Armin Foshnaughski of Munro & Associates, Schaeffler’s Al Mackie and Paul, and Scott Walter of RoboStrategy discuss the Unitree G1’s design and humanoid robotics during a Munro teardown.
Al Mackie says Schaeffler sees humanoid robots as a response to labor shortages and a chance to apply its motors, gearboxes, sensors, bearings, controllers, and batteries. The company’s components could account for more than half the content in a humanoid, and it is adapting them for cost, performance, and production scale. Paul describes strain wave and planetary actuators designed for different needs, including low mass, thermal performance, and backdrivability.
The group compares a strain wave actuator with a two-stage planetary design. The strain wave unit is compact and offers a ratio near 100:1, but is difficult to drive backward; the planetary unit is heavier, has a ratio around 15:1, and can be backdriven. Unitree uses scaled versions of the planetary design across major joints, accepting some gear play while gaining torque transparency and easier control.
The G1’s motor design leaves room for improved copper windings that could reduce electrical resistance and heat. Many aluminum parts appear CNC-machined, and fasteners make assembly and repair straightforward; the panel sees these choices as ways to move quickly, change designs, and mature software before investing in casting tools. Cooling methods include heat pipes at high-duty joints, conduction through motor housings, and fans that route air around the hip actuators.
Scott Walter explains how remote tie rods and a rotary spherical universal arrangement move ankle motors higher in the leg, reducing mass at the foot while providing pitch and roll. The parallel linkage can make it difficult to infer joint forces from motor readings, and its exposed greased joints may need protection in dusty production environments. Capacitors along the motor power bus smooth voltage changes as motors alternate between driving and generating.
The panel contrasts rotary actuators with linear options such as ball screws and planetary roller screws. Linear designs can suit tight packaging or high-force applications, while ball screws favor efficiency and roller screws can deliver high force in a compact form. The speakers argue that automotive-style production thinking could reduce actuator costs substantially; one estimate suggests a path from about $1,000 to $100 per unit at scale.
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