DeepBlue Technology (深兰科技), an AI unicorn headquartered in Shanghai, has launched its first wheeled and legged AI-driven robot that comes with a ChatGPT-like large language model (LLM), Shanghai Securities Journal reported on Monday.
The company, which specializes in autonomous driving, AI and specialized robotics for applications like commercial cleaning, debuted this innovation at its 2023 Ecosystem Conference on October 29.
The robot, with a body supported by two legs with wheels, looks a bit cartoonish and is said to be developed in house by DeepBlue Technology, one of Shanghai’s most established AI startups.
At the launch event, Chen Haibo, founder and CEO of DeepBlue Technology, said the droid is the world’s first such product built on the basis of “silicon knowledge LLM,” without elaborating what this means.
One of its principal application scenarios is to provide companionship to family members, Chen explained.
The robot, called lan bao in pinyin, can perform movements such as traversing slopes on both legs, on a single leg, jumping over obstacles and lowering its posture to pass through low barriers.
It is also capable of navigating complex environments such as speed bump, staircase and slope.
Learn on its own
Thanks to DeepBlue’s AI recognition and autonomous navigation technologies, it can interact with users in a more agile manner and search for objects on its own.
These features enable the device to serve as a tutor, companion and security guard in a home scenario. The built-in AI model makes it appear less impersonal in day-to-day interactions.
The robot is considered as a “work in progress,” a highly adaptable gadget, as it is able to learn new skills, improve its cognitive intelligence and pick up new habits.
Underpinned by the “silicon knowledge LLM,” it ideally will realize incremental iterations by interacting with users, leading to customizations desired by each household, according to a business manager of DeepBlue Technology, who was not identified in the original report.
“We believe this vigorous, human-like and understanding AI-powered robot will definitely deliver a brand new and more intelligent product experience for every household,” said the manager.
Not just Panda Bus
DeepBlue gained worldwide recognition on the back of its self-driving Panda Bus and a suite of commercial service robots like vacuum sweeper and floor scrubber.
The company has been exporting its products to overseas markets for a while. For instance, it shipped an unspecified number of disinfection robots to the United States in April 2021, under an OEM agreement reached with LG Group.
The shipments were the first batch of goods DeepBlue is obligated to supply to the South Korean conglomerate over the next three years, beginning in 2021.
