Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics has launched the R1, a bipedal humanoid robot priced starting at $5,900 (39,900 yuan), making it one of the most affordable humanoid robots on the market. The R1 weighs approximately 25 kilograms (55 pounds), stands about four feet tall, and features 26 degrees of freedom with joints distributed across its legs, arms, and head. It is equipped with a multimodal large language model that enables voice and image recognition, supported by an 8-core CPU and GPU, a 4-microphone array, and binocular cameras. The robot offers about one hour of battery life with a quick-release battery system and comes with an eight-month warranty. Unitree aims to accelerate the mainstream adoption of humanoid robots by offering a highly capable yet lightweight and customizable platform. This launch represents a substantial price reduction compared to previous models, which were priced upwards of $20,000 to $100,000. The R1 was showcased at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, where over 60 humanoid robots demonstrated diverse capabilities, including boxing and playing Mahjong, highlighting China's advancing robotics sector supported by state initiatives and local semiconductor development. The global humanoid robot market is projected to reach $30-38 billion by 2035, with Unitree positioning itself as a major competitor in this expanding industry.