Unitree dispels fear of armed quadrupeds before IPO, stressing ‘robots for civilian use’


Unitree Robotics has issued a statement to dispel fear about its robot dogs being retrofitted with armaments for military use, as it seeks to draw a distinction between its technology and the defence industry ahead of a proposed initial public offering (IPO).

The statement came after hobbyists and military fans showed off videos of quadruped robots fitted with machine guns. In May last year, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV posted a video of an unarmed Unitree Go2 robot dog used for reconnaissance during a China-Cambodia military exercise.

The Hangzhou-based company, founded nine years ago by the entrepreneur Wang Xingxing, denied working with the military, saying that it “has always been a civilian robotics company”, according to a statement dated August 27 that was published on Tuesday.

“Since its establishment, Unitree has been committed to the application of high-performance general-purpose robots in different industries within the civilian field and has made explicit statements and restrictions in the company’s official website, product manuals, partner agreements and various other documents,” the statement said.

Unitree Robotics’ B2 (left) and Go2 (right) robot dogs overcame obstacles on the first day of the 2024 Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on August 23, 2024. Photo: Jelly Tse
Unitree Robotics’ B2 (left) and Go2 (right) robot dogs overcame obstacles on the first day of the 2024 Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on August 23, 2024. Photo: Jelly Tse

“All parties are kindly reminded to exercise careful identification and not to regard other companies’ robot products or third-party modified devices as Unitree products,” the statement said. “We hope that Unitree robots can bring a safer and more enjoyable life to people all over the world.”

Unitree filed its pre-IPO documents with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) in July and hired Citic Securities to help it prepare, according to a document submitted to the Zhejiang provincial branch of the CSRC.
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