Around this time last year, Chinese robotics company Unitree stole our attention with its impressive circus tricks and GPT chat capabilities on its $1,600 second-generation robot dog. Now, the company has released an all-terrain upgrade.
Robotic quadrupeds are fast, agile, useful and maybe even cute, but getting around on all fours may not be the best fit for every situation. In some cases, it may be easier to roll. As we’ve already seen with the Swiss-Mile Robot and the W1, Unitree is now joining the wheeled robo pack with the Go2-W.
The video below shows the new wheeled robot being a bit aggressive when confronted by its wheelless cousin, and it seems to be faster when going head-to-head, although its current top speed is listed as 5.6 mph (2.5 m/s), the same as the base Go2.
Unitree High School 2 New Upgrade
Like the Go2, the W variant also sports an ultra-wide LiDAR and a wide-angle vision camera in its sensor suite, along with an octa-core processing brain and Wi-Fi, 4G, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The 15,000mAh battery is said to last up to four hours per charge, and the bot supports fast-charge charging for minimal downtime.
Replacing the pads at the end of each jointed leg is a motorized wheel with a 7-inch pneumatic tire, allowing the Go2-W to land its skis on flat surfaces or adjust its angle of attack for minor impacts. The wheels can be locked when the bot needs to adopt a walking gait to navigate more difficult terrain, climb stairs, navigate obstacles, or perform acrobatic maneuvers such as balancing on its front legs.
Robodog can carry a payload of about 6.6 pounds (3 kg), is slightly taller than the Go2 at 27.6 inches (70 cm), and heavier at about 40 pounds (18 kg). It includes a front light for night missions, and the specs list a voice capability, which is likely the same natural language GPT engine found in the non-wheeled model.
Currently Unitree has not released pricing or availability information.
Product Page: Go2-W
