China's humanoid robots stunned audiences at Beijing's CCTV Spring Festival Gala when dozens of bots from Unitree Robotics and other startups performed a choreographed kung fu routine on live television. Wearing red vests and 'Monkey King' armor, Unitree's G1 robots executed kicks, flips, and weapon sequences with nunchucks and swords, just feet from child performers. The display, hailed online as something that would have seemed like science fiction five years ago, was described by Unitree as the world's first fully autonomous humanoid robot cluster kung fu performance.
The G1 robot, standing four feet tall and weighing more than 70 pounds, features 23 degrees of joint freedom and advanced perception systems, including 3D LiDAR and depth-sensing cameras, making it one of the most sophisticated commercially available humanoids. Experts noted the dramatic leap from last year's simpler dance routine, emphasizing Unitree's rapid progress in AI-powered motion control, the brains enabling fine motor skills with real-world industrial potential. The viral performance builds on the company's earlier attention-grabbing stunts, including a humanoid robot boxing event.