When Edward Warczek speaks, he sounds like an ordinary person. “He isn’t especially intelligent, but he is highly emotional and makes friends very easily,” says his creator, Bartosz Idzik. When he remains silent, however, it is difficult to overlook Warchok’s true identity: a four-foot-tall humanoid robot roaming the streets of Poland.
Six months ago, Idzik and his friend Radosław Grzelaczyk decided to purchase a humanoid robot from China. They named it Edward Warczek after Grzelaczyk’s dog, Eddie, and the Polish word “warczek,” which means “growl.” The name also sounded familiar and approachable to Polish audiences. During Edward’s first outings, the robot could not speak, and people were understandably frightened. Idzik, a software developer, later connected Edward to a large language model, enabling it to hold live conversations in Polish.
“Once he started talking, people loved him. Without a voice, he is simply a 150-pound machine,” Idzik says.
Edward soon built a loyal following. The humanoid robot visited Poland’s parliament, spoke with politicians, climbed a mountain, waded into a lake and was even briefly detained by police after making a joke. In April, a video of Edward—wearing a backpack and Rolex while frightening away a wild boar in Warsaw—went viral worldwide. Today, he has more than 1 million followers and 4 billion views across social media.
In 2026, you have probably seen at least one humanoid robot influencer appearing in cities around the world. Rizzbot wears a cowboy hat and flirts with passersby on the streets of Austin. Bart Robot breakdanced with Knicks fans in New York after the team’s historic victory. Meanwhile, Brickell Clanker changes jerseys after every game and parties with World Cup fans.
Unless you look closely, you may not realize that these viral robots are all based on the same model. The Unitree G1 is one of the most widely available and affordable humanoid robots on the global market. Manufactured by Chinese robotics company Unitree, the G1 is roughly the size of a child, with a hollow face, a ring of blue lights and aluminum arms and legs. The robot has appeared on America’s Got Talent, performed kung fu, taken part in a boxing match, completed parkour, danced at a concert, run alongside children, attempted to cook, streamed with Kai Cenat, asked for money, gone on a date and even been ordained as a monk. Videos have also shown the Unitree G1 in Japan, South Korea and a mosque in Dubai.
An anonymous post on X even joked about the robot’s appearance: “This thing is shiny as hell!”
Unitree is expected to list on the Chinese stock market within approximately two weeks. The company’s financial disclosures highlight the growing demand for its products. Unlike many robotics companies whose machines remain in research laboratories, more than half of Unitree’s 2025 revenue came from humanoid robots sold to real customers. The company shipped 5,511 humanoid robots in 2025 at an average price below $25,000 each, while 43% of sales came from outside China. Unitree also became profitable for the first time last year.
“We tested several humanoid robots, and the G1 was ideal for our project,” Idzik says. “People often say China imitates other countries, but in humanoid robotics, other countries may need to imitate China.”
Despite its commercial success, Unitree and its robots continue to attract intense scrutiny. The G1 can entertain crowds, build online audiences and perform impressive stunts, but can it handle practical work that supports the economy—such as factory assembly, warehouse operations or household cleaning? The question remains: when will the Unitree G1 become a truly mainstream commercial robot?
Buying a Unitree G1 in America
Jake Cooperstein, a 24-year-old from Miami, was inspired by Edward Warczek and other humanoid robot influencers to create his own online character. In January, he visited the RobotShop warehouse in New York to test the Unitree G1. He was impressed by how easy the robot was to operate. The following day, he confirmed his order and paid the deposit.
On Unitree’s website, the basic G1 humanoid robot costs $13,500 before duties, shipping and taxes. U.S. distributors typically sell it for approximately $19,000. Cooperstein wanted a more capable version, however. The entry-level model does not include advanced components such as dexterous hands, and modifications are restricted. He chose the U5 variant, designed for educational customers, which offers additional components and greater customization for $66,000.
Source: www.wired.com