Chinese EV maker XPeng is trying to bury the uncanny valley with its IRON humanoid robot. [9] The female-form robot’s gait is so fluidly human that at its debut, audiences questioned if it was a real person, and the company reportedly had to slice one open onstage to prove it wasn’t an actor in a suit. [3, 4] This isn’t just a tech demo; it’s a preview of XPeng’s aggressive plan to mass-produce these machines for commercial use by the end of 2026. [2]
