Why did engineers cut apart their robot on stage?

At a recent event in China, XPeng amazed the audience by unveiling its next-generation humanoid robot, Iron. The machine’s lifelike movements were so realistic that many attendees believed it was a person disguised as a robot.

To clear any doubts, XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng decided to demonstrate the truth live on stage. He called Iron back and asked one of the engineers to cut through the fabric covering its lower leg, which he described as the robot’s “skin and muscle.”

After slicing through the material, the internal mechanical components were exposed to everyone — with no trace of human flesh. The robot then calmly walked offstage, further proving its autonomy.

“It moved so fluidly that it really looked human.”

“XPeng felt the need to prove there was no human inside.”

Public reaction

The demonstration instantly spread across social media, reminding viewers of earlier robotics moments, such as the 2021 reveal of Tesla’s Optimus when a person in a bodysuit stood in for the real machine. However, XPeng’s Iron marked a true step forward, fully mechanical and convincingly humanlike.

Summary

XPeng’s live robot demonstration impressed audiences with Iron’s humanlike motion and mechanical reveal, reinforcing the company’s position in advanced robotics research.

Government Technology — 2025-11-07