Enlarge image
Computer graphics of the Cyber Dog
Photo: Xiaomi
A couple of smartphone cameras and sensors, a computer specializing in artificial intelligence, a swing of joints and motors, apparently nothing more is needed to build a robot.
At least that's how it seems if you look at what the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi announced on Tuesday evening.
Actually, a new smartphone should have been the star of the day, the Xiaomi Mix 4, with a large display and ceramic housing.
More exciting than the undoubtedly remarkable smartphone, which is currently only intended for the Chinese market, is the Cyber Dog, a robot dog that the company describes as a "four-legged robot companion with open source code".
Computer graphics showing the electric animal evoke memories of the "Spot" robot from Boston Dynamics, which can jump rope, is on duty with the New York police and otherwise looks for buyers.
After all, with a unit price of just under $ 75,000, it's not exactly a take-away item.
With the Cyber Dog, on the other hand, you could develop more concrete purchase ideas, since Xiaomi gives the price in China at 9999 yuan, the equivalent of 1300 euros.
That's how much some spend on their smartphone.
Unlike a cell phone, however, the robot dog should move at up to eleven kilometers per hour and be able to perform “complicated actions such as backflips”.
Mechanically, it is equipped with specially developed servomotors.
Electronically, on the other hand, »touch sensors, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, GPS modules and much more« should enable them to perceive their surroundings and react to them.
Several cameras, a depth sensor and “image processing technology from Xiaomi's smartphones” would enable the Cyber Dog to “perceive its surroundings much better”.
Better than what is not explained.
But it is likely that behind all of this there is a computer from Nvidia that specializes in artificial intelligence and that can evaluate the sensor data and derive actions from it.
In addition, like a smart loudspeaker, it should be able to be controlled via voice assistants and be equipped with three USB-C and one HDMI socket.
And if you like, you can simply use a remote control to control the three kilogram electric dog.
However, Xiaomi does not seem to have a specific idea of what such a robot could be used for.
Rather, the device is started as an open source project.
1000 copies are to be made available to "Xiaomi fans, engineers and robot enthusiasts".
Presumably to find applications for the new technology.
Just as unclear as the purpose of the Cyber Dog is, which is why Xiaomi has so far only issued computer graphics of the device, some of which depict it like a character from science fiction films. Because there are working copies, YouTube videos that show the robot suggest. And of course it is also a little bit regrettable that the Cyber Dog, just like the Mix 4, will only be available in China for the time being.
