Industry Background
The humanoid robot industry is currently experiencing explosive growth. According to the latest IDC report, global shipments of humanoid robots will reach nearly 18,000 units in 2025, representing a staggering year-over-year increase of 508%, with the overall market size reaching approximately $440 million. These advanced robots are primarily deployed across various sectors including entertainment and commercial performances, scientific research and education, and high-precision data collection.
Unitree Robotics, a pioneering Chinese robotics company, has solidified its position as the global leader in humanoid robot shipments, delivering over 5,500 units in 2025 alone. The G1, Unitree's core flagship product, has disrupted the market by offering professional-grade humanoid capabilities at an unprecedented price point, enabling rapid mass adoption of this cutting-edge technology.
1. Pricing, Configuration and Product Lineup
The Unitree G1 is available in multiple versions to cater to different user needs, ranging from entry-level basic version to fully-featured educational and development versions. Below is a detailed breakdown of the different versions and their configurations:
| G1 Version | After-tax Price (10k RMB) | Key Configuration Differences |
|---|---|---|
| G1 Base Version | 8.5 | 1.32m height, 35kg weight, 23 degrees of freedom (DoF), 8-month warranty. This is the most affordable version that supports secondary development. |
| G1 Edu Standard | 16.9 | Base version + 100TOPS computing expansion dock (supports secondary development) + knee joint torque upgraded to 120Nm + arm load upgraded to 3kg, 18-month warranty. |
| G1 Edu Advanced | 20.9 | Edu Standard version + Waist DoF upgraded from 1 to 3 + Single arm DoF upgraded from 5 to 7. |
| G1 Edu Flagship A | 27.9 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 Unitree Dex3-1 force-controlled 3-finger dexterous hands (without tactile sensors). |
| G1 Edu Flagship B | 28.9 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 Unitree Dex3-1 force-controlled 3-finger dexterous hands (with tactile sensors, 33 tactile sensors per hand). |
| G1 Edu Flagship C | 28.9 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 Inspire Robotics 5-finger dexterous hands (without tactile sensors). |
| G1 Edu Flagship D | 30.9 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 Inspire Robotics 5-finger dexterous hands (with tactile sensors, 17 tactile sensors per hand). |
| G1 Edu Flagship E | 25.9 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 BrainCo 5-finger dexterous hands (without tactile sensors, Revo 2 Basic). |
| G1 Edu Professional F | 24.4 | Edu Advanced version + Equipped with 2 BrainCo 5-finger dexterous hands (with pressure, friction, direction, proximity perception, Revo 2 Tactile version). |
| G1 Edu Professional A | 23.9 | Edu Standard version + Equipped with 2 Unitree Dex3-1 force-controlled 3-finger dexterous hands (without tactile sensors). |
| G1 Edu Professional B | 24.9 | Edu Standard version + Equipped with 2 Unitree Dex3-1 force-controlled 3-finger dexterous hands (with tactile sensors, 33 tactile sensors per hand). |
| G1 Edu Professional E | 21.9 | Edu Standard version + Equipped with 2 BrainCo 5-finger dexterous hands (without tactile sensors, Revo 2 Basic). |
| G1 Edu Professional F | 24.4 | Edu Standard version + Equipped with 2 BrainCo 5-finger dexterous hands (with pressure, friction, direction, proximity perception, Revo 2 Tactile version). |
Dexterous Hand Options
The optional dexterous hands are a major factor affecting the final price of the G1. Here are the details of the available options:
- Unitree Dex3-1 Force-controlled 3-finger Dexterous Hand + RGB Camera: Priced at 36,000 RMB per hand without tactile sensors, and 41,000 RMB per hand with tactile sensors. It features 7 degrees of freedom.
- BrainCo Revo 2 5-finger Dexterous Hand: Priced at 20,000 RMB per hand without tactile sensors, and 35,000 RMB per hand with tactile sensors. It has 11 joints, 6 active DoF, weighs only 383g, with a maximum grasping weight of 3kg and maximum grasping force of 80N.
