When tech journalist Timothy B.
The Reality of Commuting With a Quadruped
Unitree might be the world’s most important robotics company. I’ve never gotten more attention from strangers.
A bunch of people snapped pictures of my robot dog. Several people asked me questions. Was it mine? (Yes.) Did I build it? (No.) Was it being used for surveillance? (No.)
Biological dogs kept a safe distance from my mechanical companion. Some growled or barked at it. Children were fascinated. I stopped to let a few kids watch it perform tricks: “shake hands,” do a handstand, or leap into the air.
I live in a leafy Washington, DC, neighborhood called Mount Pleasant. The neighborhood lives up to its name, so my morning commute is mostly downhill. Built by Chinese manufacturer Unitree, my robotic companion made the two-mile trek to my office near the White House and still had battery power left over.
Thermal Throttling and Battery Depletion on the Climb Home
I recharged the battery during the workday, but it still struggled on the afternoon walk home. We were now mostly walking uphill, and the temperature had risen to 87°F (30°C). The robot’s steps seemed increasingly labored as the path got steeper.
Arriving back in my local area, I checked two different metrics displayed on my phone. One showed that the robot’s battery was at 5 percent—dangerously close to empty. The other showed the internal temperature was 84°C (183°F). We were within sight of my front door when the robot suddenly collapsed.
Whether it ran out of juice or suffered from thermal issues is unclear, but either way it didn’t power down cleanly—it rolled onto its back with its legs in the air.
The Utility Gap in Consumer Robotics
People often ask me what practical use my robot serves, and truthfully, the answer is very little.
The 30-Second Verdict
- Manufacturer: Unitree
- Purchase Price: $4,000
- Thermal Limit Reached: 84°C (183°F)
