Unitree Robotics, the furthest along among Chinese humanoid brands, offers its G1 humanoid commercially from about 16,000 dollars, a price point well below the full-size platforms from US-based manufacturers. Being able to simply buy a working humanoid, rather than negotiate a pilot, is unusual in an industry still dominated by limited trials.
The G1 is smaller and less capable than the largest research humanoids, but its availability and price make it accessible to universities, developers and small firms.
What it means: price and availability, not just capability, decide who gets to experiment. A comparatively affordable humanoid on open sale spreads hands-on access far wider than expensive pilots do, and that broad access is often what accelerates a whole field.