- Inspire Robotics 5-finger Dexterous Hand: Features 6 active DoF, 12 joints, weighs 540g, with a passive fingertip load of 8kg, retail price of 22,000 RMB per hand. According to Unitree's public disclosures, in Q1-Q3 of 2025, Unitree purchased 1,210 Inspire dexterous hands, amounting to 17.2 million RMB, accounting for 96% of its external procurement of dexterous hands, making Inspire Robotics the primary supplier for outsourced dexterous hands.
Figure 1: Comparison of different dexterous hand options from Unitree, Inspire Robotics and BrainCo
2. Cost Analysis
The base version of the G1 features a total of 23 degrees of freedom across its entire body, all equipped with position limiters. The distribution of DoF is as follows: 5 DoF in the arms (3 in the shoulder, 2 in the elbow), 1 DoF in the waist, and 6 DoF in the legs (3 in the thigh, 1 in the knee, 2 in the calf).
Joint Module Cost Breakdown
The core joint modules are divided into two categories: small joints (outer diameter ~60mm) and large joints (outer diameter ~80mm). The BOM cost for the joints is calculated as: 14 small joints + 9 large joints = 27,500 RMB. The detailed cost breakdown per joint is shown below:
| Component | Small Joint (Cost in RMB) | Large Joint (Cost in RMB) |
|---|---|---|
| Planetary Reducer | 300 | 400 |
| Motor | 200 | 300 |
| Encoder | 200 | 300 |
| Structural Parts & Auxiliary Materials | 150 | 200 |
| Driver Board | 150 | 300 |
| Total | 1,000 | 1,500 |
Overall BOM Cost
The total BOM cost for the entire base version of the G1 is estimated at 41,574 RMB, with the detailed breakdown as follows:
| Category | Sub-component | Cost (RMB) | Total (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Modules | Large Joints (9 units) | - | 13,500 |
| Small Joints (14 units) | - | 14,000 | |
| Battery & Power Management | Battery Pack | 2,000 | |
| PDU | 500 | ||
| DCDC | 480 | ||
| Others | 200 | 3,180 | |
| Wiring System | Capacitor Buffer | 30 | |
| XT30 Wiring | 90 | ||
| Wiring Terminals | 150 | 270 | |
| Sensors | Intel Realsense D435i Depth Camera | 1,869 | |
| DJI LIVOX MID360 3D LiDAR | 3,840 | 5,709 | |
| Main Control Board | Rockchip 3588 | 380 | |
| 8GB BIWIN Memory | 75 | ||
| 64G Longsys Storage | 60 | ||
| Others | 900 | 1,415 | |
| Structural Parts | Main Structure | 2,000 | |
| Outer Shell | 500 | ||
| Others | 1,000 | 3,500 | |
| Total BOM Cost | 41,574 |
3. Gross Margin Analysis
Assuming all processing-related costs are 3,000 RMB, the operating cost of the base version is 44,600 RMB, with an estimated gross margin of ~40.7%.
For the higher-end versions, the gross margin is significantly higher due to the pricing strategy:
- G1 Edu Standard: This version is an upgrade of the base version, including the 100TOPS computing dock, upgraded knee torque and arm load. The estimated upgrade cost is no more than 10,000 RMB, leading to an estimated gross margin of ~63.5%.
- G1 Edu Advanced: This version further upgrades the waist and arm degrees of freedom, with an estimated upgrade cost of no more than 7,000 RMB, resulting in an estimated gross margin of ~66.7%.
- G1 Edu Flagship C: Based on the Advanced version, this version adds Inspire 5-finger dexterous hands, with an estimated gross margin of ~64.8%.
