Unitree Z1 Motor

Most robotic arm projects budget carefully for software, sensors and grippers, then discover that what decides whether the arm is working next week is a single joint. A spare actuator on the shelf turns a failed joint from a stalled project into an afternoon of maintenance. A well-chosen actuator in a custom build turns a sketch into a manipulator that can sense what it touches. The Unitree Z1 Motor serves both purposes. It is the joint module listed for the Z1 Air robotic arm, and it combines a harmonic reducer, a cross roller bearing and two-way torque, angle and velocity data in one compact housing.

Robots Middle East supplies the Unitree Z1 Motor to universities, research laboratories, system integrators and industrial engineering teams across the Middle East. Every order begins with a quotation prepared by Robots Middle East, which then arranges delivery to your site and provides technical support once the motor arrives. This applies whether the motor is destined for an existing Z1 Air arm or for a joint of your own design.

Background

Unitree Robotics and the Z1 arm family

Unitree Robotics is best known for its legged robots, the quadrupeds and humanoids that have become familiar platforms in research laboratories, inspection projects and engineering education. The Z1 family extends that work into manipulation. The sources name two versions of the arm, the Z1 Air and the Z1 Pro. The Z1 Motor is listed as the Z1 Air Motor, the actuator that forms the joints of the Z1 Air robotic arm. Buying the motor on its own therefore gives you the same building block that Unitree uses in that arm, without the rest of the structure.

A joint built around harmonic reduction

The Z1 Motor pairs a harmonic reducer with an industrial grade cross roller bearing. Harmonic reducers are widely used in robot arms because they deliver a high reduction in a short, light package with very little play between input and output. Cross roller bearings are chosen for joints because a single bearing can carry radial, axial and tilting loads, which keeps the joint stiff when the arm is extended. Around this mechanical core, Unitree has placed an encoder, closed-loop control and a serial interface. The result is a self-contained actuator rather than a bare motor that still needs a gearbox and a driver.

Technical Specifications

Specifications are as published by the manufacturer and are confirmed against the datasheet at quotation.

The manufacturer has not published the rated torque, rated speed, peak power, operating temperature, IP rating, motor type, supply current or mounting dimensions of the Z1 Motor; Robots Middle East confirms these details at quotation.

What makes the Unitree Z1 Motor suited to force-controlled manipulation?

A position-only servo moves to where it is told and resists anything in its way. That suits pick-and-place work in a fenced cell, but it is a poor fit for arms that share space with people or touch delicate objects. The Z1 Motor takes a different approach. It accepts commands in torque, angle and angular velocity, and it also accepts stiffness and damping. These last two parameters let a controller decide how springy or how firm the joint should feel. The same joint can be set rigid for a precise placement and then made compliant for a contact task, without any change to the hardware.

The feedback runs in the same terms. The motor reports torque, angle and angular velocity, so the controller always knows what the joint is doing as well as what it was asked to do. With a control frequency of 1KHz, a 15bit encoder and a force control accuracy of ～0.2N·m, the joint gives researchers enough resolution to work on impedance control, collision detection, hand guiding and learning from demonstration. Its backlash of ～6 arcmin keeps the gap between commanded and actual position small. That matters when an arm is expected to return to a taught point repeatedly.

How does the Z1 Motor fit into an existing control system?

Integration starts with the interface. The Z1 Motor communicates over RS 485, a robust serial bus that is long established in industrial automation and supported by a wide range of controllers and adapters. The recommended supply is 24V, a common voltage on mobile robots, laboratory benches and machine control cabinets. Because the reduction ratio is 60+, the output delivers the torque an arm joint needs while the motor itself stays compact. At 405g and Φ65*52mm, the module is light enough to sit near the end of a manipulator, where every gram adds to the load on the joints behind it.

Because reduction, bearing, sensing and control are already combined in the housing, the mechanical design work shifts from building a drive train to designing the bracket and the links between joints. The engineering team at Robots Middle East can discuss your bracket, power budget and duty cycle with you while your drawings take shape.

