Okay. Okay, thanks. So let me answer by English. So yeah, we develop an auto definitely candle robot. And for a robot dog, we from the beginning we generate a robot dog rat and now we started to humanoid robots. Oh, cos we're still working on robot dog. So robot dog, I think experience so there are some robot dog insects. It's a letter that our team can have so it's a very like her for her the war you know, like global darker it's also made up by author gearbox and the PCB battery. Actually, in similar to compare with the Schumann mod, of course is Cubana that will be more difficult to compare with the Lobaton but has low level technology and similar like the echo motor, like MPC, WBC, like a PCB board is similar so sets the reason sets unit she can get wrapped humanoid robots very, very quickly. Yeah, like our h1. We're just the years half a year to two zero per h1 and also will release the q1 humanoid robots like a three through asking us a week before extra four Do you want we also use when having yeah to Darrow per June so, yeah, so that's the reason I think

now was the robot dog gun in collaboration with eth in Zurich or any other groups de

Souza que pasa eth la van Ramapo, Turabian Koto de ma, IC o cheetah causada to Isha. You'll see, it's actually

actually xe Wait, wait America by ourself? Yeah, yeah. ETF shimabuku Is my is our friend. Yeah, we wait we communicate with each other very, very frequently. Yeah, always. Yeah, we exchange one idea and but for the robot dog and also humanoid robot we're gonna put by ourselves

okay, now when did you decide to start developing a humanoid bot? And

actually is at a set beginning of will? Yeah Tucson tanti should we at the beginning I will not last a year. Okay.

And why did you decide to develop a humanoid robot?

Yeah, I think so reason is that as a first reason you said for for our unit you say that Wait, wait, wait, how was the capacity we have the experience we have this idea to develop a humanoid robot. Yeah. As if the first reason just a woman will have been sent to your niche UK via Belgian teacher

a they just have the capability and then technique to develop the human boy. I think that's the first reason. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. There's a second reason you said because will Tesla, Tesla? Yeah, yes. Elon Musk has that to humanoid robots. So we believe that the human or robot in the future can can do the mass production and every pupil, especially for the cell tech tree can start to use the humanoid robot sees the second reason. The third reason is said I think because of AI, you'll note the force AI is never is not very high. So because of open AI and the chatter GPT and also, son, Sir, hello, AI. We think the SATs AI can lets low bots more smart. Uh, yes. So so like the humanoid robot can do a lot of work or in the future? Because our AI so says since the sir The reason yeah. And so so last semester, reason use reason is that we have for our for our company side, we have industrial engineer to working on it. Yeah, because for us the beginning we are a small company. So we just have 1010 10 people. So we must have folks. A robot dog. But then now we have our companies engineer in Korea can reach out to everyone the Surreal 100 people. So we'll have enough to engineer to working out human and robot. So yeah, sensory info.

How many humanoid or how many robot dogs have you sold?

Okay, so every Yeah, we can sell robot dog carriage shopper to 10,000 PCs. Every year all was a word. Or words a word. Yeah.

Now this this is a question I've been asked. And I have my own answer. But I want to ask you to get your answer. And that is why not wheels,

I think. Actually, well robots is very popular. Always award, especially for certain. situation like this factory. Yeah, like AGV you'll know. Yeah, but for for some situation like if you want to send no Badaga mobile gwanda. If, especially if you'll need this robot crabbers or stairs, and also, you'll want the leader to know about the ins and the odd. Yeah, so you'll need a lack of robots. Yeah. Because some say I was Sit in a different situation, you'll need the neck and oh by the pool to move around. Now

there's many other competitors out there that now also been able to make bipedal robots. However, unitary stands apart from them, because your humanoid bot is so fast. It's much faster. And not only is it fast just to rub it in, your bot can do a backflip. So most of the others are like moving like this right now. You're moving very fast. Why are you so much faster than everyone else? What are they not doing right? And what is that you're doing? Correct? Or is that a trade secret?

Because it weighs a monument the transition PPM PowerCLI now Hylan poking fun

okay, okay, thank you

maybe God awesome or neither? Yeah

so reason you said wait YesYes harder war and softer war by ourselves is especially for the very especially for the parts for example like some motor a weight decided up made us a boater by ourselves. So our our our, our our motor, we will never buy for long as a company. We just a woman Woman, the DNC, the Queen's acetone and machine. So that's

the mindset. No, so they say they making the motors from very, very

last year, they made it seem a lot from

the strains and yeah, so all things are in house.

Yes, yes. But yeah, the other companies are doing the same thing. They all said oh, the motors that we can buy are not the correct ones. We're going to make our own they're making their own yet their robots are maybe seven times slower than h1 You know it's it's incredible difference so they're taking the same approach but what is it that you're doing right and they're doing wrong that their bots cannot walk that their bots can't even walk the normal speed of a human let alone run?