Overall, Unitree disclosed that the comprehensive gross margin of its humanoid robot business in Q1-Q3 of 2025 was 62.9%, with an average selling price of 168,000 RMB, which is consistent with our estimates.
| G1 Version | After-tax Price (10k RMB) | Pre-tax Price (10k RMB) | Estimated BOM Cost (10k RMB) | Estimated Processing Cost (10k RMB) | Estimated Operating Cost (10k RMB) | Estimated Gross Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 Base Version | 8.5 | 7.52 | 4.16 | 0.3 | 4.46 | 40.7% |
| G1 Edu Standard | 16.9 | 14.96 | 5.16 | 0.3 | 5.46 | 63.5% |
| G1 Edu Advanced | 20.9 | 18.50 | 5.86 | 0.3 | 6.16 | 66.7% |
| G1 Edu Flagship C | 28.9 | 25.58 | 8.70 | 0.3 | 9.00 | 64.8% |
4. Supply Chain Analysis
Unitree has adopted a hybrid strategy of in-house R&D for core components and external procurement of mature off-the-shelf components. Through our teardown analysis, we have identified the following supply chain structure:
Figure 2: Overall exploded view of the Unitree G1, showing the modular design of the robot
- Motor: Fully self-developed by Unitree. No supplier logo was found during the teardown, confirming the in-house manufacturing capability.
- Reducer: Supplied by Meihu Co., Ltd. Meihu has publicly stated that it has started mass production and delivery of reducer components for Unitree's joint modules.
- Crossed Roller Bearing: Supplied by Luoyang Baina Bearing. This is the only component with a clear supplier logo found during the teardown, with the model CRBT355A 10E4J3.
- Depth Camera: Intel Realsense D435i, a mature off-the-shelf component.
- 3D LiDAR: DJI LIVOX MID360, another high-performance mature component.
- Main Control Chip: Rockchip RK3588, a popular high-performance edge computing chip.
- Memory: BIWIN 8GB memory module.
- Storage: Longsys 64GB storage.
- Dexterous Hands: Multiple suppliers including Inspire Robotics, BrainCo and Ruiman Robotics, to meet different customer needs.
5. Component-level Teardown Analysis
5.1 Overall Structure
The torso module integrates the main control computing unit and power management unit, forming the "neural center" of the robot. The limb joints adopt a 4-in-1 integrated module of "motor - reducer - encoder - driver", which achieves small-volume and large-torque output through high torque density servo joints, enabling the robot to perform difficult movements such as backflips.
The entire robot structure is designed with high-strength aluminum alloy and lightweight composite materials, resulting in a total weight of only 35kg. Through self-developed key components, Unitree has effectively controlled costs, enabling the base version to be priced at only 85,000 RMB, which has driven rapid mass adoption.
The arm adopts 5 small joint modules, including 3 in the shoulder and 2 in the elbow. The basic version's hand is made of plastic and non-articulated, while the high-end versions are equipped with dexterous hands. The leg adopts 6 joint modules, including 3 in the hip, 1 large joint in the knee, and 2 small joints in the calf. The limb structural parts are mainly made of aluminum alloy, supplemented by silica gel and steel materials, ensuring structural strength while achieving maximum lightweighting.
Figure 3: Overall structure diagram of the Unitree G1, showing the distribution of joints and components
5.2 Joint System
The joint system is the core power source of the humanoid robot, and Unitree has achieved excellent performance through highly integrated design.
Joint Motor
The G1 uses low-inertia high-speed inner rotor permanent magnet synchronous motors, which provide better response speed and heat dissipation performance. In terms of torque performance, the maximum torque of the knee joint reaches 90N·m, with the torque of other joints decreasing sequentially. The maximum load capacity of the arm is about 2kg.
To meet the requirements of running speed over 2m/s and dynamic jumping movements, the built-in motor can reach a maximum speed of 3000~5000 RPM. After the planetary reducer, the output end can generate sufficient explosive power.
Figure 4: Components of the joint motor, showing the highly integrated design
Joint Module Integration
We disassembled a small joint module from the calf, which has a diameter of ~60mm, height of 70mm, and weight of 525g, used to control the ankle movement of the robot.
