Wild West Meets Wall E
The unofficially dubbed “Jake the Lisbot” is a robot that surprised locals in Texas and caught the attention of many online followers. This cowboy hat-wearing machine was reportedly pretty comfortable with popular slang and managed to make quite an impression in Austin last week.
Standing about child-sized, Jake is an AI-powered robot, complete with a faux cowboy hat and a shiny silver chain. He was spotted during training sessions in Austin, where he seemed eager to showcase his skills.
Jake tried his best at what can only be described as jogging and was filmed entertaining bystanders, firing off quips filled with trendy slang that drew laughter. Many people shared clips of his antics online.
He didn’t just roll through Austin; instead, he maneuvered with help from human operators, using wireless controllers. The robot is a product of Unitree Robotics, a company based in China.
Initially revealed in May, the Unitree G1 humanoid stands at 4 feet tall and weighs about 77 pounds. Although it’s marketed for approximately $16,000, the price can fluctuate.
According to the company’s website, this robot aims to serve as an “AI avatar,” evolving through deep reinforcement learning and simulated training. Jake is still in the learning phase, and while he might not be great at picking up dates at bars, he certainly caught the eye of locals enjoying their nightlife.
The person behind Jake took him for a test run, eager to display his innovative features, though the session ended before Jake’s battery did.
“Hey! My name is Jake, but I’m probably better known as Lisbot. It’s nice to meet you,” Jake cheerfully introduced himself, engaging those around him before diving into compliments for a passerby.
This included enthusiastic praises about appearances—a quirky touch that seemed to resonate well with the crowd.
As his video began to circulate online, many users were left astonished by his charm.
One viewer casually remarked, “Let’s stroll around the parking lot with Macy’s,” while another joked, “It’s all fun and games until the cowboy robot pulls out a machete.”
Even as Jake became a rapid microcelebrity online, he intriguing lacks an official social media presence. The identity of his owner remains a mystery, as does the reasoning behind his programming to compliment strangers.
