Everest may get a new explorer: Nepal considers robot summit attempt

Nepal is exploring the possibility of deploying a Chinese humanoid robot, dubbed Pemba, on an expedition up Mount Everest. This groundbreaking proposal aims to test the capabilities of advanced robotics in one of Earth's most hostile environments while simultaneously addressing pressing environmental concerns on the world's highest peak. The initiative, spearheaded by a U.S.-registered non-profit and a Nepali expedition company, seeks official permission to use the robot for research purposes.

The robot, a modified version of the Unitree G1, stands about 1.3 meters tall and boasts numerous joints enabling it to walk, balance, climb, and manipulate objects. Valued at approximately $80,000, Pemba has already demonstrated its prowess by becoming the first humanoid robot to summit Ecuador's Chimborazo, a mountain exceeding 6,000 meters, in early June.

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The highest mountains on the planet are the most demanding testbed there is: unstable terrain, extreme cold, limited communications, scarce energy. If a humanoid works there, it works almost anywhere.

Engineers involved in the project highlight Everest's extreme conditions, unstable terrain, severe cold, limited communication, and scarce energy, as the ultimate testbed for robotic technology. "If a humanoid works there, it works almost anywhere," stated Pablo Berlanga, founder of Geologic Dome, one of the driving companies behind the initiative.

The plan involves expedition members transporting Pemba in sections and reassembling it at various points between base camp (5,364 meters) and Camp IV (7,920 meters). A key objective is for Pemba to use its mechanical hands to collect small pieces of trash, a persistent problem on Everest despite ongoing cleanup efforts. The project underscores the potential for robots to operate autonomously in remote areas, offering a scalable solution for monitoring and environmental management in challenging terrains like jungles, deserts, and high mountains where human presence is limited.

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The places we most need to monitor, jungles, deserts, high mountains, are precisely where there is no connectivity, no energy, nor sustainable human presence. Building robots capable of operating autonomously in those environments is the only way to cover them at scale.