Dobot unveils six-legged robotic dog

Shenzhen-based Dobot Robotics launched its six-legged biomimetic robotic dog today, becoming the world’s first company to introduce an embodied AI robotic platform that integrates robotic arms, humanoid robots, and six-legged robots.

A six-legged biomimetic robotic dog developed by Shenzhen-based Dobot Robotics pulls a cart carrying a person and supplies during a demonstration of its load-bearing capabilities. Photos courtesy of Dobot Robotics

According to the company, the six-legged robotic dog introduces several groundbreaking innovations. Its inherently stable six-legged design features a triangular support system with three points of ground contact, minimizing body sway and ensuring stability.

In addition, the robot can effortlessly handle pulling forces nearly five times its own body weight, delivering powerful performance for demanding tasks.

With noise levels comparable to a quiet library, its naturally low-impact gait enables discreet and disturbance-free operation, as reported by the media.

Furthermore, an advanced ground-contact strategy and coordinated multi-joint response allow the robot to move agilely across uneven and discontinuous terrain — including steep slopes — without reducing speed.

A six-legged robotic dog developed by Dobot Robotics carries a tray with drinks and food in an indoor setting.

These innovations not only overcome long-standing limitations of traditional mobile robots — such as stability, payload capacity, and environmental adaptability — but also unlock new possibilities for embodied intelligence in real-world applications, the company said.

Today, the robotics industry is largely defined by two distinct technological paths. On one side are humanoid robots, developed by companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla, which aim to replicate human form and versatility. On the other are specialized industrial robots, engineered for high reliability in specific, controlled environments.

Positioned between these two approaches, the six-legged robotic dog strikes a practical balance. It offers greater commercial viability than humanoid robots while delivering broader environmental adaptability than traditional, task-specific machines.

As foundational capabilities continue to advance, the application scope of six-legged robotic dogs is expected to expand further. They have already demonstrated unique and irreplaceable value in demanding scenarios such as explosion-proof inspections on offshore oil platforms, intelligent operations and maintenance at photovoltaic power stations, and search-and-rescue missions in earthquake-stricken areas.

A six-legged robotic dog developed by Dobot Robotics navigates various environments during a demonstration of its environmental adaptability.

Six-legged robotic dogs outperform wheeled models on complex terrain, are lighter and quieter than tracked versions, provide greater stability and reliability than quadrupeds, and cost less than humanoid robots.

Dobot, a global leader in collaborative robots active in more than 80 countries, has delivered over 80,000 robotic arms to more than 80 Fortune 500 companies worldwide. In March, the company unveiled Atom, an embodied-intelligence humanoid robot built for high-precision tasks. It is the world’s first full-size humanoid robot to combine dexterous manipulation with straight-knee walking. 

Dobot officially announced the global mass production and delivery of Atom during a launch ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, on June 27.