Humanoid robots are everywhere. So are robotic canines. Equine versions? Not so much. But Deep Robotics, out of China, will sell you one of its limited edition robot horses if you have the cash. How much cash? Around R830,000, since these are being custom-fabricated to commemorate the Chinese Year of the Horse.
The “Year of the Horse Special Edition robotic companion,” which doesn’t appear to have another title, is a modification of the robotics outfit’s Lynx M20 Pro. That one was shown off at this year’s CES and isn’t officially on sale yet. It’s also got wheels, something our equine buddy here lacks.
Going Deep
Deep’s robot horse doesn’t lack style, though. While the Lynx M20 Pro can scoot along on wheels, this critter trots, will rear up like it’s the climax of a Western film, and also tote kids around. The promo video is adamant that an engineer be present for that last one. Maybe don’t put your children on experimental technology at all.
It’s not quite Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, though. The robo-horse stands just 50cm tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and has a top speed of 18km/h. But since it’s designed to operate like a horse, its creators reckon the speed should be halved. For safety reasons. They won’t make owners do it… but it’s a good idea. Payload is supposedly 50kg, which outstrips the Lynx M20 Pro’s 15kg. We have to assume the range, but if it’s based on its wheeled counterpart, it should get twelve kilometres on a charge. More or less.
The Deep robot horse operates for three hours at a time, features hot-swappable batteries, and incorporates LiDAR and Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) tech. This allows for 360° obstacle avoidance — handy if you’re moving at 9km/h.
It isn’t intended to be practical, though. Chinese companies tend to be very culturally patriotic, and it’s the Year of the Horse. This limited-run robot will likely wind up being a prestige item for other Chinese companies hosting events or guests this year. So… no hunting space bounties from the back of one, then?
