XPeng's (9868) newly unveiled humanoid robot IRON has generated both excitement and skepticism after its stage debut prompted online speculation that a human performer might be operating inside the machine, leading chief executive He Xiaopeng to release an unedited video to verify the robot's authenticity.
The robotics unit of the Chinese electric vehicle maker showcased IRON during its annual technology day on Wednesday, where the 170-centimeter-tall robot demonstrated a remarkably fluid catwalk that many viewers found almost indistinguishable from human movement.
"Over half of the online comments suggested we had a real person inside the female robot," He wrote on his Weibo account Thursday morning, noting his team felt both flattered and frustrated by the disbelief.
In response to what he described as persistent public skepticism about technological progress, He published a single-take, unedited video to prove the robot's autonomous capabilities.
The latest IRON prototype features solid-state batteries, three Turing chips, and a physical world AI model that enables its natural gait - achieved through added passive freedom in the toes that creates the appearance of weightless, smooth movement reminiscent of spacewalking.
