On September 12, according to the Shanghai Securities News, the "Superstar Dog," jointly developed by Super Star Culture and Unitree Robotics, will make its public debut at the flower float parade during the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Tourism Festival on September 13.

The video shows that the "Superstar Dog" possesses certain companionship and social attributes. In terms of appearance, it features a puppy-like design with a light overall color scheme, primarily white and orange-yellow, complemented by soft lines that give it a very approachable look.

Its detailed design is also quite exquisite, with drooping ears, black goggles, and a silver collar, giving it a strong trendy toy IP vibe. Additionally, the "Superstar Dog" demonstrated actions such as swaying its hips and jumping up and down, appearing just as cute as a pet dog that knows how to act adorable.

More specific details about the "Superstar Dog" have not yet been released, but from the available information, it is evident that Unitree is once again intensifying its efforts in the consumer-grade quadruped robot market.

Unitree Reintensifies Efforts in Consumer-Grade Quadruped Robots

Since its founding in 2016, Unitree Robotics initially focused on quadruped robots, which remain the company's primary revenue source. Data previously released by Unitree showed that in 2024, quadruped robots accounted for 65% of the company's revenue, holding an absolute advantage. According to data from the Gao Gong Robot Industry Research Institute, Unitree's annual sales of quadruped robots reached 23,700 units in 2024.

In terms of product structure for quadruped robots, prior to the "Superstar Dog," Unitree's offerings were mainly divided into two categories: industrial-grade and consumer-grade. For the former, Unitree has multiple products such as the B1, B2, and A2, suitable for industrial applications. For the latter, products like the Go1 and Go2 serve a companion role.

This "Superstar Dog," jointly developed by Unitree Robotics and Superstar Legend, is another major achievement by Unitree in companion quadruped robots. Previously, Unitree already had quadruped robots like the Go1 and Go2, which achieved good sales on platforms such as JD.com.

Unitree is already a leader in the quadruped robot industry. Why did they team up with Superstar Legend to create this "Superstar Dog"?

Looking at specific products, among Unitree's consumer-grade quadruped robots like the Go1 and Go2, their appearance still retains a strong mechanical feel and cold metallic texture. They lack a product with a more cute design in the consumer-grade quadruped robot segment.

To better penetrate the consumer market, products with greater consumer vitality and a broader target audience are essential. Therefore, the birth of the "Superstar Dog" was inevitable.

Moreover, according to data released by IDC in June this year, the global quadruped robot market size exceeded $180 million in 2024. Consumer-grade quadruped robots dominated shipments, accounting for 72.1% of total market shipments. This indicates that both the market size and shipment volume of consumer-grade quadruped robots are substantial, making it highly necessary for Unitree to timely supplement its product line in this sector.

When a Robot Dog Gets an IP

In its push into the consumer-grade quadruped robot market, Unitree Robotics has chosen IP as its breakthrough point. Star Century's main business is IP creation and operation alongside new retail. In 2019, it launched 'Classmate Zhou,' an IP created for Jay Chou, and has continued to invest heavily in the IP sector since then.

Actually, on July 30, Star Century announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xingchuangyi Entertainment Co., Ltd., had signed a cooperation agreement with Hangzhou Unitree Robotics. The group and Unitree will become strategic partners globally, starting with collaboration in the development and commercialization of quadruped robot dogs/robots with companionship and social attributes, jointly creating consumer-grade robot products with strong IP characteristics.

Regarding the cooperation model, Star Century stated that the group will be responsible for core IP planning, design, AI interaction for the cooperative products, and will lead global marketing strategies. Unitree Robotics will handle technology, hardware R&D, production, and related application software development. Both parties will jointly be responsible for promoting the cooperative products and channel sales.

The announcement reveals that the consumer-grade robot product co-created by the two will have 'strong IP attributes.' With the penetration rate of consumer-grade quadruped robots currently being extremely low, whoever creates a phenomenal hit will have the opportunity to seize the market first.

The previous viral success of Labubu has already shown us the potential of the IP economy. When quadruped robots are combined with IP, the entire consumer-grade quadruped robot track may undergo a reshuffle.