CyberDog is a new threatening-looking robot from Xiaomi

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi has unveiled a four-legged robot named CyberDog: an open-source experimental machine which, according to the firm, “harbors unsuspected possibilities”.

CyberDog is the latest example of tech companies adopting the quadrupedal form factor in robotics. The most notable example of the trend is Spot, a machine built by the American company Boston Dynamics. Spot went on sale last year for $ 74,500 and has been used for a range of uses, from investigating dangerous mines to helping doctors connect with patients remotely. It has also been tested by law enforcement and the military, but not as a weapon.

It is unclear what purpose Xiaomi envisions for CyberDog. In a press release, the company pointed out the open source nature of the machine’s design and that it would initially only release 1,000 units for “Xiaomi fans, engineers and robotics enthusiasts.” The company says it hopes these early adopters “will propel the development and potential of quadrupedal robots” and sets a price for the robot to sell. The first 1,000 units will only cost 9,999 yuan, or about $ 1,540 (although it is not clear if that price will be the same for future versions).

The same press release highlights CyberDog’s “pet nature”, including its ability to respond to voice commands and follow its owner like a real dog. Looking at CyberDog’s photos, however, it’s clear that Xiaomi doesn’t present the machine as a rival to Aibo, Sony’s own canine robot. While Aibo is small and cute, CyberDog is sleek and futuristic – even a little menacing. Renderings of the machine make her look like the protagonist of a sci-fi TV show, pacing the stairs and silhouetted in doorways. Inevitable comparisons with Black mirror‘S episode “Metalhead” will be done, as they always are.

Grid view

Xiaomi says CyberDog is agile enough to perform backflips, can trot at speeds of 3.2m / s (vs. 3.9m / s for Spot), and weighs 3kg (vs. 5.2kg for Spot). CyberDog is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier AI platform and is equipped with a set of cameras and sensors. These include touch sensors, a GPS module, an ultra-wide-angle fisheye lens, and Intel’s RealSense D450 camera for depth detection. These components allow the robot to navigate semi-autonomously.

“CyberDog can analyze its environment in real time, create navigation maps, plot its destination and avoid obstacles. Coupled with human posture and facial recognition tracking, CyberDog is able to follow its owner and bypass obstacles, ”explains Xiaomi. The machine can also respond to voice commands, including recognizing wake-up words and instructions, or it can be controlled using a connected smartphone app.

CyberDog also has three USB-C ports and one HDMI port, which Xiaomi says can be used to customize its hardware. The company suggests that lidar sensors, panoramic cameras and projectors could all be added to the robot.

Image: Xiaomi

The release of CyberDog by Xiaomi is very interesting, but not necessarily as a product in its own right. Instead, it says a lot about the current robotic landscape and the accessibility of this technology.

Boston Dynamics popularized the quadruped format for robots, and companies around the world are now exploring exactly how and where these machines can be deployed efficiently. The price of this hardware has come down, however, allowing new use cases to be explored. Earlier this year, Chinese robotics company Unitree released a quadrupedal bot that costs just $ 2,700, and Xiaomi’s own CyberDog slashes that figure again. Obviously, the capacity of these machines will not be the same, but wider access to technology will show whether it is worth pursuing these companies.