Pudu Robotics Unveils D5 Robot Dog, Aims for Global Expansion

tech360.tv
5 hours ago
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A pale-grey, nearly one-metre-tall, four-legged robot drew crowds at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, lowering itself down some steps before lifting its right foreleg as if to greet onlookers, and then rolled around one of the exhibition halls on wheels while avoiding obstacles. The quadruped, dubbed the D5, is the latest model unveiled on Wednesday by Chinese robot maker Pudu Robotics at IREX. IREX is a biennial industry showcase held at Tokyo Big Sight from Dec. 3 to 6.

The D5 is Pudu’s second robot dog model, following a smaller, less-agile version released in 2022. Advances in motion-control algorithms, key components, and embodied intelligence technologies have accelerated across the industry, helped in part by Pudu’s Chinese peers, including Unitree Robotics and Deep Robotics, whose products have pushed robot dogs into real-world settings.

Felix Zhang Tao, Pudu founder and chief executive officer, stated in an interview with the Post, "Robot dogs have great application potential, from inspection and delivery, to a wide range of industry-specific functions which can be customised, powered by high-performance computing." The D5, powered by Nvidia’s Orin chip and equipped with four 120-degree fisheye cameras and dual front-and-rear lidar sensors, was designed for autonomous, all-terrain and all-weather operation, according to the company.

It utilized Pudu’s self-developed joint modules and motors, Zhang said. Shenzhen-based Pudu is known for its diverse range of service robots, including those for restaurant food delivery, hotel services, cleaning, and factory logistics. The company reported selling over 100,000 robots to more than 80 countries and regions.

Pudu, founded in 2016 by Zhang – an engineering student from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a serial entrepreneur with ventures in tech media and unmanned aircraft – initially focused on restaurant food delivery. Zhang, a serial entrepreneur, indicated that Pudu has built a "global network of more than 700 distributors and after-sales partners."

Europe now accounts for approximately 30% of Pudu’s revenue, the Americas 20%, Asia-Pacific excluding China 20%, and mainland China another 20%. Pudu entered the Japanese market in 2019, establishing partnerships with organisations including Skylark and SoftBank. Zhang affirmed that rising political tensions between China and Japan had not impacted the company’s business.

While Japan historically leads in industrial robotics, Chinese companies excel in service robots due to numerous real-world use cases, rapid product iteration, and decreasing manufacturing costs. Prominent players in this sector include Keenon Robotics, Yunji Technology, and Robint Technology.

The next phase for Pudu involves "to stand in the customer’s shoes while exploring specialised robots, semi-humanoid robots and humanoid robots," Zhang said. China’s humanoid-robot sector has recently intensified, propelled by supportive industrial policy and technological advancements.

Leading robot makers had set aggressive targets for 2026, according to a Morgan Stanley research note in December, with orders announced in the second half of this year already worth more than 2 billion yuan (US$282 million). Analysts cautioned, however, that "limited working capability will constrain near-term exponential growth."

After nearly 10 years of operations, Pudu neared break-even and was preparing for an initial public offering, Zhang said. Once a highly attractive investment, having raised over 1 billion yuan across at least 10 funding rounds, the company reportedly underwent layoffs and restructuring in 2022.

"Robot penetration is still extremely low," Zhang said. "We work backwards, from what customers need, and that tells us what kind of robots must be built."

Pudu Robotics unveiled its D5 robot dog, designed for autonomous, all-terrain, and all-weather operation, at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.
The D5 is the Chinese company's second robot dog model and is powered by Nvidia's Orin chip with advanced camera and lidar sensors.
Pudu, founded in 2016, has sold over 100,000 service robots globally and is actively expanding its international distribution network.

Source: SCMP