Pudu Robotics Unveils D9: A Humanoid Robot for Complex Tasks
Chinese company Pudu Robotics has launched a new humanoid robot, D9, standing 1.7 meters tall. This robot can carry up to 20 kg, clean, stock shelves, and perform other complex tasks. D9 features 42 degrees of freedom, allowing it to manipulate small objects with precision. It uses advanced AI to enable multimodal interaction with people. The robot moves at a maximum speed of 7.2 km/h, can climb stairs, and maintains its balance even after being hit. The price of D9 is yet to be disclosed.
Enhancing Robotic Capabilities for Commercial Use
Pudu Robotics introduced the semi-humanoid robot D7 in September, which includes a wheeled platform designed for sorting components in industrial settings, cleaning tables in restaurants, and autonomously controlling elevators in office buildings. D9, however, is capable of executing not only these tasks but also more advanced operations. 
D9 moves faster than the average person walking, reaching 7.2 km/h. It can also navigate stairs and slopes, and it uses precise sensors for real-time, three-dimensional semantic mapping of its environment. This allows D9 to determine its location and autonomously plot routes. Additionally, it can maintain balance after a sudden impact, much like Boston Dynamics robots in their famous videos.
Pudu Robotics: Advanced AI for Precision and Interaction
D9 features 42 degrees of freedom, thanks to numerous joints and agile hands. This makes it capable of performing intricate tasks, such as manipulating small objects with both hands. The robot’s advanced AI system enables natural multimodal interaction at a human level, which enhances the quality and speed of service.
Pudu Robotics, based in Shenzhen, specializes in developing simpler robots for commercial applications, such as cleaning, contactless order delivery in restaurants and hotels, and cargo transportation in warehouses. The company has already delivered 80,000 units across 60 countries. Over the past few years, Pudu has raised $192 million in eight rounds of funding. Some of this capital went toward building a manufacturing facility in Jiangsu Province.
Competing with Industry Giants
Pudu is positioning itself to compete with industry giants like Tesla and Unitree. While the exact cost of D9 remains undisclosed, considering the price of Unitree’s G1 at $16,000 and Tesla’s Optimus, expected to range between $20,000 and $30,000, it is likely that Pudu will target a similar market segment. D9 surpasses the G1 in size, maneuverability, and torque, with nearly three times the torque of the Unitree model. However, details on battery capacity, charging time, and potential limitations are still unavailable. Despite this, Pudu is already accepting orders for D9.
In conclusion, Pudu Robotics is setting itself up as a strong competitor in the rapidly growing field of humanoid robots, with its new D9 offering advanced capabilities for a variety of commercial applications.
