Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng has released a new video revealing the inner mechanisms of its humanoid robot, Iron, showcasing the engineering and artificial intelligence systems that enable its lifelike walking and dancing.
The follow-up video comes after Iron drew widespread attention last week for its natural gait during a live demonstration, which some viewers suspected was performed by a human actor. To dispel doubts, XPeng engineers were invited on stage to expose part of the robot’s leg structure, confirming its mechanical authenticity.
See also: XPeng’s Humanoid Robot Iron Stuns Audience With Lifelike Movements at Live Debut
In the latest teardown, XPeng stripped the robot to its metallic framework, displaying the array of actuators, servos, and wiring that allow for its fluid motion. Company chief executive He Xiaopeng narrated the video, saying that Iron’s ability to perform coordinated dances was used to demonstrate “precision and flexibility in motion.”
According to the company, Iron learned the dance sequence by observing human performers through a large in-house AI model. XPeng said the robot mastered the choreography in two hours — significantly faster than the two weeks required when engineers previously used reinforcement learning methods.
The robot’s realistic walking is attributed to its biomechanical spine and waist design. The flexible spine provides the torso with dynamic movement, while the waist maintains balance and stability, allowing Iron to retain a natural posture even when partially disassembled.
XPeng said it envisions Iron taking on practical roles in settings such as factories and retail spaces as part of its broader expansion into AI-driven mobility technologies. The company’s robotics initiative enters a competitive field that includes humanoid projects from Tesla, Samsung, and Toyota.