Xiaomi’s CyberDog is the company’s first step into quadruped robotics
TL; DR
- Xiaomi has announced its first four-legged robot in the form of a mechanical dog.
- The aptly named CyberDog has a brain from Nvidia, a variety of sensors and servos from Xiaomi. It also uses open source algorithms.
- Xiaomi gives developers, engineers and fans 1,000 examples of the robot, but there is no word on general availability.
After Xiaomi stamped its authority in the smartphone world and announced its electric car plans, Xiaomi jumps headlong into the robot area. At the launch of Mi Mix 4 on Tuesday, the company announced a surprising novelty in its device bouquet – a new four-legged robot companion called CyberDog.
It’s effectively an advanced mechanical pet in the same vein as Spot from Boston Dynamics, albeit a little creepier. Still, Xiaomi believes this robot is proof of the company’s “engineering” and serves as a test bed for robot enthusiasts.
CyberDog specifications
Let’s start with computing power. CyberDog’s “brain” consists of Nvidia’s powerful Jetson Xavier NX module, which contains 384 CUDA cores, 48 tensor cores, six Carmel CPU cores and two cores for deep learning. This module collects and processes information from CyberDog’s 11 sensors that enable and inform the robot’s movement through the world. This movement uses Xiaomi’s specially developed servos to perform tricks like backflips and other “high-speed movements” at up to 3.2 m / s (11.5 km / h or 7.15 mph).
The sensor array also uses multiple cameras positioned on the robot’s body. This includes an Intel RealSense D450 depth sensor, which enables object tracking and obstacle avoidance. Xiaomi explains that in this way CyberDog can follow its owner and avoid pitfalls, much like a real dog.
Speaking of which, CyberDog responds to verbal calls too. The robot can be activated by a wake-up word or controlled by others, with other voice commands and assistants also being compatible. There is also plenty of I / O, including three USB-C ports and an HDMI port. This allows developers to add hardware or integrate their own software cocktails.
CyberDog pricing and availability
It’s unlikely that you’d want a robot dog in your home, but Xiaomi’s CyberDog appears to be proof of concept more than anything. The company is distributing 1,000 CyberDogs to engineers, enthusiasts, and fans to start its own open source robotics developer community. Those first 1,000 units will sell for 9,999 yuan (about $ 1,542).
There is no word if or when Xiaomi will release CyberDog to the public. For the time being, the availability of the robot seems to be limited to this first rollout. But no worry. If you really want a Xiaomi robot companion, you can always use a vacuum cleaner. And if you want a pet, maybe a real dog?
What do you think of Xiaomi’s CyberDog? Would you buy such a product if Xiaomi releases it to consumers? Vote in our poll above and let us know in the comments below!
