Real dog meets robot dog in west London — and is absolutely not impressed (Photo by @ttiimzk)
A dog’s routine walk through Holland Park took an unexpected turn when it came face-to-face with something that looked like a dog, moved like a dog, but was very much not a dog. Footage of the encounter, filmed on the affluent streets of West London, shows a black-and-white dog maintaining a cautious distance from a white motorised robot moving toward it on a lead.
The real dog’s spaniel-like ears shoot upward as it barks at the machine, which responds by rising onto its hind legs and tottering closer. Tail wagging but clearly unsettled, the dog cycles between approaching and retreating, then drops into a playful downward-dog position, and finally simply sits down in apparent bewilderment as the robot flawlessly executes a paw-stand on its front two legs.
The person filming provided a running commentary throughout. “Dog sees the future and he is like ‘nah’. ” That is hilarious,” they said, before adding, “The dog is like, ‘What is going on? ” You are on four legs but this should not be happening.” The robot in question appears to be the Go2 AIR, made by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics and priced at around £2,000.
Marketed as an “advanced intelligent bionic quadruped robot,” the Go2 is capable of upside-down walking, adaptive roll-over and obstacle climbing. It navigates its surroundings using 4D LIDAR sensors, which use reflected light to build real-time 3D maps of nearby objects and apparently confused animals.
The Go2 also responds to voice commands, recognises human speech, and can answer questions or take photos on request via a camera mounted where a real dog’s face would be. A companion smartphone app lets owners browse those photos and watch a live feed from the robot’s point of view. Powered by a large language model, the robot is designed to learn its owner’s “unique characteristics” over time, positioning itself as their “closest friend.”
There are, however, limits. The Go2 is not waterproof and cannot be taken out in the rain. Its battery lasts between one and two hours. And waste bags are, at least, unnecessary. Unitree Robotics, headquartered in Hangzhou, China, is among the world’s leading robotics manufacturers.
The company has had a turbulent few months in the headlines, a robot slapped a child in Shaanxi Province in March, another kicked a man in the groin while mimicking his movements, and a third attempted to cook a stir-fry before flinging the food across the floor and slipping in the mess. The dog in Holland Park, by contrast, escaped unharmed if not entirely reassured.
