NOETIX Robotics N2 Robot Performing a Backflip (Source: Provided by Interviewee)

TMTPOST -- NOETIX Robotics, a startup founded by a team of young entrepreneurs born at the turn of the century from Tsinghua University, has unveiled a humanoid robot capable of performing continuous backflips in indoor and outdoor environments.

Priced at just 39,900 yuan (US$ 5,503) for mass production, the robot has captured significant attention for its capabilities and affordability.

The robot, named N2, stands 1.2 meters tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and boasts an impressive range of motion, including backflips, large strides, running, single- and double-leg jumps, and even dancing. With a maximum running speed of 3.5 meters per second, the N2 is a standout in the humanoid robotics space.

Jiang Zheyuan, the founder, chairman, and CTO of NOETIX Robotics, told TMTPOST in an exclusive interview on Friday that both the N2 and its upgraded version, the E1, are now open for pre-orders.

The price of E1 starts at 39,900 yuan, while the N2, with fewer joint degrees of freedom and a shorter height, is priced higher at 59,900 yuan—a seemingly counterintuitive strategy aimed at making robotics more accessible.

The 39,900 yuan price point is approximately one-seventh of the $30,000 target set by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk for humanoid robots. It is also less than the cost of two units of Huawei's latest tri-fold flagship smartphone and about one-fifth the price of Unitree Robotics' standard humanoid robot, which costs over 200,000 yuan. This aggressive pricing strategy reflects NOETIX Robotics' mission to democratize robotics, making it accessible to a broader user base rather than a luxury for the few.

Jiang shared that pre-orders for the N2 and E1 have beat expectations, surpassing 500 units. He envisions NOETIX Robotics becoming the "Xiaomi" of the humanoid robot industry in the short term and the "Apple" of robotics in the long term, ultimately building a globally influential company.

NOETIX Robotics, also known as Songyan Dynamics (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., was established in 2023. The company specializes in the research and manufacturing of humanoid robots and is backed by a team of young talents from prestigious institutions such as Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, and the University of Southern California. With over 40 full-time employees and 20 interns, the startup has quickly made a name for itself in the competitive robotics industry.

Jiang, 27, completed his undergraduate studies in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University and pursued a Ph.D. in motion control for legged robots using deep reinforcement learning. However, he dropped out to focus entirely on his entrepreneurial ambitions.

Jiang revealed that it took just six months for the N2 to go from project initiation to performing backflips. The robot's ability to execute continuous backflips in a single take, both indoors and outdoors, sets it apart from competitors, whose demonstrations are often limited to lab environments.

The N2's success is attributed to the synergy between hardware and software. The hardware team developed a robust platform capable of withstanding high-dynamic movements, while the algorithm team employed reinforcement learning to train the robot to mimic optimized backflip trajectories. This combination of trajectory optimization (TO) and reinforcement learning (RL) enabled the N2 to achieve its impressive capabilities.

The N2 is designed for a wide range of applications, including education, scientific research, live streaming, security patrols, and training companionship. Its affordability and built-in secondary development interfaces make it accessible to developers and researchers, allowing for customization and adaptation to specific needs.

Jiang emphasized that the 39,900 yuan price point is not for "malicious competition" but rather a reflection of the industry's inevitable trend toward affordability. He projected that NOETIX Robotics will achieve a monthly production capacity of over 150 units by the second half of 2024 and reach positive cash flow by the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, NOETIX Robotics plans to launch a consumer-grade robot product priced at around 5,000 yuan, making household robots accessible to even more people. Jiang also revealed that the company is exploring new application scenarios, including bionic facial devices and consumer-grade robots that leverage the team's expertise in joint mechanisms, motion control algorithms, and reinforcement learning.

The humanoid robot market in China is projected to reach 2.76 billion yuan by 2024, with the potential to grow into a 100 billion yuan market by 2030 and 300 billion yuan by 2035.

(Note: 1 USD equals 7.25 yuan)