This Startup Built a Real WALL-E (and Its Quirky Cousin)
▼ Summary
– Zeroth, an AI robotics startup, is launching a WALL-E-inspired robot called the W1 in the US for $5,599, though a Disney-licensed version is only sold in China.
– The W1 robot uses a dual-tread design to navigate various terrains and can carry up to 110 pounds using lidar, cameras, and sensors for home or light use.
– Its functions include transporting items, following users, hosting games, and taking pictures, but it has a limited top speed of about 1.1 miles per hour.
– Zeroth is also launching a smaller, $2,899 humanoid robot called the M1 in the US, which uses Google’s Gemini AI for conversation and home monitoring tasks.
– Both the W1 and M1 robots will be available for preorder in the US in the first quarter of this year.
A robotics startup is bringing the cinematic dream of a personal robot companion into reality, with two distinct models now available for preorder in the United States. Zeroth, an AI robotics company, has developed the W1, a functional robot that draws clear inspiration from the iconic Pixar character WALL-E. While a Disney-licensed version is currently exclusive to the Chinese market, this US model offers a similar core experience. Priced at $5,599, the W1 features the familiar dual-tread design, enabling it to traverse challenging surfaces like grass, gravel, and inclines. Engineered for domestic and light commercial use, it boasts an impressive payload capacity, able to carry up to 110 pounds despite its own 44-pound frame. Navigation is handled by a sophisticated suite of lidar, RGB cameras, and various sensors.
The robot’s practical applications, while promising, appear somewhat focused. Zeroth states the W1 can transport items, follow a user, host simple games, and capture photos with its 13-megapixel camera. It moves at a modest top speed of roughly 1.1 miles per hour and stands just under two feet tall. Alongside the W1, Zeroth is introducing a second, entirely different robot to the American market. The M1 is a compact humanoid unit, standing a mere 15 inches high and starting at $2,899. Designed as an interactive home companion, it leverages Google’s Gemini AI model to power its conversational abilities.
This smaller robot provides more than just chat; it can set reminders, detect falls, and perform welfare check-ins on individuals within a home. The M1 is versatile in its placement, operating from a desktop or the floor, and is engineered to withstand tumbles and right itself automatically. It offers approximately two hours of battery life before autonomously returning to its charging dock. Both the utilitarian W1 and the companion-focused M1 represent significant steps toward integrating advanced robotics into everyday environments, with preorders for the US market opening this quarter.
(Source: The Verge)
