XPeng engineers cut open humanoid robot Iron after it walked on stage to prove it wasn’t a human in a costume

You know you are doing your job well as a humanoid engineer when people insist your walking robot is not a human. XPeng engineers found themselves in exactly this situation during a live presentation of the latest update to their bipedal robot, Iron, in Guangzhou.

Walking too perfectly for comfort

XPeng’s life-sized robot appeared uncannily human-like as it trotted across the stage toward CEO He Xiaopeng. Many in the audience assumed the company was using an actor kitted out as a robot. Iron’s gait and balanced posture stunned both the crowd and people following on the livestream.

The event attendants’ scepticism was understandable. The internet has yet to forget how Elon Musk’s Tesla employed the services of an actor in a bodysuit to parade as a humanoid during the Optimus robot reveal in 2021.

Proof in the pistons

To quash any suspicion of foul play, Xiaopeng invited engineers back onstage and asked them to slice open one of Iron’s legs. After carefully cutting through multiple layers of fabric, the crowd could see the humanoid’s metal joints, actuators, and wiring.

The exposure, however, did not slow down Iron. The robot continued to strut across the stage, and the video has now gone viral on Chinese social media.

More than a gimmick

Iron is the outcome of XPeng’s push into AI and mobility, as the company also develops robotaxis and flying cars. It sees Iron deployed as museum guides, retail assistants, or factory workers in the future. For now, however, XPeng engineers can pat themselves on the back for pulling a fast one on even tech-savvy observers.