In the not-too-distant future you can walk a robot dog.
The newly developed four-legged robot dog A1 from Hangzhou Unitree is priced at no more than $10,000.
Unitree is considered the Boston powerhouse of China, having previously launched Laikago to widespread industry recognition.
And the newly launched A1 robot dog is a scaled-down version of Laikago, with a maximum sustained outdoor running speed of 3.3 m/s (11.88 kph).
That's about the same speed as an adult jogging, so you won't be alone when you're on your own for a leisurely run.
The A1 robot dog's maximum torque is 33.5NM. It weighs 605g, has articulated angular acceleration feedback, and the output bearing is a large industrial-grade cross-roller bearing with little to no possibility of bearing damage.
The A1 robot dog weighs 12 kilograms (26.5 pounds) including batteries, and when standing it measures 500 mm long * 300 wide * 400 high.
The A1 senses its environment through dual depth-sensing cameras that send real-time HD video back to a human operator - it can also operate autonomously, and its RTOS (real-time operating system) even includes a mode where the robot tracks and follows specific people.
More presentations can be found at:
http://www.unitree.cc/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=6&id=366
