On 9 July 2026, the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) organised a hands-on assembly and live demonstration session featuring the Unitree R1 humanoid robot. Professor Xu Guandong, Assistant Vice President (Artificial Intelligence and Education Innovation), and Dr Fu Hong, Associate Director of LTTC, along with LTTC colleagues, joined this session to assemble and operate the advanced robotic platform. 

The Unitree R1 is a lightweight humanoid robot, standing approximately 123 cm tall and weighing about 29 kg, with 20–26 degrees of freedom. It features binocular stereo cameras, a 4-microphone array, and support for multimodal large language models (LLMs), making it suitable for agile movements and secondary development for educational applications. As part of LTTC’s Robotic and Embodied Intelligence (REI) Lab resources, the R1 robot offers advanced capabilities and complements other robotic platforms, such as the Unitree Go2 robotic dog. 

During the activity, Dr Fu and colleagues actively assembled the robot, gaining valuable insights into its mechanical structure, joint configurations, sensor integrations, and software setup. This was followed by demonstrations of its mobility, balance, and interaction features. Afterwards, Professor Xu and colleagues engaged the robot in voice conversations and controlled it to perform physical gestures, several dance routines, and Chinese Kung Fu demonstrations. The activities highlighted its potential for use in STEM education, explorations of embodied AI, and integration into authentic classrooms.  

The session aligns with LTTC’s commitment to advancing robotics and AI technologies to enhance learning and teaching. It builds on previous initiatives, including robotics workshops and demonstrations for educational stakeholders, further strengthening LTTC’s capacity to develop innovative educational applications involving humanoid and embodied AI technologies. The hands-on experience also equips the team with practical skills in cutting-edge EdTech, opening avenues for future workshops, projects, and the integration of humanoid robots into pedagogical practices. 

Professor Xu Guandong, Assistant Vice President (Artificial Intelligence and Education Innovation), discussing the robot’s functions with LTTC colleagues and using a controller to control the Unitree R1 robot’s behaviour and movements.

Dr Fu Hong, Associate Director of LTTC, and LTTC colleagues exploring the configuration of the Unitree R1 robot

The Unitree R1 robot performing Chinese Kung Fu