Unitree Robotics, China’s dominant robot company, is turning heads with the release of its new humanoid that can fist-fight and perform cartwheels – capabilities that represent a direct challenge to Elon Musk’s ambitions of establishing Tesla’s Optimus as the world’s leading humanoid robot.
The Unitree Robotics R1, weighing 55 pounds and equipped with 26 joints for fluid movement, showcases advanced capabilities like cartwheels, spin-kicks, and a “kip-up” maneuver, transitioning from a supine position to standing without using its hands, as demonstrated in a recent video released by the company.
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Join us to develop/customize, ultra-lightweight at approximately 25kg, integrated with a Large Multimodal Model for voice and images, let’s accelerate the advent of the agent era!🥰 pic.twitter.com/Q5pmkfFZZa— Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) July 25, 2025
The R1’s launch directly challenges Elon Musk’s vision for Tesla’s Optimus, which aims to lead the global humanoid robotics market. Musk has outlined ambitious plans, predicting in January that Tesla could produce “several thousand” Optimus robots this year for internal factory use, with goals to scale to 50,000–100,000 units in 2026 and achieve a tenfold increase the following year. However, reports from Taiwan’s Digitimes suggest Tesla’s Optimus faces production delays due to a redesign, with unnamed Chinese supply chain sources indicating ongoing refinements to key components before mass production can resume.
The humanoid robotics market could see explosive growth, with projections estimating a $5 trillion industry by 2050, encompassing supply chains, maintenance, and support networks. Morgan Stanely analysts anticipate adoption will surge in the late 2030s, driven by technological advancements and increasing regulatory and societal acceptance.
By 2050, over 1 billion humanoids could be in use, with 90% deployed in industrial and commercial roles. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, an early backer of OpenAI, has predicted a ChatGPT-like breakthrough in robotics within two to three years, envisioning adaptable humanoids capable of tasks like chopping vegetables or washing dishes.
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