Humanoid robot shocks New Yorkers as it walks in public

It was spotted grabbing hot dogs, trying on sneakers and drawing attention in a bold promotional stunt, New York Post reported.

The robot, KOID, was unveiled last week by global asset management firm KraneShares, and cost an estimated US$100,000 to develop. It also made an appearance in June to ring the Nasdaq opening bell and launch the company’s Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF.

It marched down Fifth Avenue, posed for selfies and walked into a Hoka store, where surprised employees assisted it in trying on sneakers.

 

 

Humanoid robot shocks New Yorkers as it walks in public

Robot hình người Trung Quốc gây chú ý khi dạo phố tại Mỹ

Joseph Dube, head of marketing at KraneShares, said: "People were amazed. Some people were terrified. It was a major mixed bag of reactions."

Its videos quickly went viral, with some receiving over 100,000 likes. Content creator Ben Sweeny, the man behind the camera, filmed for the @NewYorkers social media account while interviewing people on the street.

Distributed by Long Island-based RoboStore, KOID runs on Stanford’s OpenMind software.

Founded in Hangzhou in 2016, Unitree has repeatedly impressed the public with its unique products, from a humanoid robot performing a scarf dance during China’s 2025 Lunar New Year Gala, to boxing robots and multi-terrain robot dogs capable of carrying people.

According to USA Today, the company’s G1 model was seen conversing in Gen Z slang on the streets of Texas, U.S., last month.

KOID promoting KraneShares' Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF. Photo by courtesy of LinkedIn/KraneShares

According to Dube, KOID was remote-controlled during the walk but is fully programmable and already in use at research labs and universities.

"At some point these robots will be so common that it’s not going to have the wow factor that it currently has. We’re definitely taking advantage of a moment in time."

U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts that the number of humanoid robots worldwide could reach 1 billion by 2050, with their annual sales fetching $5 trillion.