We created robots to assist us in various ways, from automating various processes to helping in the kitchen. Today, we see robotics in the entertainment sector as well. In amusement parks, people would dress up as fictional characters while showcasing their costumes. We also see machines and robots used in movie sets or promotional stunts. Just this year, the public was treated to Unitree’s H1 dancing robots during a celebration in China.
Dancing robots
Dancing robots took center stage during China’s 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Lunar New Year. The gala, considered the most-watched program in mainland China, was viewed by over 1 billion people. Dressed in red, Unitree’s H1 robots performed a Chinese folk dance in perfect synchronization with the help of AI training.
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Dancing is not the only thing that Unitree’s H1 can do. Standing at about 180cm and weighing about 47kg, the robots at par with a real human being. It has a moving speed of 3.3m/s, almost thrice the normal walking speed of a human adult between 1.2 and 1.4 m/s. Since its creation in August 2023 and introduction in 2024, the model has been trained by engineers to walk, jump, and even perform a backflip. It also has a 15Ah battery capacity and a dedicated charging station.
Robotics in entertainment and other sectors
This isn’t the first time the world has seen Unitree. In fact, it has made its appearance in different events, such as the 2023 Super Bowl pre-game show with Go2, to feature the capability of their products. While dancing during an event seems like a gimmick, the event also showed that the H1 can perform delicate tasks as well.
Different sectors are incorporating robotics and automation into their systems to boost productivity. For instance, there are restaurants that utilize robots to bus trays around to keep up with orders. There is also a vast array of products that merge tech with medical tools to modernize rehabilitation. As for Unitree’s H1, it might be a while before we see the model truly integrated into society, but that future may not be so far behind.
Photo Credit: The images and videos shown are owned by Unitree and were made available as part of a press release.
Sources: Science Direct / PR Newswire / Robotics Tomorrow
