The Humanoid So Real They Had to Cut It Open | What The Future

Robot Design and Functionality - XPeng's Iron is a next-generation humanoid robot designed to work in human environments, with human proportions, aiming for emotional compatibility and familiarity [3][5] - Iron's design includes soft skin, and XPeng envisions offering customizable robots with different shapes, sizes, and sexes, similar to buying a car [6] - The robot's design, including its curvy figure, is a deliberate test to gauge human reactions to different body types before real-world deployment [7] - Iron's internal structure mimics human anatomy, featuring bones, muscles, and knitted skin with embedded sensors, and its movements are fully autonomous [8][9] Market and Industry Implications - XPeng is venturing into humanoid robotics, aiming to create robots that feel warmer, more intimate, and emotionally acceptable to humans [3][5] - The company believes that if people trust humanoids, they will adopt them faster, leading to scaled production and reduced costs [12] - The development of Iron explores the uncanny valley, leveraging the human tendency to react strongly to things that appear almost human [10] - XPeng's approach prioritizes emotional compatibility over pure engineering efficiency, suggesting a focus on user acceptance and market adoption [12]