A 88cm Robot That Makes You Treat It as Family?

QiYuan Q1, a new robot from Shanghai Weifo New Materials' sub-brand QiYuan Robotics, was released on December 31 last year and won five international awards at its CES debut in January. At ChinaJoy 2026 on July 31, it showcased customizable IP shells and interactive demos, turning sci-fi concepts into tangible experiences.

This playful approach hides serious engineering: the robot uses self-developed micro QDD quasi-direct drive joint modules, offering 22 degrees of freedom with dual force and position control. It can run, squat, sidestep, stop suddenly, and turn smoothly, but the real focus is on safe interaction with humans.

The 'red light, green light' game reveals the core safety design. When a child shouts 'stop', Q1 freezes instantly with zero trembling. When tugged, it yields gently instead of resisting, thanks to a native flexible rebound mechanism. The principle is simple: yield on touch, stop on force. This 'do no harm' rule is embedded at the lowest level of its motion control, making it safe enough for children to pull or hug. This emphasis on restraint over raw strength may be its most valuable trait.

Beyond motion, Q1 remembers casual remarks like family lactose intolerance or a teammate's sugar control, and even holds its own opinions in debates. This conversational memory distinguishes it from smart speakers—while rivals compare parameter counts, QiYuan focuses on how long and deeply it remembers you. It also offers swappable outer shells, enabling users to change its look from Gundam to astronaut. This modular design, combined with open SDK and HDK interfaces, hands customization control to the owner.

These features align with the four game themes: hide-and-seek tests agility, red light tests safety, detective tests memory and empathy, and cosplay returns creative freedom to users. At ChinaJoy, QiYuan turned the booth into a large-scale customization venue, letting visitors define their ideal robot. Collectively, they answer: what makes a robot 'personal'? The standard is clear—it must enter private space, retain unique memories, respect boundaries, and co-create with you.

While the industry has focused on parameters, payload, and battery life, QiYuan sidesteps this trend to ask whether robots can be accepted by people first. In July, Q1 appeared on CCTV's World Cup program as a commentator and fan of Ronaldo, then landed at ChinaJoy for fans to see and touch. This strategy uses games—the most intuitive language—to make 'human-robot symbiosis' a small matter of hiding behind your cabinet or accompanying you at an expo. Whether robots become family members remains to be seen, but Q1 makes it feel less like science fiction.

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