Unitree G1 EDU Buyer’s Guide: U2–U8 Models, Hands & Prices
Choosing a Unitree G1 EDU starts with two decisions: the robot body configuration and the hands your project needs. This guide compares U2 through U8, from the 29-DOF EDU Plus platform to three-finger and five-finger dexterous hand packages.
1. Choose the configuration for your project
- Locomotion, whole-body control or teaching without hand manipulation: U2 provides a 29-DOF body with 7 DOF per arm and 3 DOF at the waist. It does not include dexterous hands.
- Three-finger grasping and force-control research: compare U3 and U4. Both use two Unitree Dex3-1 hands; U4 explicitly includes tactile sensing.
- Five-finger manipulation with Inspire hands: compare U5 with RH56DFQ hands and U6 with E2-series tactile hands.
- Five-finger manipulation with BrainCo hands: compare U7 with Revo 2 Basic and U8 with Revo 2 Touch.
The hand family should match your intended objects, control workflow and feedback requirements. A higher model number alone does not tell you which configuration best fits your research.
2. G1 EDU U2–U8 model and price comparison
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| Model | Included dexterous hands | Tactile configuration | Total DOF | MSRP (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U2 · EDU Plus | No dexterous hands | — | 29 | $53,900 |
| U3 · Ultimate A | 2 × Unitree Dex3-1, 3-finger force-controlled hands | Not specified in this configuration | 43 | $65,900 |
| U4 · Ultimate B | 2 × Unitree Dex3-1, 3-finger force-controlled hands | Tactile sensing | 43 | $67,900 |
| U5 · Ultimate C | 2 × Inspire RH56DFQ-2R / RH56DFQ-2L, 5-finger hands | Not specified in this configuration | 41 | $67,900 |
| U6 · Ultimate D | 2 × Inspire E2 series, 5-finger hands | 17 tactile sensors per hand | 41 | $73,900 |
| U7 · Ultimate E | 2 × BrainCo Revo 2 Basic, 5-finger hands | Not specified in this configuration | 41 | $63,900 |
| U8 · Ultimate F | 2 × BrainCo Revo 2 Touch, 5-finger hands | Pressure, friction, direction and proximity | 41 | $67,900 |
Pricing: October 2026 MSRP in USD. These reference prices are not a final delivered quotation. Ask K-Robotics for current availability, education pricing, included accessories, warranty and delivery terms.
“Not specified” means tactile sensing is not listed for that package in the current configuration reference. It should not be interpreted as a claim that the hand provides no force feedback or other sensing.
3. Robot body DOF and hand DOF are different
U2 has 29 body DOF: 12 across the legs, 14 across the two arms and 3 at the waist. The U3–U8 packages build on this body configuration and add different hand systems.
The configuration totals are 43 DOF for U3/U4 and 41 DOF for U5–U8. These totals include the hands using the package’s joint-counting convention. They do not mean that a 43-DOF package has a more advanced robot body than a 41-DOF package.
Hand specifications may distinguish actively controlled joints from mechanically coupled finger motion. Compare the hand’s control interfaces, feedback and grasping requirements as well as its DOF count.
4. Understand the three hand families
Unitree · U3 / U4
Both packages include two Dex3-1 three-finger force-controlled hands. U4 adds an explicitly listed tactile-sensing configuration.
Evaluate this family when your project centers on three-finger grasping, force control and contact interaction.
Inspire · U5 / U6
U5 includes RH56DFQ-2R / RH56DFQ-2L five-finger hands. U6 includes Inspire E2-series five-finger hands with 17 tactile sensors per hand.
Specify the exact hand model and tactile package in the quote, particularly when comparing older RH56-series listings with current E2-series configurations.
BrainCo · U7 / U8
U7 includes Revo 2 Basic hands. U8 includes Revo 2 Touch hands, with tactile perception covering pressure, friction, direction and proximity.
Evaluate U8 when your manipulation experiments require the listed tactile feedback in addition to five-finger motion.
Tactile sensing and force control describe different capabilities. Confirm which signals your software can read and command, together with the hand SDK, communication interface and integration support.
5. G1 Basic, EDU Standard and EDU Plus
G1 Basic is the non-development version in Unitree’s standard comparison. If your project requires secondary development, evaluate G1 EDU and confirm the required interfaces before ordering.
G1 EDU Standard (U1) is the lower-joint-count EDU configuration. This guide focuses on U2–U8. U2 upgrades the waist from 1 to 3 DOF and each arm from 5 to 7 DOF, giving a 29-DOF body.
The October 2026 U2–U8 configuration lineup includes a 100 TOPS development computing unit and support for high-level and low-level secondary development. Confirm the exact computing module, installed software and interfaces in your quotation; Unitree’s general product page also describes configurable computing options.
G1 EDU is a research and development platform. A hand package does not, by itself, provide a finished autonomous manipulation application. Grasping policies, task behaviors and integrations depend on your development work.
General manufacturer references: Unitree G1 specifications and Unitree development documentation. The U2–U8 table above describes the specific packages rather than every possible G1 configuration.
6. Questions to settle before ordering
- Research scope: locomotion, teaching, perception, manipulation or a combination?
- Development access: which control commands, joint states and sensor streams does your project require?
- Hands: three or five fingers, which brand, and what tactile or force feedback?
- Computing and integration: what module, software environment and hand SDK will your team use?
- Purchase package: which battery, charger, controller, support equipment, training and warranty are included?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need dexterous hands to start G1 research?
No. U2 is a useful starting point when your work does not require actuated fingers. Select a hand package when manipulation is part of the project scope.
Is U8 simply a higher specification than U6?
They use different hand systems: Inspire E2 for U6 and BrainCo Revo 2 Touch for U8. Choose by the feedback, software interfaces and mechanical requirements of your application.
Does every five-finger package include tactile sensing?
No blanket assumption should be made. U6 and U8 explicitly list tactile configurations. U5 and U7 should be checked against the exact quoted hand package.
Why are there no fixed G1 Basic or U1 prices here?
This guide’s current price comparison focuses on U2–U8. Ask for a quote if you are evaluating Basic, U1 or another configuration.
Find the right G1 EDU configuration
K-Robotics is the official distributor of Unitree Robotics in the United States. Share your research goals, required interfaces, preferred hand system and delivery timeline so we can recommend a suitable configuration.
For universities and institutions, we support purchase orders, W-9 documentation and education-pricing inquiries. Request a written quotation covering the robot, computing module, hands, accessories, training, warranty and delivered cost.