Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Not Humanoids, But Robotic Dogs Are the Most Important Testing Ground for Embodied AI

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Are four-legged robots the better choice? At the "Robot Dog Olympics" held in Hangzhou, the impressive agility and strength of this new species called "quadruped" in the robotics ecosystem was on display.

At the "International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems" (IROS) in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, what was likely the world's toughest obstacle course for robotic dogs was set up. Steps and entire staircases, K-rails, pallet stacks, and ramps had to be conquered. All of this earned the event its unofficial Olympic nickname.

This year, the spectacle in which seven teams from top universities raced four-legged robots of all kinds across this diverse course took place against an interesting backdrop. While humanoids, the human-like two-legged robots, still attract by far the most media attention, more and more Chinese manufacturers are shifting their research budgets toward quadrupeds.

Bipeds vs. Quadrupeds

Just because nature has equipped humans with two legs doesn't mean this design is the best for deploying robots in all kinds of scenarios. From mountain rescue to delivering packages to sorting heavy components in warehouses, other designs could prove more effective.

In China, a growing number of start-ups and manufacturers are enthusiastically diving into the young market of mechanical dogs, whose abilities have become increasingly astonishing thanks to advances in AI. Robot dogs are currently described as "the most advanced general-purpose robots of today," according to a recently published report by Semianalysis. Furthermore, it is China that has now taken the technological lead in this field, not the USA, writes the American news agency Bloomberg.

Bello in First Place

A vivid example is the winner of this year's "Robot Dog Olympics," the four-legged robotic dog L1 by GENISOM AI, a company from Suzhou near Shanghai. Weighing only 15 kilograms, it's akin to a lapdog among the up to 50-kilogram robotic mastiffs (~110.23 pounds) it had to compete against. Yet, it is smart.

With AI computing power of 100 TOPS from Nvidia chips and equipped with a Mid360 lidar from Livox as well as several other sensors and cameras, the L1 was able to effortlessly detect all obstacles and decide almost in real-time on its respective response. The joint modules of the AI dog—and what they enabled it to do—also thrilled the assembled experts in Hangzhou with a level of excitement that, at actual Olympic Games, would have prompted cameras to pan to the audience. Having entered the competition as a clear underdog, the robot dog fought its way through all preliminary and intermediate rounds to reach the final, where it ultimately won the entire competition.

"The result shows that in the age of intelligent algorithms, precisely engineered technology and good design can outperform greater mass and brute force," writes the online portal Rexun Wang. Many spectators had expected that a robot dog from "Unitree Technology Co." would win the gold medal. The company from Hangzhou is currently riding a unique wave of commercial success since it staged a ballet of humanoids on state television for the Spring Festival. It has just unveiled a new bionic humanoid whose face resembles a human's in an almost eerily realistic way.

Unitree's IPO

Unitree is currently preparing for a mega-IPO that could take place in just a few weeks, with the company potentially valued at seven billion US dollars. In the meantime, it has already captured 70 percent of the global market for four-legged robots. The heart of young Unitree founder Wang Xinxing had already been set on robot dogs, rather than humanoids, back when he was a student working on his first prototypes.

In a video that Unitree released on YouTube this August during the launch of its new robot dog, the Unitree A2 delivers an incredibly dynamic performance. The quadruped bursts straight through a glass pane, shattering it into thousands of shards, then proceeds to perform several backflips completely unfazed, dancing alternately on two or even one of its four legs. After that, it climbs mountains at a crazy speed or hurls itself down steep slopes without sustaining a single scratch.

Spot, the robot dog from Boston Dynamics in the USA, was invented before the first robot of its kind existed in China. It remains perhaps the most advanced prototype of its kind. Unfortunately, it is so expensive that hardly anyone can afford it, not even interested research labs at companies. This is exactly where China differs. In the country's vast manufacturing industry, young inventors and engineers find everything they need to build robot dogs—from joint modules to sensors, chips, and software providers—and all at very reasonable prices.

Robodog at a Mini Price

Even fully assembled robot dogs, such as Unitree's "Go2," are already available for purchase starting at 1,400 euros (~$1,600). The manufacturer has recently invited students across China to play with them for free and has made its specs and algorithms publicly accessible. The company hopes that this "robot training" will lead to the invention of new applications and is cleverly making its name known to an entire generation of new robotics engineers.

The affordability of the Go2 robotic dog is currently "creating an ecosystem of developers and scientists," Bloomberg writes. "The more labs, universities, and a broader community use the hardware, the stronger a self-reinforcing cycle emerges, helping Unitree to gain further market share." (sb)