Unitree showed the R1, priced from 39,999 yuan (about $5,900), in videos doing cartwheels, running downhill and getting up quickly from the ground.

What it means

R1, from Unitree Robotics, is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history. This line rests on the company's own announcement; no regulator, customer or independent report confirms it in our sources yet.

Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.