The wild quadruped robot scrambles down hills, through glass, and you can stand on it

(Image credit: Unitree)

Unitree A2 is a new quadruped robot
It's super fast
The A2 can hold up to a 220lb load

If someone were casting a robot action hero movie and they didn't want a humanoid (or Arnold Schwarzenegger), they might hire the all-new Unitree A2. This quadruped robot can run, jump, climb, scamper down hills, tumble, carry a heavy load, and, yes, as depicted in the promo video, smash through a plate of glass. All that's missing here is the blockbuster action movie soundtrack.

With a max speed of 11.2mph, the new A2 is something of a landmark in quadrupeds, outrunning the standard Robo Dynamics Spot robot by almost 8 miles per hour.

The A2 Stellar Explorer model depicted in the video is built for all kinds of rugged and uneven terrain. Its 30cm step height helps it step over rocks and mount stairs with abandon. It's also comfortable with a 45-degree incline up or downhill.

While it lacks a head or any features that might help you easily anthropomorphize it, it can "see". The odd-looking quaduped uses front and rear-mounted LiDAR to monitor its environment and make on-the-fly adjustments.

In the video, the A2 doesn't get every step right, but even a trip, fall, or tumble doesn't appear to stop the propulsive A2's 12 high-density motors.

Unitree Introducing | Unitree A2 Stellar Explorer - YouTube

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It's also ready to carry significant loads. In the video, an adult man stands on the A2's back, demonstrating its max standing load capabilities of 220 lbs. In motion, it can carry a 25lb pack.

While Unitree is not specifying battery life, the A2 does come equipped with a 9,000mAh battery and the option of an 18,000mAh dual battery pack. In the video, it carries a 30kg payload for over 3 hours across almost 13km.

As for its readiness for the great outdoors, the A2 is rated IP56, which means it can withstand a jet of water, and we would assume that also means a rainstorm. It does not sound like it can handle any kind of water submersion, though.

Pricing and availability have not been set, but Unitree has been coming in below the industry average when it comes to price. We'll see if the A2 fits that model.

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.

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