A lifelike robotic antelope is secretly mingling with real endangered herds in one of the harshest environments on the planet.
The Chinese startup DEEP Robotics developed the fake antelope with Xinhua and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to fool both predators and prey in in the Tibetan Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, which is situated at more than 4,500 meters above sea level. The thin air, extreme cold, and harsh winds make it one of the most challenging for animals and robots alike.
Hangzhou-based DEEP Robotics shared a video showing a team disguising what looks like one of its X30 quadrupedal bots as a live animal. They designed a shell covered with thick, brown fur matching the Tibetan antelope’s seasonal coat so it blends in at a glance. Large, doe-like eyes and a correctly proportioned head mimic the animal’s gentle appearance.
The robot’s gait and small body motions like head turns are programmed to imitate the relaxed and cautious behavior of the wild antelope. The X30 robot is DEEP’s highest end four-legged robot. It’s built to operate in high-altitude terrains and extreme cold. It supports quick-release batteries and stable auto-charging.
According to Chinese state media, the robot’s mission is to spy on endangered Tibetan antelope. Hunted to near extinction in the 1990s, the Tibetan antelope has rebounded to more than 100,000 but remains vulnerable.
The robot antelope navigates slopes, wetlands, and rocky terrain while tracking migration, mating, and feeding patterns. It even triggers alerts to so staff can manage traffic and reduce risks to wildlife. It streams live behavioral data from one of the world’s most remote plateaus with its AI-powered vision and ultra-low latency 5G. The robotic antelope has a reported operational range of up to 2 km (1.2 mi).
DEEP Robotics (officially known as Hangzhou Yunshenchu Technology Co.) was launched by Zhejang University doctoral grads Zhu Qiunguo and Li Chao in November 2017. The company is part of a tech ecosystem nicknamed the “Six Little Dragons,” a group that also includes Game Science, DeepSeek, Unitree Robotics, BrainCo, and ManyCore Technology.
The robotics firm recently announced it secured $69.7 million in Series B+ funding to accelerate its quadruped, humanoid, and next-gen embodied robot programs. DEEP Robotics’ quadrupeds range in price from around $65,000 for lighter models like the Lite3 to $175,000 and more for its industrial platforms. The company says it’s aiming for global deployment and adoption for applications like energy inspection, rescue, surveillance, and smart infrastructure.