Photos and videos of people walking futuristic robot dogs instead of actual canines have been going viral in China lately, signaling a trend among the younger generations.
Robotic dogs inspired by the impressive creations of Boston Dynamics have been available on Chinese shopping platforms for a while now, but they’ve only recently started actually becoming popular. Although they are sometimes being described as soulless machines that can never compare to real dogs who love their owners unconditionally, there is no denying the advantages of robot pets, and judging by the increasing number of people spotted walking their robot dogs in China lately, they may one day rival the animals they emulate.
‘Why would anyone get a robot dog as a pet?’ you may ask yourself. Well, they don’t require any food, you don’t have to clean up after them, and you don’t have to spend time with them if you don’t have to. As a happy dog owner myself, I understand that that is all part of the pet-owning experience, but there are people who just want a hassle-free companion, and even though robot pooches aren’t perfect, they are easier maintenance.
According to several Chinese news outlets, the vast majority of robot dogs spotted in the streets of Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing are domestically produced and have a number of built-in features like “following”, rolling, sitting, running, and carrying weights of up to 5 kilograms. A camera in the dog’s head allows it to identify and bypass obstacles and even recognize its owner.
Prices for Chinese robot dogs reportedly vary between 15,000 ($2,100) and 100,000 yuan ($14,000) depending on build quality, built-in features, and battery life. The latter is a major deal-breaker for a lot of people, as the average battery life for this type of product is about 45 minutes.
Robot dogs are just starting to see real adoption among Chinese consumers, but manufacturers are confident that in the near future the market for their products will be worth billions of dollars.
Source: Oddity Central