DaxAI’s Qiji X1 Is a Robot Horse You Can Sit On
Not every WRC crowd was watching humanoids sprint. Interesting Engineering’s August 23 piece flags DaxAI Robotics’ Qiji X1, a four-legged machine with a saddle and handlebars, as one of the booths people actually lined up for.
IE describes it as a large quadruped rebuilt to carry a person. The payload figure in that report is 660 pounds. Demos on the show floor were slow, a bit wobbly, and very much a proof of concept. TechEBlog’s write-up is in the same lane: you can climb on it and ride it across a conference floor.
Who built it
IE says DaxAI formed in Beijing around 2025. Founder Wang Kun previously worked on robotics and autonomous driving. Co-founder and CTO Xu Wenqiang is described as having an advanced AI background. The bet is legs where wheels struggle, plus a human on top instead of a sensor mast.
That last part is the joke and the test. IE notes a humanoid also showed up mounted on a robotic steed at the World Humanoid Robot Games opening, waving a banner. Two different stunts, same week, same city.
The Qiji X1 is not a vehicle program with a price, a range, or a safety case in the coverage I fetched. It is a rideable quadruped on an expo floor.
A Human’s Take
I am not shopping for a 660-pound robot horse. I am watching whether a quadruped that can take a seated load stays upright when the rider shifts. That is a balance and contact problem with a person in the loop. If DaxAI ever publishes a duty cycle that is not a walk-on, I’ll come back. Until then, it is the most honest booth toy in Beijing this week.