Yun Yun: China’s Gen Z is taking Boston Dynamics Robot Dogs out on Walks in Growing Trend

Technology is advancing every day and we are adapting it at a fast pace. As the pandemic hit the globe, people found new ways to maintain distance and go hassle-free with technology – from robots serving at restaurants to machine dogs patrolling parks. Recently, photos and videos of people walking robot dogs instead of actual canines have become a usual sight in China. Most of these people are from the younger generation.

The robot dogs that became popular during the pandemic are inspired by the creations of Boston Dynamics and are now available on Chinese shopping platforms. However, these bots can’t be compared with real dogs that are loyal and love humans unconditionally.

Inspired by Boston Dynamics which are now available on Chinese shopping platforms, these ‘Dogs’ have a camera installed in their heads to identify and bypass obstacles and even recognize people around them.

According to Oddity Central, several Chinese news outlets have reported that the vast majority of robot dogs are spotted on the streets of Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing and are domestically produced. They have a number of built-in features like following, rolling, sitting, running and carrying weights up to five kilograms (about 12 lbs) . Even these bots have a camera installed in their heads to identify and bypass obstacles and even recognize people around them.

But the main question arises why a person will want to have a robot dog as a pet instead of an actual one. There are many who want a hassle-free companion and even though robots aren’t perfect but are easier maintenance. How? You don’t have to clean after them, don’t require food, people don’t have to worry about them when you are out on a trip, as per the site.

The prices for these Chinese robot dogs reportedly vary from 15,000 yuan (around $2,080) to 100,000 yuan (approx. $13,800) depending on the quality, battery life and built-in feature.