A domestically produced Chinese robot suddenly went out of control and "attacked" people. The operator fled in panic. (Video screenshot)
[Dajiyuan] The Unitree humanoid robots that performed a Yangko dance at this year’s CCTV Spring Festival Gala are now facing a rapid decline in demand due to technical limitations and instability. Rental prices have dropped by more than half. During a performance in Tangshan, Hebei, one of these Spring Festival Gala robots suddenly went out of control and "attacked" spectators. Videos of Chinese robots suddenly falling or going berserk and hitting people have gone viral online.
According to the WeChat public account "Jingxiang Studio," Unitree’s humanoid robot G1 became a sensation at the start of 2025. In February, the first batch of G1 owners rented them out at a price of 15,000 yuan (RMB) per day. They made back their investment in a week and earned over 200,000 yuan within half a month, with bookings scheduled through May. But now the rental price has fallen to 5,000–8,000 yuan per day.
Xu Chong, an internet industry worker, ordered one Unitree G1 and two Zhongqing PM01 robots in March. The G1 is expected to arrive in early to mid-May, and the PM01s in July. But in the two months since, the humanoid robot rental market seems to be shrinking. Since posting a trial rental ad for the G1 in March, he has received only a handful of inquiries. Even with holidays like Women’s Day, Qingming Festival, and Labour Day, only three or four actual orders have been secured (including pre-orders for May). Lacking inventory, he passed these orders on to peers.
Zhang Zhenyao, founder of Zero Zero Post-2000 (Beijing) Technology Company, owns eight robotic dogs and one G1 for rental. The G1 rents for 8,000 yuan per day, but throughout April, it was only rented out about two days per week, sitting idle the rest of the time.
The report also mentions that the repurchase rate for Unitree robots is extremely low — they are mostly one-time novelty purchases. Once the initial curiosity is satisfied, customers rarely return. As more G1s flood the market and their range of actions remains very limited and uniform, competition has devolved into price-cutting.
At the "Humanoid Robot Marathon" held on April 19 in Beijing’s Economic-Technological Development Area (Yizhuang), the robots' technical limitations — especially stability while walking — were laid bare. Despite meticulous preparation by 20 teams, robots still fell flat on level ground, spun in circles at the starting line, or went out of control. Some spun on the spot and never started running, while others collapsed after walking just 80 meters.
Phoenix Technology reported that for robots, a marathon is a kind of "technological triathlon." The 21.0975-kilometre racecourse includes asphalt roads, flat surfaces, slopes, and sharp turns. Robots must also endure sensor overloads, joint overheating, and battery life challenges.
Viral videos show Chinese domestic robots going "berserk," flailing their arms wildly in terrifying scenes, with nearby operators fleeing in fright.
Previously lauded by "Little Pinks" (Chinese nationalist netizens), a robot featured in the CCP’s Spring Festival Gala suddenly went out of control and "attacked" spectators during a performance in Tangshan, Hebei.
In late December 2024, a Unitree humanoid robot lost balance and fell during a public exhibition, even convulsing on the ground.
Recently, CCP leader Xi Jinping, during a visit to Shanghai to inspect AI development, remarked, "Let robots join football teams." This drew widespread online ridicule: “The General Secretary has finally pointed robots in the right direction.” Others joked, “Why not let robots serve as China’s President or General Secretary instead?”
Editor: Lin Congwen
News magazine bootstrap themes!
I like this themes, fast loading and look profesional
Thank you Carlos!
You're welcome!
Please support me with give positive rating!
Yes Sure!