Isn't it nice to always have a lovely dog follow you around and respond when asked to sit down or shake hands? What if the dog has some unique skills, such as standing on one leg while resting on a piece of doufu without destroying it, or continuously making back turns? This would be even better.
In fact, a life-like robotic dog developed by Chinese tech company Xiaomi Corp seems like that special one. Weighing 8.9 kilogram, about the size of a Doberman, CyberDog 2 is the latest push by Xiaomi to popularize quadrupedal (四足动物) robotics.
With a black, fantastic, futuristic design, CyberDog 2 can trot along at speeds of 3.2 meters per second, analyze its surroundings in real-time, create navigation al maps, plot its destination, and avoid obstacles.
"Coupled with human posture and face recognition tracking, CyberDog is capable of following its owner and darting around barriers," said Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi. Behind such functions are Xiaomi's self-developed CyberGear Micro-actuator, which further enhances the robot's mobility and supports high difficulty movements. CyberDog 2 is equipped with a combination of sensing and decision-making system, offering 19 sensors for vision, touch and hearing. Lei said CyberDog 2 is designed more for engineers and robotic enthusiasts than ordinary consumers. It is priced at 12,999 yuan ($1,800) and greater efforts are needed to make it multifunctional.
Xiaomi is not alone in showing an interest in quadrupedal machines. US company Boston Dynamics had pioneered the quadrupedal format for robots. Last year, the company brought out Spot for $74,500and the robot has been put to a wide range of uses, from surveying dangerous mines to helping doctors connect with patients remotely. It has also been tested by both law enforcement and the military, though not as a weapon. Earlier this year, Chinese robotics firm Unitree also released a quadrupedal bot to popularize the machines.
