Unitree G1 robots become social media influencers ahead of IPO

A wave of humanoid robot "influencers" is touring streets, parties, and stadiums worldwide, and nearly all of them run on the same hardware: the Unitree G1, a roughly child-sized humanoid robot made by the Chinese company Unitree, priced low enough for ordinary creators to buy and operate on their own.

The best known is "Edward Warchocki," a robot built by Polish software developer Bartosz Idzik with his friend Radoslaw Grzelaczyk. They bought the Unitree G1 about six months ago and named it after Grzelaczyk's dog Eddie and the Polish word for growling, "warczec." At first the robot could not speak and mostly scared people. Idzik then wired it to a large language model so it could hold live conversations in Polish, and its popularity took off. Edward has since visited the Polish parliament, hiked mountains, waded into a lake, been jokingly arrested by police, and in April went viral worldwide for a video of it chasing wild boars through Warsaw while carrying a backpack and a Rolex. It now has over 1 million followers and 4 billion views across social media. Idzik describes the robot as "not super intelligent, but very emotional, very easy to make friends with."

Edward is one of many similarly built robot personas: "Rizzbot," which wears a cowboy hat and flirts with people in Austin; "Bart Robot," which danced with New York Knicks fans during a championship celebration; and the "Brickell Clanker" in Miami. The underlying G1 model has also appeared on America's Got Talent, performed kung fu and boxing, danced at concerts, cooked (unsuccessfully), streamed with Kai Cenat, been ordained as a monk in Japan and Korea, and prayed at a mosque in Dubai.

The trend coincides with a real business story. Unitree is set to go public on the Chinese stock market in about two weeks. Its financial disclosures show the company shipped 5,511 humanoid robots in 2025 at an average price under $25,000 each, with 43 percent of sales coming from outside China. More than half of Unitree's 2025 revenue came from delivering robots to paying customers rather than lab testing, and the company turned profitable for the first time that year, a rarity among humanoid robot makers.

In Miami, 24-year-old Jake Cooperstein built the "Brickell Clanker" after being inspired by Edward. He tested a G1 at a New York robotics warehouse in January and ordered one the next day. Unitree lists a basic G1 at $13,500 on its own website, before tariffs, shipping, and taxes; a US distributor prices it around $19,000. Cooperstein instead bought the U5 variant built for educational buyers, which adds parts like dexterous hands and allows modification, for $66,000. He now rents the robot out for $800 to $1,200 an hour at influencer parties, nightclubs, and corporate events, and got its biggest exposure changing jerseys to party with fans after World Cup games this summer. He later bought a Unitree R1, a lighter, faster model priced at almost one-third the G1's base price, naming it "Lil Clanker."

The robots' independence has limits. Idzik and Cooperstein both say they mostly teleoperate their robots when out in public; while the G1 is theoretically capable of moving on its own, they worry a malfunction could injure a bystander. Cooperstein's G1 came with about 20 built-in gestures and 15 dance moves, and he had to program additional ones himself, such as a version of the "Viking Row" gesture used by Norwegian soccer fans.

The US market carries added uncertainty. In July, the Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on new Chinese-made humanoid robot imports. Models that had already cleared approval, including the G1 and R1, are believed to still be allowed, but the article says no one is certain; what is certain is that Unitree will not be able to sell its next generation of robots in the US. Unitree did not respond to a request for comment.

Key facts

Unitree shipped 5,511 humanoid robots in 2025 at an average price under $25,000, with 43 percent of sales from outside China, and became profitable for the first time.
Unitree is set to go public on the Chinese stock market in about two weeks.
Polish creator Bartosz Idzik's robot "Edward Warchocki," a Unitree G1 wired to a language model, has over 1 million followers and 4 billion views after a viral April video of it chasing boars in Warsaw.
Miami's Jake Cooperstein bought a $66,000 Unitree G1 U5 variant, named it "Brickell Clanker," and now charges $800 to $1,200 an hour for appearances; he also bought a cheaper Unitree R1.
The US FCC banned new imports of Chinese-made humanoid robots in July; already-approved models like the G1 and R1 are believed still allowed, but Unitree's next-generation robots will not be sold in the US.

Why it matters

Humanoid robots have mostly stayed lab demos or corporate pilots. The Unitree G1 is the first model cheap and capable enough for individual creators to buy, operate, and turn into a social media business on their own, and its maker is backing that up with real shipment numbers, profitability, and an imminent stock listing rather than just demo footage.

Who it affects

Individual creators like Bartosz Idzik and Jake Cooperstein, who build and monetize robot personas; event, nightlife, and influencer-marketing businesses that hire the robots; Unitree itself and its investors ahead of the IPO; and US distributors and buyers now facing regulatory uncertainty.

How to use it

Unitree lists a basic G1 at $13,500 on its own site (before tariffs, shipping, and taxes), with US distributors pricing it around $19,000; the more capable U5 educational variant, which allows modification and adds parts like dexterous hands, costs $66,000. The cheaper, lighter Unitree R1 costs almost one-third the G1's base price. Operators like Cooperstein rent out a robot for $800 to $1,200 an hour at events.

How solid is it

The account draws on Wired's Made in China newsletter, based on direct interviews with the creators behind two of the robots, plus figures from Unitree's own financial disclosures ahead of its stock listing. Unitree did not respond to Wired's request for comment, so the company's own framing of the story is missing.

Risks and caveats

The robots are less autonomous than they look: operators mostly teleoperate them in public out of concern that self-directed movement could injure a bystander. In the US, a new FCC ban on new Chinese-made humanoid robot imports leaves already-approved models like the G1 and R1 in a gray area, and Unitree's future robots will not be sellable there at all, which could limit US creators' ability to keep expanding their fleets.

“We are used to China copying other countries, but from the perspective of humanoids, other people should copy China.”

— Bartosz Idzik