All joints adopt a hollow internal wiring design, with the wiring passing through the center of the motor. This not only improves the external simplicity but also effectively avoids the pulling of the wiring during joint movement.
The motor is also equipped with dual encoders, providing more accurate position and speed feedback to meet the requirements of high-precision control.
The motor adopts a highly integrated design of "stator winding + permanent magnet steel + integrated rotor hub", achieving a balance of high torque density, high response speed and high positioning precision through compact structure. This perfectly meets the stringent requirements of robot joints for "small size, large torque, high dynamics", making it the core power source for the robot to achieve flexible movement and complex terrain adaptation.
Reducer
The joint uses a two-stage planetary reduction mechanism. The first stage reduction mechanism has 18 teeth for the sun gear, 14 teeth for the planet gear, and 60 teeth for the outer ring gear. The second stage reducer has 16 teeth for the sun gear, 20 teeth for the planet gear, and 60 teeth for the outer ring gear. The total reduction ratio is ~20.58.
Figure 5: Reducer gears and crossed roller bearing components
Crossed Roller Bearing
The crossed roller bearing from Luoyang Baina is the only component with a supplier logo found during the teardown. The model is CRBT355A 10E4J3, where CRB355A represents the ultra-thin crossed roller bearing, with an inner diameter of 35mm and ultra-thin interface of 5mm. 10E4J3 represents the precision class 10, internal clearance group 4, and cage type J3.
Driver Board
The circular PCB is the driver control board for Unitree's joint motor, self-developed by Unitree to support its low-inertia high-speed inner rotor PMSM. It uses Field-Oriented Control (FOC) technology for permanent magnet synchronous motors. Through the power devices and control chips on the board, combined with dual encoders, it achieves precise position, speed feedback and control, providing torque output for the joints of the G1 and other models to ensure the robot can complete various movements.
Notably, Unitree has implemented excellent anti-reverse engineering design: all chip information has been hidden, increasing the difficulty for competitors to copy the product.
Figure 6: The joint driver board, with anti-reverse engineering design to hide chip information
5.3 Power System
The G1 is equipped with a quick-release 13S lithium battery, with a rated voltage of 46.8V, capacity of 9000mAh, and total energy of 0.42kWh. The battery weighs ~2.5kg, providing a battery life of about 1~2 hours. The matching charger has a specification of 54V 5A.
Figure 7: The quick-release battery pack of the G1, providing 0.42kWh of energy
5.4 Control System
The control board is located on the back of the robot, with a local heat dissipation fin + air cooling heat dissipation design on the surface. The back of the control board has three layers of protection: the robot's back shell + buffer foam + inner plastic protection layer.
The main control chip is Rockchip RK3588S (8nm process), which integrates an 8-core CPU (4x Cortex-A76 + 4x Cortex-A55), Mali G610MC4 GPU, and an NPU with 6TOPS computing power. The memory is two BIWIN BMW2CX32H2A-32G-X modules, totaling 8GB, and the storage is 64GB from Longsys.
For the EDU version, an additional NVIDIA Orin NX module is added, providing 100TOPS of AI computing power to support more complex algorithm development. Similar to the joint driver board, the main control chip also has anti-reverse engineering processing to protect Unitree's intellectual property.
Figure 8: The main control board located on the back of the robot, with active cooling design
5.5 Perception System
The head of the G1 integrates a DJI 3D LiDAR and an Intel depth camera, paired with a 4-microphone array and a 5W speaker. This supports the robot's environmental perception and human-robot interaction capabilities, enabling it to perceive the surrounding environment, recognize voices, and communicate with users.
5.6 Wiring Design
The G1 adopts a hollow wiring design for joints and standardized interfaces, equipped with terminal capacitor buffer. The total length of the wiring across the entire body is no more than 10m, which is very concise and reduces the weight and complexity of the wiring system.