Who is the Unitree Z1 Motor for?

The most direct buyers are owners of a Z1 Air arm who want a replacement joint or a spare held in reserve. In a teaching laboratory or a research group that runs experiments on a fixed timetable, a spare actuator is a modest purchase that protects a much larger investment in time.

The second group builds its own hardware. University teams developing custom manipulators, legged robot add-ons or rehabilitation devices often look for an actuator that already combines reduction, sensing and control. The Z1 Motor gives them that in a single unit. System integrators fall in the same group when they need a compact torque-controlled joint for a bespoke fixture or test rig.

Buyers who want a finished manipulator rather than a component are better served by the complete arm. The Unitree Z1 Air Robot Arm (Z1-AIR) is the arm in which this motor is listed. Teams comparing configurations can also review the Unitree Z1 Pro Robot Arm (Z1-Pro), the other version the sources name. Robots Middle East can advise on which route suits your project.

What is the Unitree Z1 Motor used for?

1. Spare joints for the Z1 Air – keeping a replacement actuator on hand shortens downtime when an arm joint needs service.
2. Custom manipulator design – a self-contained joint with feedback lets engineers focus on kinematics and structure rather than drive electronics.
3. Compliant control research – stiffness and damping commands support studies in impedance and admittance control.
4. Human–robot interaction – torque feedback is the basis for collision detection and hand-guided teaching in shared workspaces.
5. Robotics teaching – students can observe torque, angle and velocity directly while they learn closed-loop control.
6. Test rigs and fixtures – an RS 485 actuator with torque sensing fits laboratory benches that load, rotate or probe a specimen.

Pricing and Availability

Robots Middle East supplies the Unitree Z1 Motor on a quotation basis, so each offer reflects the quantity, the configuration and the destination you specify. Delivery, customs and support are arranged together with your quotation. If you are ordering spares for an existing arm, please mention the arm version so that the team can identify the correct part. If you are designing a new joint, please share your integration requirements so that the offer matches your project. To begin, request your quotation using the enquiry options available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which arm uses the Unitree Z1 Motor?

The Z1 Motor is listed as the Z1 Air Motor, the actuator used in the Z1 Air robotic arm.

What is the maximum torque of the Z1 Motor?

The maximum torque is 33N·m. The motor reaches it through a harmonic reducer with a reduction ratio of 60+.

How does the motor communicate with a controller?

The motor communicates over RS 485. It returns torque, angle and angular velocity feedback and runs its control at 1KHz.

What supply voltage does the Z1 Motor need?

Unitree recommends 24V for the Z1 Motor, a common supply on mobile robots, laboratory benches and control cabinets.

Can the motor be used in a joint of my own design?

The Z1 Motor combines reduction, bearing, encoder and control in one unit, which makes it a practical candidate for custom joints. At 405g and Φ65*52mm, it suits compact designs where weight near the end of the arm matters.

How precise is the Z1 Motor?

The motor has a backlash of ～6 arcmin, a 15bit encoder and a force control accuracy of ～0.2N·m. Together these support repeatable positioning and fine force control.

Where can I buy the Unitree Z1 Motor and what does it cost?

You can buy the Unitree Z1 Motor from Robots Middle East, which supplies it across the Middle East. The cost depends on quantity, configuration and destination, and is set out in a personal quotation that you can request from this page.

Summary

The joint is the part of a robotic arm that is easiest to overlook and hardest to do without. The Unitree Z1 Motor addresses that point directly. It combines a harmonic reducer and a cross roller bearing with two-way torque, angle and velocity data, and it can be commanded in stiffness and damping as well as position. It keeps a Z1 Air arm running and gives custom designs a joint that can sense contact. Robots Middle East quotes, delivers and supports it across the region. Whether you need a spare joint or the foundation for a new design, this page is the starting point.