Chinese flying car manufacturer XPeng has developed a humanoid robot to rival Tesla Optimus
- XPeng has unveiled its humanoid robot that could rival Tesla’s Optimus
- Iron has 60 joints with more than 200 degrees of freedom
- The robot has been in the works for five years and is already working on the factory floor
Published on Nov 15, 2024 at 5:25 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Nov 18, 2024 at 10:04 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
XPeng is hot on the heels of the Tesla Optimus in the race to build the best humanoid robot.
The startup is best known for its electric vehicles but has just revealed its robot, ‘Iron’.
Iron has incredible capabilities, and moves scarily like a real person.
The robot has already been deployed onto factory floors too.
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Unveiling the XPeng Iron
XPeng has been making waves in the flying car sector for years, with its X2 recently being spotted in Shanghai.
Presales for the car are already in the thousands, meaning what once seemed like a sci-fi fantasy will be a reality in the next few years.
Now the company is setting its sights on the world of humanoid robotics.
Iron has been in the works for five years, but has already been implemented in factories and stores.
The robot stands tall at 5″11 and weighs 154 pounds.
What’s most impressive is how human-like it can move, thanks to its 60 joints with more than 200 degrees of freedom.
XPeng put a lot of care into making its hands as close to human hands as possible, able to perform intricate and complicated tasks.
How does Iron match up to Optimus?
While Tesla is not the only company producing humanoid robots, it’s certainly one of the front-runners.
Besides Optimus, we’ve also seen robots at work in BMW’s factory and NASA’s Valkyrie preparing to explore Mars on our behalf.
Tesla first showed its humanoid robot, Optimus, to the world in 2022.
Elon Musk has shared that Tesla will start ramping up production next year.
“Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026,” he said in a post on X.
Optimus has 28 moveable joints, with 12 joints in each of its hands.
Most recently, guests at the We Robot event were treated to Optimus robots dancing and serving drinks.
As to whether or not Iron will be able to dance, only time will tell.
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
