ROBO

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Unitree just unveiled the AS2-W, a wheeled-leg hybrid version of its AS2 quadruped robot. It combines articulated legs with wheels, letting it roll fast on flat ground and switch to walking to climb rocks, slopes, and stairs. The robot can clear obstacles up to 80cm high, handle 45 degree slopes, and climb 30cm steps, guided by a Bionic Embodied Large Model paired with reinforcement learning. At around 18kg, it carries a continuous payload of 16kg and covers more than 30km unloaded on a single charge, translating to over three hours of runtime. Loaded with more than 16kg, it still manages over two hours and 16km of range. Its unloaded top speed exceeds 6 meters per second, faster than the standard legged AS2, and it runs on 12 motors with an 8 core processor, Wi Fi 6, and optional LiDAR and camera systems. Unitree is positioning the AS2-W for industrial inspection, logistics, search and rescue, and cargo transport in terrain that stops wheeled vehicles. Some observers have also flagged potential dual use applications for rugged all terrain robots like this one, even as companies market them for civilian tasks. It reflects a broader shift in robotics toward hybrid mobility systems that no longer force a tradeoff between speed and rough terrain capability.