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.
Video footage circulating on social media and photography by Reuters show visitors mounting the unusual contraption, a bizarre mash-up of a motorcycle and an oversized robot dog, and taking it for a spin. 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.
More on robot horses: Kawasaki’s Robot Horse Is Going Into Production