The Chinese company Unitree Robotics announced the launch of a new quadruped called As2, a robot dog designed not only for technological demonstrations, but for real industrial tasks and the specifications show exactly that intention, it can carry up to 15 kg of load, operate for more than 4 continuous hours, travel more than 13 km in a single mission and has P54 certification, which means it can work in external environments with dust, humidity and light rain.

In other words, it wasn't just designed for the lab, it was designed for the real world. The As2 also has a maximum torque of 90 Nm at the joints, allowing it to maintain stability even when carrying tools, equipment or sensors on uneven terrain. Perhaps the most interesting detail is in Unitree's strategy. The company announced that the robot will have an open platform for development, allowing companies and developers to adapt different types of work.

This means that the As2 can be used in industrial inspection, infrastructure monitoring, transportation of tools on construction sites, security patrolling and rescue operations and there is another curious detail in that competition, with a load capacity of 15 kg, the new Unitree robot slightly exceeds the 14 kg limit of the famous Boston Dynamics spot, one of the best-known quadrupeds in the world.

This type of comparison shows that the race for industrial quadruped theft is becoming increasingly competitive. Unitree's strategy seems clear, instead of selling a few extremely expensive machines, it tries to make this technology more accessible and scalable for the market. If that happens, machines that today seem too advanced could become common in construction sites, factories and logistics centers.