Back in October 2024, a Chinese startup came in like a wrecking ball with its full-sized humanoid robot with a shockingly lifelike walking gait.
It immediately set a new benchmark for human-like bipedal locomotion. The breakthrough was thanks to a novel end-to-end neural network that continuously adapts and optimizes movements.
Now Shenzen-based ENGINEAI is back with another potentially disruptive AI robot. Even more impactful than the open-source robot’s advanced AI is its price point that undercuts leading Chinese robotics firm Unitree. And it maintains the full-sized robot’s walk.
ENGINEAI just announced its new lightweight humanoid robot, the PM01, that moves quickly and is highly customizable. The startup, launched just over two years ago, says the PM01 is available for purchase from now until March 31, 2025.
Both the business and education versions of the robot cost ¥88,000 or about $12K USD. That’s $3K less than the starting price for Unitree’s pint-sized humanoid, the G1.
According to a hype video released by ENGINEAI, the PM01 features advanced visual perception capabilities thanks to its Intel Real Sense depth camera.
It has an aluminum alloy exoskeleton with an interactive core screen. The video boasts the PM Ones highly human-like bionic design, with a superhuman 320-degree waist free rotation. It’s powered by a dual-chip architecture, equipped with Intel N 97 and NVIDIA Jetson Orin processors.
At 1.38 meters (4.5 feet) the PM01 stands 27 centimeters shorter than ENGINEAI’s flagship humanoid, the SE01. It weighs 40 kg (88 lbs), about 8 kilograms less than the full-sized humanoid robot.
The PM01 is carving its lane, competing with other short Chinese humanoids like the Unitree G1 and Booster T1. Like the G1 and T1, the new robot is intended for researchers racing to merge robotics and human capabilities.
The new robot is shorter than the G1, which stands 1.3 meters, but taller than the T1, which measures just under 1.2 meters. The PM01 has a reported 24 degrees of freedom (DoF), which is 8 less than the full-sized humanoid. It boasts 12 DoF in its joint motors that allow for smooth and dynamic movements. It exceeds the T1, which has 23 DoF. It’s also higher than the base model of the G1, but Unitree offers configurations with up to 43 DoF.
The PM01 matches the walking speed of the G1 at 2 m/s or just under 4.5 mph. Both robots are faster than the T1, which walks at a pace of 1.2 m/s. All three humanoids are significantly slower than Unitree’s H1, whose record-breaking top speed of 3.3 m/s (7.5 mph), was recently bested by Robot Era’s Star1.
The PM01 also integrates a high-capacity, quick-release battery. The battery provides about two hours of performance per charge, which is in the same range as the G1 and T1.
While the PM01 is priced much lower than the G1 and T1, Unitree’s AI-powered robot offers a broader range of configurations with optional dexterous hands and advanced sensing.
The simultaneous accessibility of the three robots could significantly accelerate advancements in China’s growing humanoid robotics market.
Earlier in 2024, Engine AI unveiled its SA1 robot, calling it an affordable, professional grade open-source humanoid starting at around 5 thousand dollars. That model is intended for education and research.
ENGINAI is also apparently developing a quadrupedal robot. The robotic dog would potentially compete with other Chinese robots from Unitree and Deep Robotics that are going viral for their advanced capabilities.To keep up with whatever all this manifests into throughout 2025 and beyond, make sure to subscribe.
ENGINEAI was founded in October 2023. According to its website, the firm’s team includes experts from UC Berkeley, Tsinghua, and Purdue. The company says it does all its research and development in-house.
ENGINEAI aims to achieve annual production and sales exceeding one thousand units by 2025. The company positions its flagship robot, the SE01, as a formidable competitor to the Tesla Optimus.