The rise of robot dogs – Domus

The imagery associated with these devices is all about terror and dystopia. In the Metalhead episode of Black Mirrors fourth season, released in 2017, stray robot dogs resembling Spot embody the nightmare of a posthuman society dominated by machines. However, the negative perception of the robot dog is, as is often the case, primarily a cultural and local construct, which should not be considered universal. The South China Morning Post reports that robot dogs are very popular in China, both on the streets and on social media, and in an article, journalist Yingjie Wang wonders whether they will somehow replace pets. A popularity that owes a lot to Xiaomis CyberDog, launched with a quite affordable price: 9,999 yuan, about 1,600 dollars, more or less the price of a high-end mobile phone, a long way from Spots approximately 75 thousand dollars. At the same time, it brings us back to a phenomenon of years gone by as well, when thinking the robot dog would be mens best friend of the future seemed normal.

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The rise of robot dogs - Domus