I think I think Yes 17 Also just desire animators a motorbike selfie but Sir robots actually motor is very important that but he is is is not Sir Sir whole sets up or whole whole reason motor also gearbox also most of the motor driver out her a cord motor cola and also sensor so since the first three parts and another one you said like PCB board and all sorts of battery yeah we also design a battery by ourselves so I think how to say is for our robots so performance will be better so as a company say I have well not always some main reason you said sir we decide the made the subparts software had a war all by ourselves Yeah, so when no sets each pass if we'll see I have some problem when those a reason yeah, we can we can we can we have fun there we can solve salsa subproblem France. Yeah.

Now I've noticed you've made the decision that all of your actuators are rotational and you don't really have any linear drives whereas like the Tesla bought there, they have a lot of linear drives that they use for the knee and for the ankles. Do you think there's a an inherent advantage to using the rotary actuators versus linear Is that why you're able to to walk so much faster?

Here's this on the the actuator just sort of a summon AIGA chose a juicer neither neither the pies and neither is a CNC to see rotation chooses shins on the scene. She now Raha male young since in the linear drive you said since you don't see the deficiency just a waste of my time. So first of all up in your data division your data your data is in that you don't see as a new merge and with additions. Now how they choose to waste a minimum we don't change insurance you to hold each other cog in the GMC to call yourself a young widow waiting material.

That's the pricing I needed to answer to the question by Chinese. So

Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Yeah, yeah,

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Yeah, let me start translating I've forgot so so one reason is so they also have questions actually. They don't also quite understand why it has to do it. Because this actually if you use linear drive at teenager the cost is quite high. So it's going to be very expensive. And then so if you are using it everywhere near you so much users or nieces or somebody lpm

Tiagra you ain't just going into cigar anyway happens and just didn't end up happen. So this Shinpei Georgia Dima, to shear three Gong, it was sponsored to the council that she's a junior took a sukkah European portside had that Syntel to go so visa code had a tree Samia, so he kind of saw her tweet though her job just a couple days happy fans and we just saw her so some point he was sad that non issue Tonisha says parents are not wanting to handle protests the joy issue to unpack the issue. So the so

the second doubt they have is like why they they're wondering they also don't understand because like to use linear drive motor you actually need to have this lots of like, like lead screws and poor schools. And then you need to attach it all over the hands and legs. So that those things are also quite heavy. So so it's actually making problem much more challenging to have all the weights on the body. Yes. So that's the disadvantage.

So you switches to this latter shinza weights passion person that you don't see in the incident mute and what I share just a Jannatul Zulu peaceful, quiet suitum power. Ciao, you are balco beautiful choisir pow Chua so just stay tuned for cameo Johanna what your title is supposed to tie to the English sound that's a good student DNC to the central find out so that had your sounds so that's a poof on Weibo. Shima.

Right. So that's, that's why they suspect why the Tesla robot now is not like moving very fast that they cannot run they cannot do parkour. So they're they're also working very slowly test might be possible that because of all these linear drive actuators, all the weight that is put on the legs, so make them this now able to run very fast and flexibly. So that might be a reason causing that. Okay, suspect, but,

but there's also Yeah, also, there's also the other companies like figure, they're using rotaries, they're not using any linear actuators and they seem to also be slow. And is it a mechanical design issue? Is it a software issue is that the control issue? Is underpowered, the motors aren't quite big enough what do you think could be the reasons

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I think it's we can't see it's an issue. I think it's just a just a meme a good time to econ and to go paddle to the caravan and to the tea as awkward so it's you can pay Yeah, or worse as you feel good. Who should have had a donation logo tattooed shouldn't have once you're like sort of, I guess a crypto hoarder.

Maybe they are still in the initial stage. When you saw it, they were in initial stage of development. So, but as they are integrating their belief that figure can also be varying,

then because because flow unit you said that because we have an auto experience about a robot dog, so nobody thinks a leg nanobots. So we think of from our side a way we can, let's say robot move faster and like a champ. As well, beam ball easy compare with Assa T. It has we have on auto has piano sleeves, no Pelech. Neck, hon. Yeah. So,

the one thing I want to say is that a lot of people were skeptical on how fast a humanoid bot could go. You know, a lot of them seeing some of the initial ones come and say, Oh, that never be that fast. Then you showed how fast they actually can. And now there's one knows Oh, there's no, there was no physical reason why it can't. It's being demonstrated. And then the backflip when I saw that, I was like, Oh my God. I mean, how are you doing that? That's, that's remarkable that you were able to do it. And I guess I want to ask the question, of course, we see a lot of unitary videos of the robot being pushed, always pushing, pushing and pushing. And I assume it's because you want the robot to learn how to recover how to recover from balance. So when you did that backflip, the backflip was not perfect. It was not exactly the same as the simulation. Yeah, and when it came out of it, it should have just fallen down. But instead it did what it had to to stay up. And so I think that seems like your control system is amazing. And that you can attempt to do something, but the ability to recover and to know how to balance is remarkable. And is there anything that you would like to talk about especially how you're able to get the ball to flip

