Humanoids are entering stores? Sales are starting soon, we know the prices

 

"The world's first commercial sale of advanced robots is starting. The bipedal machine, priced at a car level, is supposed to run even in difficult conditions and operate its hands efficiently.

Tiangong Walker is a humanoid from one of the leading manufacturers of this type of robot in the world - the Chinese company UBTECH. There are many indications that it will go down in history, because it is to be the first humanoid machine that anyone will be able to order. For now, there will be no stores with robots that will help with gardening, do laundry and take the dog for a walk, but the first commercial equipment of this type will hit the market.

How much does a bipedal robot cost?

UBTECH and the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center jointly announced that sales of advanced Tiangong Walker systems will begin in the second quarter of this year. Anyone who can afford it will be able to order a full-size humanoid robot, which - as the manufacturer advertises - is suitable for research and education. Unfortunately, the robot is not cheap. The Shenzhen-based company UBTECH reports that prices start at $41,300. The machine, which costs as much as a car, is not so expensive among competitive solutions of this type. Chinese experts claim that it is difficult to find similar devices at a lower price. Indeed, most advanced robots are extremely expensive equipment, often exceeding $100,000 per unit. Tiangong Walker is therefore taking the first step towards popularizing humanoids. However, the breakthrough is to be Tesla's robot. As Elon Musk announced, his Optimus will be priced at $20,000-30,000.

Another wave is coming to robotics - according to experts, it is about machines that not only look like humans, but also "think", make decisions and perform functions with dexterity that blurs the line between robot and human.

What is known today about the humanoid Tiangong Walker? A 170 cm tall robot with a so-called biomimetic torso (faithfully imitating the action of its natural counterpart, i.e. a human) is to be equipped with dexterous hands and an advanced motion control system. It will have 20 degrees of freedom, will run at a speed of 10 km/h and move in diverse terrain: on sloping surfaces, stairs, as well as on sand or snow. The creators of the machine hope that research institutes, universities and scientific centers will reach for it first.

What does the humanoid Tiangong Walker look like?

Tiangong Walker was made of titanium alloy-based materials, which allowed the designers to reduce its weight and increase its resistance to impacts. The robot can be equipped with specialist cameras, a LiDAR system and force sensors. The computing power of the humanoid "brain" can be expanded to 550 TOPS (teraoperations per second).

UBTECH is the first company that intends to go on such a wide sale. Experts expect other players associated with the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center to follow in its footsteps, including, among others. Jingcheng Machinery Electric, Xiaomi Robotics, or Yizhuang Robotics.”