Unitree Robotics
Unitree R1 Air Humanoid Robot
The Unitree R1 Air is one of the most affordable full humanoid robots you can buy: a lightweight, agile biped that brings humanoid robotics within reach of individual developers, classrooms, and labs that could never justify a six-figure platform. Built on Unitree's R1 architecture with a multimodal large model for speech and vision onboard, the R1 Air walks, balances, and interacts, and it gives students and developers a real humanoid to program instead of a simulator.
Key Highlights
- True humanoid platform at an entry-level price
- Extremely lightweight: approx. 27 kg (60 lb), 1.23 m (48 in) tall
- Multimodal AI: speech and vision model, 4-microphone array, speaker
- Dynamic balancing, walking, and running modes
- Tool-free swappable battery pack
Unitree R1 Air Specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | R1 Air |
| Dimensions (standing) | 1230 x 357 x 190 mm (48.4 x 14.1 x 7.5 in) |
| Weight | Approx. 27 kg (60 lb) with battery |
| Degrees of Freedom | 20 (6 per leg, 4 per arm) |
| Camera | Monocular RGB, 1270 x 720 at 30 Hz, horizontal FOV to 146 degrees, vertical to 110 degrees |
| Compute | 8-core high-performance CPU |
| Arm joint torque | About 2 kg (4.4 lb) maximum, varies with arm extension |
| Battery | Quick-release smart battery, approx. 1 h runtime |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, OTA updates |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F), not waterproof or dustproof |
| Warranty period | 6 months |
Specifications per Unitree R1 User Manual V1.3 and unitree.com. For the binocular depth camera, waist and head joints, and development access, see the R1 and R1 Edu configurations.
Built For
- STEM and higher-ed robotics programs on a budget
- Individual developers entering humanoid robotics
- Events, exhibits, and content creation
Good to Know
For operators 18 and up. Plan around roughly one hour of runtime per charge; spare batteries are available. Indoor and dry-condition use, 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F). The R1 Air does not support secondary development, so if you need the SDK, start at the R1 Edu Standard.
Warranty & U.S. Support
Sourced through Unitree's authorized U.S. distribution and backed by U.S.-based authorized warranty and repair service, with pre- and post-sale support from Global Drone HQ.
Explore the Unitree Lineup
Browse the full Unitree collection to compare every humanoid configuration side by side. If you want a depth camera plus articulated waist and head, step up to the Unitree R1 Basic, and if you need SDK access for real development work, the R1 Edu Standard is the natural starting point.
Verified US equipment authorization, FCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU010
Sourced through Toborlife, Unitree's authorized US distributor and warranty center
Freight quoted to your destination
Purchase orders and tax-exempt purchasing welcome
Degrees of freedom
Total weight
Standing height
Speech and vision
Battery runtime
Pairs well with
Questions about configuration, lead time or deployment? We reply within one business day.
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Shipping and Delivery
Robots ship freight and insured to your dock or venue. Freight is quoted to your destination address and appears as a line item on your written quote. Lead time is confirmed in writing before you commit to a delivery date.
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Support
You deal with Global Drone HQ directly, before and after the sale. We help you pick the right configuration, handle delivery, first-line troubleshooting and setup, and we coordinate anything that needs the service center rather than handing you an address overseas.
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Warranty and Service
Toborlife is an authorized Unitree warranty and repair center in Mountain View, California, and handles complete-machine warranty service, repair or replacement of core components and factory-level diagnostics. Global Drone HQ is your first line for setup, routine troubleshooting and support. Units are sourced through Toborlife, Unitree's authorized US distributor.
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Contact Us
Email daniel@globaldronehq.com or call (858) 906-5185. Purchase orders and tax-exempt purchasing are welcome for schools, universities and public agencies.
Twenty joints. About 27 kg (60 lb).
It walks, it runs, it gets itself back up.
A real humanoid, not a simulator.
Movement first.
Unitree builds the R1 around locomotion, and everything else follows from it. Twenty degrees of freedom, six in each leg and four in each arm, on low-inertia internal-rotor PMSM joint motors with crossed roller and double hook ball bearings. The footage on this page is stock R1 behaviour, not a one-off demo rig.
The same joints do the hard things.
Running, jumping and recovering balance run on the same twenty joints you use to walk it across a classroom. There is no separate stunt mode and no second machine. That is what makes the R1 worth putting in front of a room of students.
A humanoid you can actually put to work.
The R1 Air is the entry configuration of Unitree's R1 line: about 27 kg (60 lb), 1.23 m (48 in) tall, twenty degrees of freedom, a monocular head camera and an onboard multimodal model for speech and vision.
It gets itself back up.
The R1 stands up from the ground on its own. For a teaching platform that matters more than it sounds, because a fall does not end the session and nobody has to lift 27 kg (60 lb) off the floor between demonstrations.
Balance you can watch.
A handstand is the clearest read on what the joint motors and the balance controller are actually doing. Arm joints are rated to about 2 kg (4.4 lb) of torque each and that figure varies with how far the arm is extended, so treat the arms as manipulators and articulation, not as a lifting system.
