Man in Motion Capture Suit Learns Painful Lesson in Robot Control, Thanks to a Unitree G1

Humanoid robots from companies like Unitree rely on human operators to accomplish a variety of sophisticated tasks. The operator must wear a full-body motion capture suit with sensors all over it that monitor how you move, every shift in posture, and every movement of your limbs, and this data is transferred to the robot in real time. The robot then simply replicates the operator’s actions because it is a direct mirror.

Some people have a knack for causing trouble, even when they’re just showing off for a demo. A man in what appears to be an XSENS motion capture suit recently discovered the hard way why angles and direction are important in this entire setup. During a recent demonstration in front of a Unitree G1 humanoid, he attempted to demonstrate some martial arts movements. He prepared to kick the robot in the lower body by raising his leg.

Because the control mechanism mimics what the human does to the letter, the robot chose to elevate its own leg. They were each standing in the same direction, looking forward. The operator’s kick never reached the robot; instead, his foot soared up in the air and smashed into his own crotch.

The poor fella collapsed like a ton of bricks, slumped over, holding his stomach, his face twisted in anguish. The throng behind him burst out laughing. The whole event became an immediate comedic phenomenon online. While he was kneeling down to recover, the robot bowed forward and replicated his precise posture. That only added insult to injury, as if the robot was feeling the pain.

These exercises are a common element of robot training, allowing them to learn new capabilities such as combat positions or rapid recoveries. But they usually go off without a hitch. This one, however, stood out for a simple reason: when you and the machine are looking at things from the same perspective, aggressive actions can backfire on you. The operator slowly straightened up, still looking sore and most likely nursing a bruise on his pride. Meanwhile, the robot waited calmly waiting for the next command.
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