okay, just in the Hong Kong fun tattoos are neither home fun to the to the knee Tintin new haidara Oh, juicy your males don't seen each other. Just talk about what it is that you're facing and choose just as a low balancing and elbow confined to a zoom tool. Okay,

actually way way way when may they get set by us deeper force, Lonnie? Yeah, so as you ascend in the simulation, sir, so human either to backflip or very well, but her she was a real robot. Say I have some different causes. Sir. See, I will also some different city funds so Fantine dawns on Tessa Ricciardi shatters all fancy mouse G all of our community tethered to the ticket to the talent has an abuse of its own its own astonishing as another co founder one he has was highly successful younger. So he has zero theta so has occurred you and I funds on top of we Yeah, that's a woman said what it's a whole Tonko you guys shout Cha to the bulls will learn how to go. Once home to go home co founder John bones will put Xue Shan Shan Shindo article Shannon you saw what Muhammad said you'll jump if you're just a pate. Hong Kong fans are so what's fo van door D this is a meal milled once in Pattaya Fonzo fans in Toronto Butina de hacer una Odeon Waho tweet just it's a meal Meal has to do what it wants. And Shintaro does a good job. So now over tomboyish Oh, he too long on top is our shows on cola.

I see. Okay, so they mentioned for expecially for the backflip obviously there's still a lot of seem to gap like nobody will face this does not make sense to the match simulation. So this is indeed that is motion this gap. So when they are backflip paint when they get to the point that had the like get to the ground there is a little bit leaning forward that it is trying to fall down so they jump a little one more step upon that to make it now the meaning like like falling to the head. So I'm also curious like when you say you just made a small step what do you do for like how do you jump a small step? Is it as some manual design mechanism or is also something learn to Sony the Sony shall tell you personally sir. nieces or Dunaway 30 that you get on Joma. Heiser Sony, this is us here.

Let me show No partner try to go needs a hold how she has assisted us and you'll seem to do that of course and who wants somebody out to the funds oh one gene but to the to the to the Chamonix sheets household, so he's very similar way that she shows me.

She was really nice. Don't wait other you don't choose her houses to me.

Milk to women. The whole shebang is just John, Shangri la ha. Tada to get the hang of some of the all girl cabinets in Paris. Could bigger Pathfinder YZ eat sama. Do you see your opponents was a long way that Shannon use what she's just done that Tabitha Good jiankou Now see it has a good so good. She wasn't bad. Oh, God, good. Senpai. That's awesome. Tasha. No, you see the suit on Patsy. So the shirts are matches a child? Shall you put see?

I see. So. So I think it's also kind of, I guess what he means is kind of like emerging behavior, you know that you're somebody told people more step. So because he was not able to achieve the goal that is providing simulation and then if you're enforcing it to to learning multi along multiple times, and then it is April kind of continue to move to the goal position, even though the first time is not reaching the goal position. So it's a little bit of emerging behavior.

That does that was exactly what my follow up question was going to be whether that was emergent behavior. And so thank you for asking it. That's yeah, that's quite interesting. So maybe you could talk a little bit more about how you would teach the bot to do different tasks. What is the are using a lot of reinforcement learning? A lot of teller robotic trading, or how are you integrating it in with large language models?

Using the Sena Yota Summit, she just tweeted, humanoids to job. Children handle a task foods are the tasks that routine Emma chooses young cow girl down the runway with me. Now I'm going to buy integrators to connect. Tom will tell you and Marcin were so good on demos in telco. So for me it was a motiva Sangha

so you can move on with changes and builds or they can I will mention that said todo que just good either ambled either tongues war your Chihuahua should shoot or are slow the Lord's setting quite old machine then me or pedal stitches whatnot that are home yeah, yeah. Which was tender to come you're letting your mama anyway she said that to her has to go with my shin that to the genie has a fun the Italians ha does have half the team quiet bad cocoa might as good as it should I drink all that. So the Belgian household should not have been TFR who

so I don't think they used to basically they said they don't have much bandwidth to do all these things like working with large language model. Make a making it work on multiple tasks. So much development on the like learning sites for for generalizability on different tasks. They are more focusing on like like manufacturing and then cutting courses and then manufacture large scale so they can meet the needs of the customers on buying robots. So they're fundamentally more like still doing more hardware compared to the software side. Okay.

Now I've seen that the h1 bot is being used in many universities. I think I've seen it the University of San Diego, Carnegie Mellon. How many universities are currently using it and what are their research programs? Like?

Okay, how many on University? How to say it's I think h1 is very reliable. Panther for so now in United States say our house, university or they buy h1 and associate also University in China in Japan, South Korea and not Europe. So I don't have exactly a number how many university but I think I think a lot more than 2020 2001. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's crazy. Now, I've noticed I think last week or two that if I want I can buy your your little robot now. Yeah, G one, the G one. Yes. Is that available now? Or is that still like you know, six months or so before delivery? And I do get one What can I do with it?