20 Degrees of Freedom • About 27 kg (60 lb) • 1.23 m (48 in) Tall • FCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU010 • Quotes & POs Welcome
Light enough for one person to handle.
At about 27 kg (60 lb) and 1230 x 357 x 190 mm (48.4 x 14.1 x 7.5 in) standing, the R1 Air moves between a lab, a lecture hall and a trade-show booth without a crew or a lift. The smart battery is quick-release, so a spare pack is the difference between one hour of demonstrations and a full day.
Dig Deeper
Sensing and Intelligence
- Monocular head camera with a horizontal field of view up to 146° and a vertical field of view up to 110°.
- Camera output 1270 x 720 RGB at 30 Hz, global shutter, high dynamic range output.
- 8-core high-performance CPU as the base computing platform.
- 4-microphone array and speaker for voice interaction.
- Multimodal large model onboard for speech and images.
- Intelligent OTA updates, so the robot gains capability after you buy it.
Body and Motion
- 20 degrees of freedom: 6 in each leg and 4 in each arm. No waist or head joints on the Air.
- About 27 kg (60 lb) with the battery fitted.
- 1230 x 357 x 190 mm (48.4 x 14.1 x 7.5 in) standing.
- Low-inertia high-speed internal rotor PMSM joint motors on crossed roller and double hook ball bearings.
- Calf plus thigh 600 mm (23.6 in), forearm plus upper arm 420 mm (16.5 in).
- About 2 kg (4.4 lb) maximum torque per arm joint, which varies with arm extension.
Power, Connectivity and Honest Limits
- Quick-release smart battery, about 1 hour per charge. Buy a spare if you are running a full day.
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
- Rated 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F). Not waterproof and not dustproof, so no rain, snow, wet ground, gravel or dusty sites.
- No secondary development on the Air. If you need the SDK, the R1 Edu tier is the one to buy.
- Monocular camera, not the binocular depth camera fitted to the R1 Basic and the Edu configurations.
- 6-month Unitree warranty period on the R1 Air, serviced in the US through Toborlife.
Compare the R1 Line
Same chassis and the same 1230 mm (48.4 in) frame across the line. What changes is the number of joints, the head camera, and whether you are allowed to run your own code on it.
Weight
About 27 kg (60 lb)
Weight
About 29 kg (64 lb)
Weight
About 29 kg (64 lb)
Top Speed
Not published by Unitree
Top Speed
Not published by Unitree
Top Speed
Not published by Unitree
Rated Payload
About 2 kg (4.4 lb) per arm joint, varies with arm extension
Rated Payload
About 2 kg (4.4 lb) per arm joint, varies with arm extension
Rated Payload
About 2 kg (4.4 lb) per arm joint, varies with arm extension
Protection
Not rated, not waterproof or dustproof
Protection
Not rated, not waterproof or dustproof
Protection
Not rated, not waterproof or dustproof
Endurance
About 1 h, quick-release smart battery
Endurance
About 1 h, quick-release smart battery
Endurance
About 1 h, quick-release smart battery
Locomotion
Bipedal, 20 degrees of freedom
Locomotion
Bipedal, 26 degrees of freedom
Locomotion
Bipedal, 26 to 40 degrees of freedom
Operating Temp
0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Operating Temp
0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Operating Temp
0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Best For
First humanoid for a classroom, an exhibit or a developer at home
Best For
Demonstrations and teaching that need a waist, a head and depth vision
Best For
Lab work that needs more onboard compute than the Edu Standard
Price
$6,870
Price
$8,990
Price
$18,900
FAQs
Is the R1 Air authorized for use in the US?
Yes. The R1 family is covered by Unitree's US equipment authorization under grantee YuShu Technology Co., Ltd., FCC ID 2A5PE-YUSHU010, verifiable at apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas. FCC equipment authorization is separate from NDAA procurement eligibility, so if you are buying under a federal procurement rule, check that with us first.
How long does it run on a charge?
About one hour on the quick-release smart battery. The pack comes out without tools, so classrooms and exhibit teams normally order a second battery and swap it between sessions.
How is the R1 Air different from the R1 Basic?
The Air has 20 degrees of freedom and a monocular head camera. The Basic has 26, adding a 2-degree-of-freedom waist, a 2-degree-of-freedom head and a fifth joint in each arm, and it carries a binocular depth camera instead of the monocular one. Neither one supports secondary development.
How much can the arms carry?
Unitree rates the arm joints at about 2 kg (4.4 lb) of maximum torque, and notes that the usable arm load varies considerably with how far the arm is extended. Treat the R1 as an articulation and interaction platform rather than a load carrier.
Can I write my own code for it?
Not on the Air. Secondary development and SDK access start at the R1 Edu tier, which begins with the R1 Edu Standard. If programming the robot is the point of the purchase, we will steer you there instead of selling you this one.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. We work with school districts, universities and public agencies regularly and accept purchase orders and tax-exempt purchasing. Tell us what your procurement office needs and we will format the quote to match.