China Unveils Giant Yak-Robot

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

Many people have heard of Boston Dynamics, the robotics giant who became famous a decade ago with the robotic dog, BigDog, which had no head. It seems China is now following suit in its own way.

In an official video released last month, China revealed a new robot to carry twice the weight of yaks native to the Himalayas. It is possible, however, that the claims regarding the capabilities of the robotic yak are exaggerated based on a video published in a newsletter associated with the Chinese Communist Party.

According to techeblog.com, China’s official releases characterize the robotic yak as the world’s largest and heaviest robot, capable of speeding to 10 km/h, understanding voice orders, and utilizing face recognition.

However, despite the success that the Chinese ruling party is proud of, several sites, like popularmechanics.com, claim that the video portrays an image that exaggerates the robot’s capabilities. One example is that a robot includes a system that allows it to leap or skip over different locations, a technology based on lidar sensors that is also used in commercial marketing items such as a robotic vacuum cleaner. Watch the video and decide for yourself.