Xpeng Robotics has secured $100 million to bring its first home robots to market within the next two years. First, Xpeng will release… a robot pony!
Xpeng Robotics is affiliated with Chinese electric vehicle company Xpeng Motors.
The first robot pony… that you can ride
The robot pony is a quadruped, with the appearance of a sophisticated children’s toy. His legs are jointed, allowing him to trot on diagonals like a horse. Rather solid, it can transport a child or deliver packages. If it can interact and be ridden by children, the brand announces that an adult cannot ride it.
This four-legged robot navigates autonomously thanks to LiDAR sensors and cameras: it can therefore follow a target, avoid obstacles and take cognizance of the surroundings. These functions were developed by Xpeng Motors’ company, Pengxing Intelligence. If it does not seem designed at first glance to amuse our toddlers, the robot-pony mainly shows the progress of the industry in terms of AI and materials.
An emotional intelligence robot?
The robot displays a face and incorporates intelligent functions that allow it to have facial expressions. Thanks to his computer, he can respond to a voice command in addition to his touch screen. According to the brand, he would therefore be capable of emotional interactions, of reading the body language of his interlocutors and of adapting to it.
Pengxing Intelligence has been around since 2016, and is one of China’s leaders in the development of standing robots. The company has already accumulated a number of key patents in industry research and development.
Xpeng Robotics will dedicate these 100 million dollars to R&D in robotics, the recruitment of qualified personnel and the development of its products. Xpeng Motors is focused on increasing sales of its electric vehicles in China and abroad.
On the same subject :
Towards more human robots: Japanese scientists develop almost human-like, self-repairing skin
Sources: Panda Daily, TechCrunch
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