Unitree G1 humanoids go viral with synchronised frontflip and ‘impressive’ Musk endorsement

In a striking display of athletic robotics, six Unitree Robotics’ G1 humanoids successfully executed synchronised front flips while performing as backup dancers at a concert in Chengdu last Thursday, a feat that quickly went viral and drew international attention after Elon Musk labelled it “impressive” on social media.

Dressed in shimmering silver tops and black leather pants, the robots performed choreography for the song “Open Fire” in synchronisation with pop star Wang Leehom and his human dancers, executing a sequence of moves, including arm swings, leg kicks and pivots, before electrifying the crowd with a front flip.

Launched in 2024, the Unitree G1 stands 1.27 meters tall and weighs around 35kg. According to company specifications, the robot features between 23 and 43 joints, delivers a peak torque of up to 120 Newton-metre, and can move at a speed of 2 m/s.

At the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in August, the G1 model won the gold medal in the 100-metre hurdles by completing the race in 33.71 seconds.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reposted a video of the performance and captioned it “Impressive” on social media platform X, capturing worldwide attention.