5.7 Thermal Management
The thermal management design of the G1 is relatively conservative. Only the main control board and hip joint are equipped with active air cooling heat dissipation, while the knee joint is equipped with a vapor chamber for passive heat dissipation. The whole machine mainly relies on passive heat dissipation. This design is a trade-off between lightweight and low cost, which makes it difficult to support industrial-grade continuous operation. According to the test, the robot can work continuously for 12 hours under normal conditions.
5.8 Lightweight Design
The entire G1 weighs only 35kg, which is a very excellent lightweight level in the industry. Unitree has achieved this through highly integrated joints, optimized hollow wiring, combined use of aluminum alloy and engineering plastic materials, and topological hollow structure. The lightweight level is so excellent that there is limited room for further weight reduction.
Figure 9: Overview of the Unitree G1 humanoid robot, showing its compact and lightweight design
6. Key Takeaways and Conclusions
Through this comprehensive teardown analysis, we can summarize the core features and competitive advantages of the Unitree G1, as well as the future development trends of the industry:
- Excellent Cost Control Capability: Unitree has achieved excellent cost control through self-developed core components. The gross margin of the base version of G1 is 40.7%, while the high-end version can reach 63.5~66.7%, which is consistent with the overall 62.9% gross margin of Unitree's humanoid robot business in the first three quarters of 2025.
- Outstanding Lightweight Design: The G1 weighs only 35kg, achieving extreme lightweight through highly integrated joints, optimized hollow wiring, combined materials and topological structure. There is limited room for further weight reduction.
- Conservative Thermal Management Design: The whole machine mainly relies on passive heat dissipation, with only the main control board and hip joint adopting active air cooling. This design is a trade-off for lightweight and low cost, making it difficult to support industrial-grade continuous operation.
- Limited End Effector Load Capacity: The G1 has a self-weight of 35kg, but the maximum load of a single arm is only 2kg. The limited end load capability restricts its expansion to industrial scenarios and the adaptation of complex end effectors.
- Linear Joints are Needed for Industrial Humanoids: Pure rotary joints have shortcomings in torque density, rigidity and continuous output under the lightweight constraints of humanoid robots. Linear joints have the advantages of high thrust density, high rigidity and self-locking, which is the best solution for industrial high-load humanoid robots.
- Hardware has No Barriers, Software Determines the Outcome: The core hardware of the G1 are all mature components that can be purchased and mass-produced in the industry, with no high barriers at the hardware level. The core of the whole machine's high dynamic movement and stability performance comes from the self-developed motion control algorithm. Software algorithm is one of Unitree's core competitiveness.
Investment Recommendations (For China Market)
With the booming development of the robot industry, we recommend focusing on the following sectors and related companies in the Chinese robotics industry chain:
- Joint Modules: Sanhua Intelligent Controls, Top Group, Hengli Hydraulic, Zhenyu Technology
- Ball Screw: Shuanglin Co., Ltd., Beite Technology, Wuzhou Xinchun, Zhaofeng Co., Ltd., Jinwo Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Rongtai
- Reducer: Meihu Co., Ltd., Zhongda Decelerator, Harmonic Drive, Siling Co., Ltd., Fengli Intelligent, Keda Co., Ltd., Shuanghuan Drive
- Lightweight: Hengbo Co., Ltd., Xingyuan Zhuomei, Xusheng Group, Aoteco, Riying Electronics, Changying Precision, Ningbo Huaxiang
- Motor: Xinzhi Group, Hengshuai Co., Ltd., Step Electronics, Leadshine, Zhaowei Electromechanical, Deschwang Motor Holdings
- Sensors: Ampelon, Hanwei Technology, Fulai New Materials, Hupei Power
- Equipment: Junpu Intelligent, Junsheng Electronics
- Equity Investment: Shoucheng Holdings
Risk Warning: Risks include slower-than-expected industrialization of humanoid robots, uncertainty of technology routes, intensified industry competition, slower-than-expected commercialization, and slower-than-expected technological progress.