China’s Engine AI unveils world’s first humanoid robot that masters frontflip

Chinese robotics startup EngineAI claims its PM01 is the first humanoid robot to successfully perform a frontflip.

The Shenzhen-based startup shared footage of the robot completing the stunt, receiving applause from onlookers. The video ends with PM01 walking through the Shenzhen Tourist Information Center, with Engine AI stating that the robot is evolving daily.

Launched in December 2024, the PM01 is a smaller version of the SE01, Engine AI’s flagship humanoid known for its realistic walking gait.

The company gained global attention in October 2024 with a demo showcasing the SE01’s human-like movement.

Robotic flip evolution

Engine AI’s PM01 and SE01 humanoid robots are gaining attention for their advanced agility and capabilities.

The AI-powered robots are shown undergoing training, assisting police officers, and interacting with the public. Shenzhen’s police department is reportedly testing PM01 robots in a project integrating artificial intelligence with law enforcement, according to Chinese state media, reports Mikekalil.com.

Frontflips are notably harder than backflips for both humans and robots. Frontflips move weight forward, making balance control more challenging and landings more unstable than backflips, which preserve the center of mass alignment and enable stronger leg pushes and better mid-air adjustments.

The advantage of shorter humanoids, such as the PM01, is that their lower center of mass lowers the chance of tipping and requires less torque to rotate. Full-sized humanoids, on the other hand, require stronger joints to withstand the impact of the landing.

In November 2017, Atlas, a humanoid robot from Boston Dynamics, demonstrated remarkable balance, coordination, and control by being the first to execute a backflip.

In March 2024, Unitree’s H1 became the first fully electric humanoid to achieve a backflip. Later that year, an electric version of Atlas also performed a backflip in a holiday video released in December 2024.

According to Mikekalil.com, electric humanoids face greater challenges with backflips due to their motors producing less instantaneous power and torque compared to hydraulic systems.

Compact robot power

The PM01 is a small humanoid robot made for researchers who want to combine human and robotic abilities. It has a highly interactive core screen, a bionic design that replicates human movement, and an amazing 320-degree waist rotation. It is constructed with an exoskeleton made of aluminum alloy.

The PM01 is 27 centimeters shorter and 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms) lighter than ENGINEAI’s full-sized flagship, the SE01, with a height of 1.38 meters (4.5 feet) and a weight of 88 pounds (40 kilograms).

EngineAI’s video showcases the PM01’s sophisticated visual perception, which is made possible by its Intel RealSense depth camera. Its dual-chip design ensures high-performance computing for challenging workloads by combining the capabilities of NVIDIA Jetson Orin and Intel N97 CPUs.

In the short period, PM01 is establishing a niche for itself in the robotics industry as a rival to other small humanoids such as the Unitree G1 and Booster T1.

The PM01’s unique combination of capability and agility makes it stand out in the small humanoid market. At little under 1.2 meters, it is taller than the Booster T1 but shorter than the 1.3-meter Unitree G1.

The PM01 features 24 degrees of freedom (DoF), enabling smooth and dynamic movements. Its 12 DoF in joint motors provides superior flexibility, surpassing the T1’s 23 DoF and outperforming the base model of the G1. However, Unitree’s G1 can be configured with up to 43 DoF for enhanced motion capabilities.

Regarding speed, the PM01 matches the G1’s walking pace of 2 m/s (4.5 mph), faster than the T1’s 1.2 m/s. Despite their agility, both are outpaced by Unitree’s H1, which recently reached 3.3 m/s (7.5 mph) before being surpassed by Robot Era’s Star1.