A Chinese company has unveiled a video featuring a humanoid robot performing a backflip to land on the same spot, marking a world-first manoeuvre for a full-sized electric-powered robot. In the clip the robot, named H1, draws its arms back to build momentum then propels itself upwards, flips in mid-air and makes a smooth landing. Following a quick recalibration, it regains balance and resumes an upright stance. H1 is made by Unitree, a start-up based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Unitree posted the video on its website on March 20. “A backflip by an electrically powered humanoid robot represents a pinnacle of intricate posture control, touching on several demanding areas of technology,” a report on robotChina.com said. “Key among these are the modelling of dynamics, the planning of movement, the design of real-time control systems and the development of hardware.” Robot backflips are not a novel phenomenon. Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas performed a similar feat from an elevated mat to the floor in 2017, showing advanced gait planning and balance. However, the use of pure electric motors for propulsion sets Unitree’s H1 apart. Compared with the hydraulic systems in Atlas, electric motors offer high control precision and clearer force feedback. While hydraulic drives provide more robust power, they are generally heavier, more expensive, require high manufacturing precision, are difficult to maintain and are less suitable for commercialisation. Atlas is 150cm (4 feet 11 inches) tall and weighs about 80kg (180lbs) whereas H1 stands nearly 180cm (about 5 feet 11 inches) tall, weighs around 47kg (about 104lbs) and is much slimmer than Atlas.

Full report : Chinese Company’s Electric-powered Humanoid Robot H1 Does a Backflip, Sets Speed Records.