Robot maker deepens European presence

Key advantages

Kottlarz said the company has been successful in Europe because it has offered exactly what the customer wants.

"I think the biggest advantage is the combination of quality, technology, and affordability," he said, noting that while German engineering has traditionally set global standards, Chinese robotics companies have advanced rapidly.

"Traditionally, German products were considered the benchmark for quality," he said. "But in robotics, Chinese manufacturers have improved tremendously over the past few years. Unitree products are extremely well engineered, reliable, and durable."

He also pointed to the company's actuator systems as a core technical strength, saying: "Their actuators use sophisticated planetary gear systems that provide high torque while remaining back-drivable. This is why Unitree robots can run quickly, perform backflips, and execute highly dynamic movements."

He added that the torque-to-weight ratio of its robots "is outstanding".

Reliability, he said, is another distinguishing factor.

"Compared with many other manufacturers, we receive very few robots for repair," he said. "Most Unitree robots continue operating for years, even when customers push them to their limits."

At MyBotShop, mechanical engineer Erik Butterhoff handles both customization and repair.

"Here, we develop custom hardware solutions for customers using robots, including Unitree platforms," he said.

His work includes integrating robotic parts and specialized components tailored to customer requirements, such as legs and arms that have special uses.

And his work also, naturally, includes repairing robots, Butterhoff said, if a customer damages a robot by, for example, breaking a leg.

Some cases reflect extreme usage conditions.

He said customers sometimes ship them a robot that has a leg hanging loose because it has fallen from a great height.

"You generally have to be quite rough with these robots before something actually breaks," he said proudly.

He added that software will define the next stage of robotics development.

"From a hardware perspective, the technology is already very mature," he said. "The next big step is software. As vision-language-action models improve, robots will become more capable of understanding and interacting with their environment."

Butterhoff believes humanoid robots will eventually enter households and become part of daily life.