One of the Chinese humanoid robots generating the most interest internationally has been spotted out in the wild.
The way the AI-powered robot moves is so human-like, people are suspicious. Is it real? Or is it really good CGI?
SE01 Robot in Shenzhen
Back in October 2024, Shenzen-based startup ENGINEAI came in from seemingly out of nowhere with its full-sized humanoid robot with a shockingly realistic 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.
Founded in October 2023, ENGINEAI is positioning the SE01 humanoid as yet another competitor to the Tesla Bot. ENGINEAI aims to manufacture a thousand of the robots in 2025.
The startup just shared new footage of the humanoid walking outside in Shenzen. The location appears to be outside the Shenzen Bay Innovation and Technology Center in the Nanshan District. The release coincided with the company’s appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Jim Fan, who leads Nvidia’s GR00T project to accelerate humanoid robotics development, posted the video to the X social media platform, asking whether it’s real.
Users were split. Some questioned the way the light reflects off the robot, while others said it was obviously real.
Eventually, Fan said he confirmed the footage is legit from reliable sources. He said the robot’s controller is a neural network trained in Nvidia’s Isaac simulator using reinforcement learning.
I've verified from reliable sources. New visual Turing Test: this is a real robot demo! The controller is a neural net trained in Isaac simulator using reinforcement learning and then sim2real. Reward engineering is all you need.
— Jim Fan (@DrJimFan) January 9, 2025
Walking gait's got swag but we need these robots… https://t.co/fwAjLPd51g pic.twitter.com/w3CxFKoRNy
In this training method, the robot learns in a simulation, getting feedback for how well it does and improving over time. It’s similar to learning by trial or error. The learned behavior was applied via a process called sim to real transfer, short for simulation to reality.
Fan posted a clip from a passerby from a different angle. He also posted a picture of an engineer rescuing the robot from falling.
In the demonstration, there’s always someone closely following the robot. This is typical in the early stages of real-world testing for robots. This stage is crucial for gathering data, making adjustments, and improving the robot so it can handle unexpected scenarios.
According to ENGINEAI, the SE01 is equipped with dual processors from Nvidia and Intel. Its three stereo cameras form a sophisticated visual network for navigating and interacting with complex environments. The robot is built from aerospace-grade aluminum and features a unique motion control system without sensors.
A shorter, lower-end version of the robot, the PM01 is available for purchase until the end of March 2025. That robot is intended for researchers racing to merge robotics and human capabilities.
The starting price of ¥88,000 ($12K) undercuts Unitree’s G1, which starts at $16K. The higher-end humanoid walks at a pace of 2 meters per second, or just under 4 and a half miles per hour.
The speed is between Digit by Agility Robotics and the second-generation Tesla Bot.
500K Tesla Bots?
In a new interview with Stagwell chief executive Mark Penn for CES 2025, Elon Musk said Tesla aims to produce thousands of humanoids this year.
Watch Stagwell's CEO Mark Penn interview Elon Musk at CES! https://t.co/BO3Z7bbHOZ
— Live (@Live) January 9, 2025
The robots will initially be for testing at the EV maker’s factories. For 2026, plans call for between 50-100K Tesla Bots and up to half a million the following year. Musk believes robots like Optimus will help usher in an age of abundance, where the cost of goods and services is close to zero.
Tesla is developing the third-generation version of the Tesla Bot. The next iteration’s hands will reportedly have 22 degrees of freedom (DoF), which Musk says is enough to perform virtually any human task. Human hands have 27 DoF. The hand’s dexterity is double that of the current iteration.
In December 2024, the company released footage of an Optimus robot traversing rough terrain for the very first time.
In the video, the robot walks on mulched ground without camera vision, relying on on-board sensors and neural networks to navigate autonomously. The AI controls each limb independently without the need for teleoperation. The neural network processes data in just 2 to 3 milliseconds.
Optimus humanoids will likely be pricey when they’re first available to the general public. However, Musk says the price should drop dramatically once production is scaled.
Like other major players in humanoid robotics, Tesla aims for pricing between $20K and $30K.
Realbotix Unveils Melody
Also during CES, Las Vegas-based Realbotix unveiled its new ultra realistic android, Melody. The open-source humanoid features a modular design that Realbotix says can be easily disassembled and packed into a suitcase.
Melody’s microcamera equipped eyes track movements, recognize objects, and even maintain eye contact. Realbotix says Melody is ideal for use in education, healthcare, research, and entertainment.
The company’s robots range in price from $10K for a bust and $175K for a full body.
MagicBot Plays APT
In other fun news, rising Chinese startup Magic Lab released this video of its humanoid robot dancing to APT, the viral hit by Blackpink singer Rose featuring Bruno Mars. Like the K-Pop megastar, Magic Lab says its Magic Bot combines precision, rhythm and pure vibes.
Magic Lab, which operates under the name Magic Atom Robotics Technology, was founded in December 2023. By late 2024, Magic Lab released footage of a fleet of the collaborative robots at an unnamed factory.
Magic Lab says the robots are mastering industrial automation tasks like product inspections, material transport, precision assembly, barcode scanning, and inventory management.
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