Unitree G1 robot becomes viral influencer with 4B views

A Chinese-made Unitree G1 humanoid robot named Edward Warchocki has amassed more than 1 million followers and 4 billion views across social media as of August 14, 2026. Polish software developer Łukasz Idzik and his friend Radosław Grzelaczyk bought the robot and named it after Grzelaczyk’s dog Eddie and the Polish word for growling, “warczeć.”

Initially Edward could not speak and frightened people. After Idzik connected it to a large language model enabling live Polish conversations, the reaction shifted. The robot has visited the Polish parliament, hiked mountains, waded in a lake, been jokingly arrested by police, and in April 2026 went viral after chasing wild boars in Warsaw while wearing a backpack and a Rolex.

Idzik cofounded MERA Robotics with Grzelaczyk, which operates a fleet of 20 humanoid robots, mostly Unitree G1s. Some are deployed as influencers in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The Unitree G1 is one of the most available and affordable humanoid robots globally. Unitree’s website prices the base model at $13,500 before tariffs, shipping, and taxes; a US distributor lists it at about $19,000. A more customizable U5 variation costs $66,000. Unitree shipped 5,511 humanoids in 2025 at an average price under $25,000 each, with 43 percent of sales outside China. It became profitable for the first time in 2025 and is expected to list on the Chinese stock market in late August 2026.

Other Unitree G1 influencers include Rizzbot in Austin and Bart Robot in New York. In Miami, 24-year-old Jake Cooperstein operates Brickell Clanker and charges $800 to $1,200 per hour to bring the robot to parties, nightclubs, and corporate events. He also acquired a Unitree R1, a faster, lighter model at almost one-third the base price of the G1, naming it Lil Clanker.

Despite commercial success, doubts remain about whether the robots can perform traditional jobs such as assembly-line work or house cleaning. Operators teleoperate the robots most of the time because of safety concerns; the G1 ships with only about 20 gestures and 15 dance moves built in.

In July 2026, the US Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on new Chinese-made humanoid robots. Models such as the G1 and R1 that had already cleared approvals may still be allowed. Unitree did not respond to a request for comment.

Idzik says that while China is often seen as copying other countries, in humanoids “other people should copy China.” Unitree’s next-generation humanoids will not be sellable in the US under the new ban.