Chinese startup DaxAI has shown off a “Cyber Horse” quadrupedal robot that visitors of the recent 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing, China, could actually ride.
The robot’s movements are still quite jerky, but it clearly has little trouble navigating the showroom floor with an adult straddling its saddle.
It’s also reassuring that we’re looking at an actual product that’s starting to take shape, and not pure vaporware. We’ve already come across a surprisingly similar concept for a robot horse, dubbed Corleo, being developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. But beyond an almost entirely CGI promotional video, we have yet to see it in action.
DaxAI’s “Qiji X1 All-Terrain Intelligent Mount,” on the other hand, seems pretty close to production. It has a max payload of 660 pounds, can move at up to 6 mph, and has an advertised range of around 25 miles.
According to a description by state-run newspaper China Daily, it can autonomously navigate complex terrain, from steep slopes and gravel to mud.
“Built for premium off-road leisure, it transforms AI from lines of code on a screen into a truly rideable, real-world device,” the description reads.
It’s also envisioned for transporting heavy loads across uneven terrain, assisting during emergency rescue operations, and more.
When DaxAI’s four-legged motorhorse will go on sale is unclear, as the company doesn’t appear to have a Western internet-facing website. We also don’t know how capable it really is on uneven terrain rather than a perfectly flat, carpeted showroom floor.
But it’s nonetheless an impressive execution of a concept that leverages the many lessons the robotics industry has learned from developing quadruped robots over the years.
It’s also a pretty ironic new mode of transportation, considering what it’s replacing, as netizens pointed out.
“This is twice the horse has been made obsolete by technology,” one Reddit user joked, referring to the invention of the automobile well over 100 years ago.
“We had the horseless carriage, now we have the horseless horse,” another quipped.
Kawasaki’s Robot Horse “Corleo” goes into Production
Kawasaki has kicked off manufacturing of its state of Art Robot Horse which is destined to raise eyebrows and change the face of modern trans mobility.
This comes as Kawasaki announced that it has started to work on turning its ambitious vision into a reality, and decades ahead of schedule. As New Atlas reports, Kawasaki is setting up a dedicated “Safe Adventure Business Development Team,” with the aim of showing off a functioning prototype at the Expo 2030 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The company is hoping to put the unusual motorcycle on legs on sale by 2035, a lofty plan that still keeps the delivery way well in the future to avoid near-term embarrassment — we’re looking at you, Elon Musk!
According to a press release, Kawasaki is also developing a “riding simulator that enables riding experience of the four-legged mobility vehicle.”
Beyond targeting thrill seekers, the company also suggests that Corleo could be used to “eliminate mountain accidents and make mountainous regions safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
Sure, it may sound like a promising start — but there are plenty of reasons to remain skeptical. For one, achieving the kind of agility the company showed off in its original marketing video will likely remain an enormous engineering challenge.
