Humanoid robot Unitree G1 trudges through ice and snow at -47.4 °C
Unitree's humanoid robot G1 can withstand low temperatures. In sub-zero temperatures, it stamped the logo of the 2026 Winter Olympics into the snow.
The Unitree G1 robot stamped the logo of the Winter Olympics into the snow under harsh cold conditions.
(Image: Unitree Robotics/Screenshot)
The G1 humanoid robot from Chinese robotics company Unitree autonomously trudged through snow and ice in the Altay region of China's Xinjiang autonomous region under extreme cold conditions of up to -47.4 °C. This is the first time a humanoid robot has walked autonomously under such conditions. The G1 robot traced the outline of the 2026 Winter Olympics logo in a snowfield.
Generally, humanoid robots are not designed to function at low temperatures. The Unitree G1 has been adapted for sub-zero temperatures by being placed in a thermal jacket and attaching plastic covers to the robot's sensitive joints to protect the actuators. The batteries have also been insulated, and the feet and lower legs wrapped in plastic film to withstand the snow.
Harsh environmental conditions
During its walk, which the robot completed entirely autonomously, it traced the 2026 Winter Olympics logo in an untouched snowfield (89.75° East longitude, 47.21° North latitude) with a size of 186 m × 100 m. It completed a total of 130,000 steps in one go without failure at severe sub-zero temperatures down to -47.4 °C.
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The G1 robot determined its exact position to stamp the logo in the snow using the Chinese satellite navigation network Beidou. The positional accuracy is about 10 cm. The robot used integrated adaptive algorithms to plan and execute its movement to walk stably on the uneven, snow-covered terrain without deviating from the planned path.
The Unitree G1 is approximately 1.27 m tall and weighs 35 kg. Depending on the version, it has between 23 and 43 degrees of freedom. The actuators deliver a maximum torque of 120 Nm. It is powered by a 9000 mAh battery, which keeps it running for about two hours and can be swapped during operation. Its walking speed is about 7.2 km/h.
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With its walk in ice and snow, Unitree has proven that its robot technology can withstand even the harshest thermal conditions. The humanoid robot, introduced in May 2024, is comparatively inexpensive: it is offered in China starting at 99,000 RMB, which is about 12,060 Euros.
(olb)
