Unitree Robotics has, in its usual understated fashion, casually dropped another video featuring its H2 humanoid, a machine that has seemingly spent its downtime mastering the noble art of giving us all the jitters. In its latest, frankly terrifying, demonstration of agility, the robot executes a series of flying spin kicks with a level of precision that should absolutely make us all profoundly uncomfortable. The footage, broadcast on X, shows the 70 kg robot effortlessly punting two 30 kg punching bags into oblivion and utterly obliterating a watermelon with a heel kick delivered well above head height.
The most telling moment, however, arrives when a human handler flinches quite spectacularly as the H2’s foot whips past his face, narrowly averting what would have been a rather catastrophic dental and nasal reconstruction. In a masterclass in understatement – a skill Unitree clearly excels at – the company captioned the video with, “How about training together with a robot? Please use robots in a friendly and safe manner, and keep a safe distance.” Now, that’s what we call excellent advice, particularly when your new workout partner stands a cool 5ft 11in and boasts leg joints capable of delivering up to 360 N·m of torque.
Why Is This Important?
While other companies are busily focused on the rather mundane task of teaching their robots to fold laundry, Unitree seems hell-bent on proving its humanoids possess the most advanced dynamic motion on the market. This demonstration is less about a practical application and more a potent, unvarnished statement of raw power, control, and balance. The sheer speed and fluidity of the H2 are undeniably impressive, solidifying Unitree’s reputation for consistently pushing the envelope of robotic locomotion.
However, that rather alarming near-miss with the human handler starkly highlights the very real and escalating safety concerns surrounding increasingly powerful and autonomous machines. As robots transition from meticulously controlled industrial settings to the gloriously unpredictable chaos of human environments, the gap between “impressive demonstration” and “lethal accident” narrows considerably. Unitree’s friendly advice to “keep a safe distance” is rapidly evolving from a polite suggestion into what could very well be considered critical survival instruction.
