XPeng unveils humanoid robot with soft skin and customizable body types

Chinese company XPeng has introduced a new humanoid robot named Iron, designed with a range of human-like characteristics, including the option for buyers to choose the robot’s gender and body shape.

Iron features a flexible spine, synthetic muscles, and a soft, skin-like outer layer. In practice, the robot’s motion is noticeably smoother than that of most current humanoid systems, with a gait that closely resembles human movement.

On the technical side, Iron is powered by XPeng’s proprietary Turing AI chips, enabling a set of onboard AI capabilities. The model is also reported to be the first humanoid robot to use a fully solid-state battery, though additional specifications have not yet been disclosed.

Production is expected to begin in April of next year. The robot will be offered in several configurations, including customizable gender and physique options.