There are two basic kinds of commercial robots — humanoid and quadruped. The Qiyuan T1 attempts to be both. As the name suggests, it’s unlikely you’ll see one outside of China for now, but the company’s marketing presentation looks… pretty impressive.
Good marketing isn’t necessarily an indication of an excellent product, but it does help. Qiyuan’s robot is being pitched as an in-home assistant of sorts, capable of venturing out shopping or… helping kids with homework?
Try again, Qiyuan T1
The design for the Qiyuan T1 isn’t especially novel. It’s surprising that no other robotics manufacturers have jumped on it yet. In quadruped mode, the rear feel are operated by wheels. The front legs (or arms) aren’t highly complex either. There are no fingers or grasping tools. When needed, the T1 can ‘stand’, navigating on its wheels to see tables and countertops.
Several features are supposedly built in. The T1 should have voice recognition, some sort of AI implementation (with a functional memory), the ability to shake hands, and language tutoring. That last point reinforces the idea that it will see a localised Chinese release more than anything else.
But, in bipedal mode, it’ll become something different. The Qiyuan T1 can act as a camera assistant, according to reports, with a range of shots at its disposal. As long as you’re shooting images and video over stable ground, it could work.
Technical details are scarce, at least for now. The T1 is expected to make its official appearance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in the next couple of weeks. It’s likely that pricing, exact capabilities, and availability will turn up there too.
