Robotics and Automation News
🤖 Did Walmart Briefly Sell a Humanoid Robot?
A circulating screenshot has fueled speculation that Walmart briefly listed the Unitree G1 humanoid robot on its website for $21,600. This has sparked a debate: was it a real retail moment or a clever PR stunt?
The Disappearing Listing
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The Claim: A photograph shared online showed a Walmart product page for the Unitree G1, a bipedal robot from the Chinese company Unitree.
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The Price: The alleged price was $21,600 with free shipping and a six-unit limit.
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The Evidence: The original news report from TechNode claimed to have seen the listing, but a check of the supposed URL now returns a "We couldn't find this page" message.
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The Clue: Crucially, the URL itself contained the words "Unitree G1 Basic," lending some credibility to the idea that something related to the robot was briefly there.
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Current Status: A search for "Unitree" on Walmart's site now yields no results. The only remaining "proof" is the handful of screenshots shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Why It’s a Big Deal
The question isn't whether the Unitree G1 is available—other sites sell it—but the potential significance of it appearing on Walmart's platform.
Walmart is the ultimate mainstream retailer. If genuine, this listing would be a watershed moment—the first time an ordinary consumer could purchase a walking humanoid robot from a major US store, moving the technology beyond research labs and trade shows and into consumer commerce.
In a world where robotics is still seen as industrial, this brief listing shifts the narrative to science fiction meeting the retail checkout line.
The Reality Check on the Robot
The Unitree G1 Basic, which sells for around $13,500 in China, is capable of walking and performing limited tasks. However, it is not a sophisticated, human-labor-replacing machine. Respected roboticists caution that the idea of humanoids soon performing dexterous human work is still a "pure fantasy."
For now, buyers would likely be early adopters, developers, or people simply looking for a high-tech prestige gadget or conversation piece, rather than a truly useful household assistant.
The Bigger Question
With the Walmart page vanished and no official statement, the story remains inconclusive. However, the fact that a screenshot could generate so much buzz shows the cultural shift: humanoid robots are now part of the mainstream consumer conversation.
Whether genuine or a stunt, the incident forces the question: Are humanoid robots about to cross the line from research prototype to everyday consumer life?
